Murray scores 27, Nuggets beat Nets 107-103 in Porter's return to Denver

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored nine of his 27 points in the final 2:26, and the Nuggets spoiled Michael Porter Jr.'s return to Denver with a 107-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

Porter had a season-high 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Brooklyn, which has lost seven straight.

Tim Hardaway Jr. tied a season high with seven 3-pointers on his way to 25 points and Peyton Watson scored 19 for Denver, which snapped a three-game home losing streak.

Porter was drafted 14th overall by the Nuggets in 2018 and played six seasons in Denver, helping the franchise win its first NBA title in 2023. He was traded to Brooklyn in the offseason and leads the Nets in scoring.

The Nuggets honored Porter with a video tribute at the first timeout and he acknowledged the fans, who gave him a standing ovation.

Both teams had several players sitting with injuries. Denver was without four starters and Nets forward Ziaire Williams was sidelined with a left calf contusion suffered in a scuffle at the end of Tuesday’s loss at Phoenix.

Brooklyn erased a 15-point halftime deficit in the third quarter and trailed 79-76 heading into the fourth. The Nuggets built an 87-79 lead with 8:43 left but Porter’s steal and layup tied it at 90 midway through the period.

Nolan Traore’s layup gave the Nets their first lead since early in the game, but Murray hit a turnaround jumper, converted a three-point play and drained a pair of free throws in the final 2:26.

Leading 105-100, Watson fouled Terance Mann on a 3-point attempt with 4.4 seconds left. He made all three free throws but Jonas Valanciunas made a pair with 2.6 seconds left.

Nets: At Utah on Friday night.

Nuggets: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

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Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones, left, goes up for a shot as Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Zeke Nnaji, right, goes up to block a shot by Brooklyn Nets center Day'ron Sharpe in the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, left, looks to drive to the rim as Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valančiūnas (17) drives to the net as Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton, right, defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. gestures to the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)