Jokic scores 28 to lead Nuggets’ win - Marin Independent Journal

NBA ROUNDUP

Jokic scores 28 to lead Nuggets’ win

Defending champs give lesson in elite play to Thunder

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, prepares to pass the ball away from Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the first half Sunday. NATE BILLINGS — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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OKLAHOMA CITY >> The Oklahoma City Thunder are a young, talented team on the rise. The defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets showed them just how much work they have ahead to reach that elite level.

Nikola Jokic had 28 points and 14 rebounds to help the Nuggets roll past the Thunder 128-95 on Sunday for their third straight win to open the season.

“They’re defending champs, and they’re not that by fluke,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They play the right way on both ends of the floor and they are a really good basketball team. They came to play tonight. We weren’t good enough to compete against them.”

Michael Porter Jr. had 20 points and nine rebounds and Jamal Murray added 19 points and eight assists for the Nuggets, who shot 60.2% from the field.

HAWKS 127, BUCKS 110 >> Trae Young scored 20 points to lead eight players in double figures, and the Atlanta Hawks limited Damian Lillard to six points while routing the listless Milwaukee Bucks 127-110 on Sunday night for their first victory of the season.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 17 points, Dejounte Murray had 15 and Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu finished with 14 apiece for the Hawks.

Lillard, who scored 39 points in his Bucks debut on Thursday, failed to score in the first half, missing all seven of his shots, including four from 3-point range, He also committed six of the team’s nine turnovers.

Lillard, who came to Milwaukee in a September trade for Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen and draft choices, tallied his first points on a pull-up 3-pointer with 3:33 left in the third quarter. He shot 2 for 12 overall, 2 of 8 from behind the arc.

76ers 126, Trail Blazers 98 >> Joel Embiid had 35 points and 15 rebounds, Tyrese Maxey added 26 points and 10 boards, and James Harden watched it all from Philadelphia’s bench in the 76ers’ win over Portland night.

Shaedon Sharpe led winless Portland (0-3) with 20 points and Malcom Brogdon had 18.

Harden yanked his yellow hood over his head and laughed at times with his teammates — notably P.J. Tucker — as he sat out a third straight game. The official listed reason: return to competition reconditioning.

Harden has practiced off and on with the Sixers and participated in Sunday’s film session and walkthrough. But his trade demand lingers over the organization and there’s no telling when it will be resolved.

Harden had a quick highlight or two in the pregame hype video, though the 10-time All-Star was otherwise not acknowledged by the Sixers.