Nikola Jokić had 32 points (26 in the paint), 10 rebounds and 11 assists, his 201st career triple-double, and the Denver Nuggets went on a 27-10 run that bridged the second and third quarters to beat the Toronto Raptors 128-109.
The Raptors went on a 12-2 run to lead 59-49 with 4:38 left in the second quarter. Aaron Gordon’s layup put the Nuggets ahead for good with 10:29 left in the third quarter. He scored 11 points and Jokić added eight during the run. The Nuggets led 76-69 with 9:25 left in the quarter and by as many as 27 in the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets had seven players in double-digit scoring.
For the Raptors, RJ Barrett scored 22 points (11 in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer, two layups and four free throws).
The Nuggets shot 61.5% from the field and 39.1% from 3 to the Raptors’ 48.2% and 35.3%. They took 23 of their 78 shots from 3 (29%), the lowest share of their season. They had averaged 40%. They outscored the Raptors 76-46 in the paint. The Nuggets’ starters outscored the Raptors 47-33 in 16 minutes together.