Nikola Jokic had 36 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, Will Barton scored 23 points, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-112 on Tuesday night.

Jamal Murray added 20 points and Paul Millsap finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds to help Denver win its fifth straight. The Nuggets have won each of their first three matchups against Oklahoma City this season and lead the Thunder by four games in the race for second place in the Western Conference.

Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, and Paul George added 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six steals for Oklahoma City. Jerami Grant contributed 21 points for the Thunder, who have lost three of their past four.

The Nuggets held a 13-point lead early in the fourth quarter before Oklahoma City came storming back. Nerlens Noel hit two short shots, George had five points, and Dennis Schroder and Westbrook sank 3-pointers in an 18-2 run that gave Oklahoma City a 100-97 lead.

Westbrook's 3-pointer with 6:02 left gave the Thunder their first lead since early in the second quarter.

Denver responded to the run with one of its own. Millsap hit two free throws, and Murray followed a Thunder miss with a corner 3-pointer to give the Nuggets the lead again. Millsap hit a layup and split two free throws to make it 105-101 with 4:19 left.

Free throws by both teams left Denver with a 107-104 edge. After a couple of empty possessions, Murray hit a 3-pointer to make it a six-point margin. The Nuggets scored their last nine points from the free-throw line.

The Nuggets led 64-51 at halftime, but Oklahoma City scored the first eight points of the third quarter to get within five, and it stayed a close game through the first six minutes of the period before Denver built a double-digit advantage.

A 13-4 surge put Denver ahead 87-71, and the Nuggets had momentum before the Thunder scored the last five points of the third period. George's half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer made it 91-78.

--Field Level Media