DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 13 rebounds, Jamal Murray hit a big 3-pointer and the Denver Nuggets kept the Los Angeles Lakers winless with a 110-99 victory Wednesday night.
The Lakers dropped to 0-4 under new coach Darvin Ham. They remain in the company of Orlando and Sacramento as the only teams yet to win this season.
Trailing by two moments into the second half, the Nuggets went on a 29-9 to grab control. Or so it looked. The Lakers worked their way back and cut it to single digits in the fourth. But Murray hit a 3-pointer — his only one in seven attempts — for some breathing room.
Anthony Davis, dealing with lower back tightness, had 22 points and 14 rebounds for Los Angeles. LeBron James had 19 points to run his double-digit streak to 1,100 games. Russell Westbrook was held out to rest a sore left hamstring.
Jokic finished an assist shy of a triple-double.
Struggling with his long-range jumper, Murray found his touch in close and finished with 13 points. He showed flashes of his explosiveness as he works his way back from a knee injury.
BUCKS 110, NETS 99
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 43 points, 14 rebounds and five assists and Milwaukee went on a lopsided run after Brooklyn coach Steve Nash was ejected in the third quarter.
Antetokounmpo scored 34 points in the second half as the Bucks outscored the Nets 67-44 over the final two periods. After shooting just 3 of 10 in the first half, Antetokounmpo went 13 of 15 in the second half. He was following up a Saturday performance in which he scored 44 points and shot 17 of 21 in a 125-105 rout of the Houston Rockets, marking just the fifth time in NBA history a player had scored at least 44 points while playing less than 28 minutes.
Bobby Portis had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Milwaukee, and Jrue Holiday added 15 points.
Kevin Durant scored 33 points for Brooklyn. Kyrie Irving had 27,
Nash was ejected for the first time as Nets coach since taking over at the start of the 2020-21 season. Nash was ejected twice during his 18-season playing career.
HAWKS 118, PISTONS 113
DETROIT (AP) — Trae Young scored 35 points and Atlanta beat Detroit to open a two-game set at Little Caesars Arena.
The team will meet again Friday night.
John Collins added 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, and De’Andre Hunter had 17 points to help the Hawks improve to 3-1.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 33 points for Detroit. The Pistons have lost four in a row after an opening victory. Cade Cunningham added 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but had seven turnovers.
RAPTORS 119, 76ERS 109
TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 20 points and matched his career high with 13 assists, Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 27 points and Toronto beat Philadelphia.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 31 points and James Harden had 18 for Philadelphia. The 76ers lost for the fourth time in five games.
The 76ers beat the Raptors in six games to win their first-round playoff series last spring. The teams meet in Toronto again Friday night.
JAZZ 109, ROCKETS 101
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lauri Markkanen had 24 points and eight rebounds to help Utah beat Houston.
Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points — hitting five 3-pointers — and had six assists for Utah. Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Beasley added in 14 points apiece.
Kevin Porter, Jr had 24 points and five assists for Houston. Jalen Green added 17 points and seven rebounds and Eric Gordon had 16 points.
CAVALIERS 103, MAGIC 92
CLEVELAND (AP) — Evan Mobley scored a season-high 22 points, Jarrett Allen had 18 points and 16 rebounds and Cleveland beat Orlando.
Donovan Mitchell added 14 points and eight assists for Cleveland. The Cavaliers have won three in a row after dropping their opener at Toronto.
Top overall draft pick Paolo Banchero had 29 points, eight rebounds and four assists for Orlando, extending his streak of 20-plus point games to begin his career to five. Orlando is the lone team without a victory in the Eastern Conference.
KNICKS 134, HORNETS 131, OT
NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 27 points, hitting the go-ahead basket in overtime, and New York beat Charlotte.
Brunson also had 13 assists and seven rebounds. RJ Barrett scored 22 points, and Julius Randle had 17 for New York, at 3-1 off to its best start in 10 years.
Gordon Hayward led Charlotte with 21 points. PJ Washington, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Jalen McDaniels each had 17.
HEAT 119, TRAIL BLAZERS 98
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 18 points and Miami ended Portland’s season-opening winning streak at four.
Damian Lillard had 22 points for Portland when he came up limping with just over five minutes to go in the third quarter and headed straight for the locker room. He did not return and the Blazers said he had a right calf strain.
Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler each had 17 points for the Heat.
The Trail Blazers were the last remaining undefeated team in the Western Conference.
TIMBERWOLVES 134, SPURS 122
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, reserve guard Jaylen Nowell added 23 and Minnesota beat San Antonio.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points to help Minnesota bounce back after a 115-106 loss to San Antonio at home Monday night.
Keldon Johnson had 27 points for the Spurs.
BULLS 124, PACERS 109
CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 28 points, including a key 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter in Chicago's victory over Indiana.
DeMar DeRozan had 17 points to move within seven points of becoming the 50th player in NBA history to reach 20,000.
Buddy Hield led Indiana with 24 points.
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The Associated Press
