Jokic's triple-double, Murray and Johnson hit late 3s to rally Nuggets by Jazz, 135-129

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 33 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists, Cam Johnson and Jamal Murray combined for four 3-pointers in the final 2:20, and the Denver Nuggets rallied from 13 down in the fourth quarter to beat the Utah Jazz 135-129 on Friday night.

Murray finished with 31 points two nights after scoring a season-high 53. Jokic had his fourth straight triple-double and 31st of the season to help Denver avoid a costly loss in the tight Western Conference playoff race.

The Nuggets are in fourth place, a game ahead of Minnesota and a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kyle Filipowski led Utah with 25 points but was scoreless in the fourth quarter when Denver rallied from a 120-107 deficit. Jokic started the comeback with a layup, Tim Hardaway Jr., who finished with 21 points, hit a 3-pointer and two free throws that made it 124-121.

After Ace Bailey made a baseline jumper, Jokic hit a turnaround and Johnson tied it with a 3-pointer. The teams traded threes before Johnson, who had 12 points, put the Nuggets ahead for good with another from deep with 46 seconds left.

After a turnover, Murray sealed with another from behind the arc with 17 seconds left.

Utah, which has lost 26 of its last 29, played without several key players, including Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen,

Denver opened an early 12-point lead but the Jazz rallied in the second quarter to tie it at 62 at halftime.

Utah scored 43 points in the third quarter — 15 off eight Nuggets turnovers — and led by as many as 14 late in the period. The Nuggets rallied to cut it to single digits, capped by Jokic’s 39-footer that bounced on the rim twice before dropping in after the horn.

Jazz: At Phoenix on Saturday night.

Nuggets: Host Golden State on Sunday night.

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Utah Jazz guard Elijah Harkless, front, pulls in a loose ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, center, is fouled by Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey, right, as center Kyle Filipowski defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski, front, pulls in a rebound in front of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić (15) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) has his shot blocked by Utah Jazz guard Elijah Harkless (16) as Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) watches in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski, left, collects a loose ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

CHICAGO (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg had 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a dazzling all-around performance, and Michigan beat Alabama 90-77 on Friday night to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.

Trey McKenney and Elliot Cadeau each scored 17 points as top-seeded Michigan set a school record with its 34th win of the season. Roddy Gayle Jr. finished with 16 points.

Led by McKenney and Gayle, the Wolverines (34-3) enjoyed a 33-6 advantage in bench points. But the versatile Lendeborg was the star of the show as his team grabbed control in the second half.

Next up for the Wolverines is Sunday's Midwest Region final against the winner of Tennessee-Iowa State.

“Overwhelmed with joy. This is pretty much a dream come true,” Lendeborg said.

Labaron Philon Jr. scored 35 points for fourth-seeded Alabama, which reached the Elite Eight each of the previous two years. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. had 15 points.

“It got a little bit away from us and we just couldn’t get back into it,” Wrightsell said. “I feel like just the edge from them was really good at the start of the second half, and our edge, well, didn’t start on with an edge for the second half.”

Alabama (25-10) was once again without star guard Aden Holloway, who missed the school's tournament run after he was suspended indefinitely following a March 16 arrest on felony drug charges.

Philon also had a team-high seven rebounds and four assists in what might have been his final game with the Crimson Tide. The dynamic guard could declare for the NBA draft.

“I really just haven’t thought about it really,” Philon said. “Just been trying to play basketball with Alabama for this little run.”

Even without Holloway, the Crimson Tide stayed right with the Wolverines for much of the up-tempo matchup of two of the tournament's highest-scoring teams. But everything changed when Lendeborg, the Big Ten player of the year, started to assert himself at the beginning of the second half.

“I mean, you got Yax playing like that, just the kind of competitiveness he had today, like, I think he’s the best player in the country without a doubt,” Gayle said. “He’s like that, we’re the best team.”

Lendeborg stepped in front of an Alabama pass along the baseline and threw the ball ahead to Nimari Burnett for a fast-break dunk that gave Michigan a 54-51 lead with 17:04 left.

The 6-foot-9 Lendeborg then made a 3 and converted a driving layup to make it 62-54 with 14:50 remaining. Two foul shots by McKenney made it 75-60 with 9:22 to go, and it was too much for Alabama to overcome.

“Once we started slowing the game down, being a lot more physical and trying to dominate the paint, we started finding more success,” Lendeborg said. “Our defense started coming alive, and that really helped us out. It helped our confidence.”

It was a sweet moment for Lendeborg, who was hoping for more interest from Alabama when he entered the transfer portal last year after two seasons at UAB. He ended up at Michigan, and the arrangement is working quite well for the forward and his team.

Michigan coach Dusty May also got a win against Alabama’s Nate Oats, a longtime friend from the beginning of their coaching journeys.

“We came out in the second half, and Michigan just seemed like they imposed their will on us,” Oats said.

Right from the start, Michigan and Alabama pushed the ball up the court whenever possible. The final few seconds of the shot clock were seldom seen as the teams took aim from long range or attacked the rim shortly after gaining possession.

Gayle’s jumper started a 14-3 run for Michigan that made it 47-41 with 1:58 left in the first half. But Philon responded with eight straight points, including two foul shots that gave Alabama a 49-47 lead at the break.

The teams combined for 74 shots in the first half alone, including 39 attempts from behind the arc. The Crimson Tide went 9 for 24 from 3-point range, and the Wolverines went 8 for 15.

“We were down on ourselves, and we came in, and we regrouped, and our guys had a different level of focus and intensity in the second half,” May said.

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Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Alabama, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)