DENVER – Nikola Jokic tied his career with 47 points and the Denver Nuggets start beat the Utah 128-117 on Sunday to end the Jazz’s streak of wins at 11 p.m.
Jokic was 17 for 26 from the field, hit all four 3-point attempts, made 9 of 10 free throws and had 12 rebounds and five assists. He scored 33 points in the first half.
Will Barton added 18 points and Jamal Murray scored 16 to help the Nuggets win for the sixth time in seven games.
Utah lost for the first time since Jan. 6 in New York. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz with 29 points, and Donovan Mitchell had 13 in 31 minutes after losing two games while on concussion protocol.
Denver hit all three 3-point attempts and shot up 80% in the first quarter. The Nuggets continued it in second place, coming out 13 to 24 from the field and finishing 15 of 17 from the first half, gaining a 79-54 lead at the break.
88.2% of the in-depth Nuggets were the best 3-point field goal percentage in the half (minimum 15 3-point attempts) in the last 20 seasons, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
The lead was 86-58 with 8:11 left for the third quarter, when Utah made a great run. The Jazz hit eight triples and beat Denver by 18 to go 99-91.
JaMychal Green got his 11 points in the fourth quarter, when the Nuggets regained the lead at 20. Jokic equalized his run with a 2:05 missing position.
ADVICES
Jazz: Derrick Favors scored seven points and six rebounds on his return. He missed the previous two games due to pain in his lower back. Utah outscored all opponents, but one by two digits during the 11-win streak. The only close game was a 109-105 win over Denver on Jan. 17. The winning streak was the team’s longest since playing 12 players on Feb. 11 and March. 10 of 2009. The franchise record is 15 in 1996.
Nuggets: G Gary Harris (left adductor) did not play after the first quarter. He did not attempt a shot at 8:45 a.m. court time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.