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Nuggets erase 19-point deficit to beat Mavs / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Nuggets erase 19-point deficit to beat Mavs
The Denver Nuggets, fired by standout performances from Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokic, rallied from a 19-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks 112-101 on Sunday.
Westbrook scored 21 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists, reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic scored 19 points with 18 rebounds and nine assists and the Nuggets out-scored the Mavs 33-12 in the fourth quarter to seize the victory in Texas.
In fact the Nuggets put together two impressive comeback runs, erasing a seven-point deficit to take a one-point lead early in the third quarter only for the Mavericks to race away again.
Denver took the lead for good on Westbrook's running layup for a 97-96 lead with 5:21 to play. Jokic drove for a basket and Westbrook added another layup and the Nuggets pulled away.
Klay Thompson scored 25 points to lead the Mavericks, who were again without star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
"I believe we lead the league in double-figure comebacks, and that's a catch-22 because I don't like the fact that we've been down that many times double figures," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
"What I love about this group is how resilient they are. We get down, we stay the course, there is no panic ... we stay the course and try to find a way.
"Didn't like the start, but I loved the finish, and that's all that counts," Malone said.
In New York, Jalen Brunson scored 44 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Knicks in a 140-106 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Brunson set a tone with 23 points in the first quarter and shook off a hard fall early in the third as the Knicks rebounded from a lopsided loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and Damian Lillard added 22 for the Bucks, whose three-game winning streak ended.
Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox returned from a three-game injury absence to score 26 points and pull down nine rebounds for the Kings in a 124-119 victory over the Bulls in Chicago.
Domantas Sabonis added 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Kings and DeMar DeRozan scored 21 against his former team, which honored him with a video tribute early in the game.
J.L. de Oliveira--JDB
