Murray has 53 points and Jokic a huge triple-double to lift the Nuggets over the Mavs, 142-135

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored a season-high 53 points, Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 21 rebounds and a season-high 19 assists, and the Denver Nuggets held off the Dallas Mavericks 142-135 on Wednesday night.

Jokic entered the night with 5,992 assists and reached the milestone when he fed Murray for a layup with 4:56 left in the second quarter. It was part of a 33-point first half for Murray, who was 11 of 16 from the field and scored 14 straight points in one stretch.

Jokic recorded his 6,000th career assist during Denver’s fourth straight win. The Nuggets (46-28) are tied for fourth with Minnesota, which beat Houston in overtime on Wednesday night. Denver holds the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the season series against the Timberwolves.

He made his only shot of the third quarter but heated up in the fourth after Dallas had trimmed an 11-point lead to 127-126 with 4:20 left in the fourth. The Mavericks had a chance to tie the game but Brandon Williams missed two free throws with 3:58 left and Denver took over.

Jokic hit an 8-foot floater, fed Peyton Watson for a corner 3-pointer and Murray hit a 3-pointer and a 19-foot step-back jumper to make it 138-128.

Murray, whose career high is 55 points, was 19 of 28 for the game and hit 9 of 14 3-pointers.

Rookie Cooper Flagg had 26 points and Naji Marshall scored 22 for the Mavericks, who have lost five in a row and 24 of 28 since late January.

Dallas had cut 13-point deficit to 93-92 late in the third but Jokic scored six points and had three assists in the final 2:51 to give Denver a 111-100 lead heading into the fourth.

Mavericks: At the Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Nuggets: Host the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell dives after a loose ball in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, center, collects a loose ball as Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, left, and center Nikola Jokic defend in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams, center right, passes the ball to Dallas Mavericks forward Marvin Bagley III, left, while driving the lane past Denver Nuggets guards Jamal Murray, back right, and Christian Braun in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, left, looks to pass the ball as Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray reacts after hitting a basket and drawing a foul in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday, March 25, 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)