nuggets 132, pelicans 129, ot

Nikola Jokic overcame a slow scoring start for his ninth triple-double of the season, finishing with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ overtime victory over the upset-minded New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.

Jokic turned it on after failing to score in the first 21 minutes. Jamal Murray added 27 points, scoring Denver’s final five in overtime, and Russell Westbrook had 21.

The Pelicans led 107-98 with 7:50 left in regulation, but Jokic scored seven points in a 15-2 Denver run over a 3:41 span to give the Nuggets a 113-109 lead.

CJ McCollum put New Orleans up 119-117 with a 3-pointer with 52 seconds remaining, and Murray tied it with 8.8 seconds left. McCollum shot an airball on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Jokic scored the first six points of overtime and assisted on an Aaron Gordon layup to put Denver up 129-125.

Jordan Hawkins led New Orleans with 25 points. McCollum had 24 as the Pelicans fell to 4-11 at home.

rockets 114, raptors 110

Dillon Brooks scored 27 points, Jalen Green had 22 and the Houston Rockets won in Toronto for the first time in more than five years by beating the struggling Raptors.

Alperen Sengun had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who hadn’t won in Toronto since Dec. 5, 2019. Current Rockets guard Fred VanVleet scored 20 points for the reigning NBA-champion Raptors in that game.

pacers 122, kings 95

Pascal Siakam had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Indiana Pacers dominated the second half to rout the Sacramento Kings.

Siakam scored 13 points after halftime, when the Pacers outscored the Kings 70-43 after the game was tied at 52 at the break.

The Pacers shot 58% for the game and made 17 3-pointers in their season-high fourth straight victory.

Myles Turner added 15 points and Ben Sheppard had 14 off the bench.

Tyrese Haliburton, who started his career in Sacramento, had 14 points. Seven Pacers finished in double figures.

The Pacers took an 87-78 lead into the fourth quarter, and then started the period on a 17-5 run to take a 21-point advantage.

De’Aaron Fox had 23 points in the Kings’ fourth straight loss.

Domantas Sabonis had 17 points and 21 rebounds for his eighth straight double-double.