DENVER — Jamal Murray delivered an impressive performance, scoring 34 points as the Denver Nuggets triumphed over the Charlotte Hornets 129-115 on Thursday night, marking their ninth consecutive victory. Nikola Jokic narrowly missed out on achieving his 26th triple-double of the season, finishing with 29 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists. Notably, Jokic attempted a personal record of 14 shots from beyond the arc, successfully sinking six of them.
Murray picked up right where he left off prior to the All-Star break, where he had a remarkable 55-point game. Against the Hornets, Murray shot 12 of 18 from the field, including a notable seven three-pointers. Despite being heavy favorites with a 17.5-point spread, the Nuggets struggled to secure an early lead over the Hornets until a late-game surge helped solidify their victory. This win, coupled with a loss by Memphis, elevated the Nuggets to second place in the Western Conference standings.
The Hornets, meanwhile, were led by Miles Bridges, who put up a season-high of 36 points along with 13 rebounds. The team was without key players LaMelo Ball, who is being managed for an ankle issue, and Mark Williams, who was undergoing reconditioning to return to competitive play. Charlotte faced this challenge on the second night of a back-to-back, following a narrow victory over the Lakers just a night earlier, which had been rescheduled from January due to severe wildfires in Southern California.
In terms of game highlights, the Hornets matched Denver in fast-break points at 15 apiece, and they also equaled them in points scored in the paint, both teams tallying 52 points in that area. The Nuggets, known for leading the league in these statistics, had Russell Westbrook, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon back on the court after injury absences. Gordon contributed 18 points while Porter helped by grabbing 11 rebounds.
A pivotal moment in the match occurred early in the fourth quarter when Julian Strawther sank two three-pointers, spurring a critical 13-2 run that allowed the Nuggets to pull ahead decisively. A key statistic from the game was Jokic’s approach during the opening minutes, where all seven of his initial shot attempts came from three-point territory.
Looking ahead, both the Nuggets and the Hornets will be back in action on Saturday. The Nuggets will host the Los Angeles Lakers, featuring stars like LeBron James and Luka Doncic, while the Hornets will be traveling to Portland for their matchup.
