LOS ANGELES: Nikola Jokic scored a 25-point triple double as the Denver Nuggets handed new Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers a 113-107 defeat Monday in his first game in charge.
The heavyweight showdown between the reigning NBA champions and the 2021 champion Bucks did not disappoint, with two-time Most Valuable Player Jokic dominating at both ends of the floor.
The Serbian star finished with 25 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists to seal his 14th triple double of the season while making three steals and two blocks.
He was given scoring support from Jamal Murray, who led with a game-high 35 points.
The Bucks, who appointed Rivers last week following the shock sacking of Adrian Griffin, were led by 29 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo while Damian Lillard finished with 18 points.
Despite the loss, Rivers was encouraged by Milwaukee’s performance.
“Overall I was very happy,” Rivers said. “That fight is there. That’s something really encouraging moving forward.”
In the top-of-the-table clash in the Western Conference, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 37-point display was in vain as the Oklahoma City Thunder fell 107-101 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The two sides went into Monday’s game with identical 32-14 records having spent most of the season battling it out for first place in the West.
That sense of rivalry was on full display in a game that swung back and forth with 24 lead changes before Minnesota pulled away in the closing stages, outscoring the Thunder 34-24 in the fourth quarter.
“We did a really good job of finishing this game, which we haven’t been doing recently,” Minnesota head coach Chris Finch said. “Hopefully we can build on it.”
Anthony Edwards topped the Wolves scoring with 27 points while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21. All five Minnesota starters finished in double digits.
Elsewhere on Monday, the Boston Celtics bounced back from their blowout defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers with a battling 118-112 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics improved to 36-11 for the season courtesy of 28 points from Jayson Tatum, with Jaylen Brown adding 22 and Jrue Holiday 20.
The Pelicans led for long periods of the game and were up by 17 in the second quarter before Boston conjured a 37-point fourth quarter to sweep past them.
Derrick White was instrumental in the fightback for Boston, nailing 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to drag the Celtics over the line.
“Things weren’t going well for us for most of the game, but we stuck together,” White said after the win. “When things aren’t going well it’s good to get a win.
“It’s not always going to be perfect. We just gotta find new ways to win each and every game, and we did that today.”
Brandon Ingram (28 points) and Zion Williamson (26) led the Pelicans scoring.
In Miami, meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns snapped their two-game losing streak with a 118-105 defeat of the Heat.
Phoenix star Devin Booker finished with 22 points while Kevin Durant added 20.
But the standout Phoenix performance came from Eric Gordon with 23 off the bench which included five three-pointers.
In Cleveland, the high-flying Clippers were brought down to earth with a 118-108 defeat to the Cavaliers.
The Clippers arrived for Monday’s match-up on a five-game unbeaten streak following their rout of Boston on Saturday.
But despite a 30-point performance from Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers were unable to stop a steady flow of scoring from the Cavs’ balanced offense while the home side’s defense contained the Los Angeles line-up.
Seven Cleveland players posted double-digit scoring totals, with Donovan Mitchell the pick with 28 points.
In Houston, meanwhile, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers stumbled to a 135-119 defeat to the Rockets in a game that saw tempers flare late on.
Houston’s Dillon Brooks was called for a flagrant foul after striking James in the eye during the fourth quarter.
James was one of three Lakers players to finish on 23 points, along with Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell.
In Portland, the Trail Blazers took full advantage of the injury absence of Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid to post a 130-104 win against a depleted Sixers lineup.
