Nikola Jokic returned from a 16-game absence to produce 31 points and 12 rebounds, leading the host Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Clippers 122-109 on Friday night.
Jokic, who had been sidelined since sustaining a left knee injury at Miami on Dec. 29, shot 13-for-17 from the foul line to help Denver win its second in a row. The Nuggets went 10-6 while he was out.
The three-time MVP led a surge in the fourth quarter that broke open a close game, resulting in Los Angeles taking just its fourth loss in the last 20 games.
Denver’s Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points, Peyton Watson contributed 21, Jamal Murray finished with 20 points and nine assists and Jonas Valanciunas scored 11.
James Harden amassed 25 points and nine assists for the Clippers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points, John Collins finished with 18 and Ivica Zubac added 13.
Hardaway opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to give Denver a 95-80 lead, but Kobe Sanders scored eight consecutive points to start a 13-2 Clippers surge that made it a four-point game.
The Nuggets pulled away from there. Hardaway was fouled on a 3-point attempt and hit all three free throws, and Jokic scored the Nuggets’ next eight points to make it 108-97 with 5:22 to go. Collins missed at the other end, and Denver’s Bruce Brown hit a pair of free throws to extend the advantage to 13 points.
Jokic hit Watson with a behind-the-back pass for a dunk, and then the 6-foot-11 Serbian finished his night with a 3-pointer with 3:22 left.
Jokic had 14 points and seven rebounds less then 11 first-half minutes, helping Denver lead by as many as 13. The Clippers closed within 53-50 in the final minute of the second quarter before Murray’s 3-pointer gave the Nuggets a 59-50 lead at the break.
Los Angeles opened the third quarter strong and went ahead 69-68 on a dunk by Collins. Denver responded with a 10-3 run to lead by six and took a 92-80 edge heading into the fourth.
