Nikola Jokic makes full-court heave, Nuggets hold on against Kings

Bennett Durando, The Denver Post on Jan 23, 2025

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DENVER — Not even the miracle shot of his life was enough to earn Nikola Jokic the fourth quarter off.

Jokic buried a one-handed, 66-foot heave at the third-quarter buzzer to give the Nuggets a 25-point lead that almost disappeared Thursday night in a 132-123 win over the visiting Sacramento Kings.

Winners of 10 in their last 11 coming into Denver, the Kings promptly responded with a 14-0 run to start the fourth quarter, forcing Jokic to return to a game that he had seemed fated to finish on the bench yet again. That had been the trend lately, with the red-hot Nuggets comfortably beating their last three opponents.

But Sacramento’s run forced Michael Malone to return to his safety blanket, who helped to slow down but not completely halt the comeback. The Kings got the deficit down to six with two minutes remaining before a baby hook from Jokic steadied the ship.

In the end, it took 35 points, 22 rebounds, 17 assists and two blocks from the reigning MVP for Denver (28-16) to hold on. Jokic made 12 of 19 shots from the field in his 20th triple-double of the season. He has registered a triple-double by the end of the third quarter in five consecutive games.

Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 23 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists. Doug McDermott got hot off the bench in the fourth, leading the comeback effort with five 3s.

The Nuggets have won eight of their last nine as they embark on a five-game road trip, their longest of the season, that starts Saturday at Minnesota.

Jamal Murray scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half as Denver went up by 22 with a well-rounded, dominant team performance. The Kings were on the second game of a back-to-back after playing the late-night ESPN slot on Wednesday in Sacramento, but they nonetheless arrived in Denver as one of the hottest teams in the league, led by interim head coach Doug Christie. The Nuggets caught them on tired legs early. Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr. were also in double figures at the break.

Even when Sacramento knocked on the door in the third quarter, Denver was mostly able to weather the storm. The frame ended with a 9-3 run in the last 35 seconds. Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson both knocked down 3s. Then De’Aaron Fox hit one with 1.7 seconds left, leaving too much time for Jokic.

The Serbian center leads the NBA in shot attempts constituted as “heaves” this season, but the full-court shot was the first he has made in his career.

Watson was a plus-12 off the bench, amassing six rebounds and four blocks in the win. He is tied for the league lead in blocked 3-point shots.

Aaron Gordon, who is still ramping up from his right calf strain, struggled off the bench and briefly went to the locker room frustrated, but a team spokesperson said the brief absence was not injury-related. Gordon returned to the game and played just shy of 17 minutes.