National Basketball Association
Denver 141, Atlanta 111
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 8, 2024
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Officials: #29 Mark Lindsay, #45 Brian Forte, #96 Intae Hwang
Attendance: 16137

Nikola Jokic scored 48 points to guide the visiting Denver Nuggets to a 141-111 win over Atlanta on Sunday, ending the Hawks' six-game winning streak.

Jokic went 17-for-29 from the field and added 14 rebounds and eight assists. After scoring a career-high 56 points against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, Jokic set the pace by scoring 13 points in the first quarter on Sunday, and he had 25 at halftime.

The Nuggets also got 26 points and seven rebounds from Michael Porter Jr. and 17 points and eight boards from Christian Braun. Denver has won four straight games against Atlanta.

Atlanta's top scorers were De'Andre Hunter (20 points) and Dyson Daniels (18), with Daniels also grabbing five steals. Trae Young was limited to 15 points and scored only one point on four shots from the floor in the first half. Young was coming off a 31-point, 20-assist game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Nuggets ended a two-game losing streak and bounced back from a disappointing setback against Washington, a team that had lost 16 straight games. Unlike that contest, which saw the Nuggets trail by as many as 15 points, Denver jumped on the short-handed Hawks early and led 38-23 after the first quarter.

Atlanta rallied to cut Denver's lead to 11 points in the second, doing most of the trimming when Jokic was out of the game. The Nuggets closed the first half strong, and Jokic hit a 3-pointer from one step inside half court with 1.1 seconds left for a 71-48 lead at the break.

Denver led by as many as 30 points in the third quarter and took a 106-84 lead into the fourth.

The Hawks faced a scare around the midpoint of the third quarter when Hunter was knocked to the floor by an elbow to the head. Hunter was taken to the locker room, examined by the medical staff and was able to return.

Atlanta played without second-leading scorer Jalen Johnson (right shoulder soreness) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (left quad contusion).

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Denver   Atlanta
Nikola Jokic 48 Scoring De'Andre Hunter 20
Russell Westbrook 11 Assists Trae Young 10
Nikola Jokic 14 Rebounds Clint Capela 10
Nikola Jokic 11 Free Throws Made Onyeka Okongwu 4
Nikola Jokic 3 Steals Dyson Daniels 5
Peyton Watson 2 Blocks Dyson Daniels 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Denver 141 62.9 12-27 17-24 43 43 5 9 20
Atlanta 111 40.6 9-40 20-27 26 45 2 12 12
Upcoming Games
  • Atlanta will play their next game on the road against New York. The Hawks have a W/L % of .538 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Denver will play their next game at home against L.A. Clippers. The Nuggets have a W/L % of .417 after a win and .700 after a loss.