Nikola Jokic had 21 points and 17 rebounds, Jamal Murray scored 18 points, and the Denver Nuggets beat the New York Knicks 111-93 on Friday night for their sixth straight victory.
Gary Harris chipped in 14 points for Denver, which moved into a tie with defending champion Golden State for first place in the Western Conference with 11 games remaining for each team.
Will Barton scored 10 of his 12 in the opening quarter as the Nuggets jumped out to a 37-18 lead.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray goes to the basket during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Friday, March 22, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP PhotoMary Altaffer)
Former Nuggets first-round pick Emmanuel Mudiay had 21 points and rookie Mitchell Robinson added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost their last three games and 11 of 12.
Mario Hezonja's basket cut the lead to 67-59 with 5:52 left in the third quarter, but that was the closest the Knicks would get the rest of the night. Denver then broke away with a 15-3 spurt highlighted by seven points from Jokic and a layup from Monte Morris before time expired to extend the lead 82-62 heading into the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS:
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) goes to the basket past New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 22, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP PhotoMary Altaffer)
Nuggets: Denver swept the season series from the Knicks. The Nuggets have beaten New York in 16 of their last 21 meetings.
Knicks: PG Frank Ntilikina played for the first time since Jan. 27 after missing 24 games due to a sore groin. He scored five points and had five assists in 25 minutes off the bench.
UP NEXT:
Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) goes to the basket past New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox (20) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 22, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP PhotoMary Altaffer)
Nuggets: Finish their four-game Eastern Conference road trip Sunday at Indiana.
Knicks: Continue their six-game homestand when they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Suggs added 24 points and the Orlando Magic handed Cleveland the worst playoff loss in franchise history, winning 121-83 on Thursday night to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Franz Wagner finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who led by 43 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game. They earned their first playoff victory since 2019 and the first on their home floor since April 26, 2011.
They can even the series with a victory at home Sunday.
Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 39% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range. Caris LeVert added 15 points and Donovan Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists.
76ERS 125, KNICKS 114
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter to lead Philadelphia to a win over New York in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2.
With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive.
The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor overall, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers.
NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver moved to the brink of the second round with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series..
Jamal Murray scored 22 points as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with LeBron James and the Lakers in dominating style.
Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season’s Western Conference finals.
Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit.
Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) makes a shot as he gets past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
