INDIANAPOLIS — Nikola Jokic showcased a stellar performance as the Denver Nuggets triumphed over the Indiana Pacers with a 125-116 victory on Monday night. Jokic was on the verge of a triple-double, finishing with a remarkable career-high of 19 assists, along with 18 points and nine rebounds. Aaron Gordon bolstered the Nuggets’ offense by contributing 25 points. Complementing their efforts, Michael Porter Jr. added 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Christian Braun notched 17 points and Jamal Murray chipped in with 16.
Leading the charge for the Pacers, Myles Turner scored 23 points. Tyrese Haliburton made his presence known with 19 points and equaled Jokic’s assist mark with 15 of his own. Additional support came from Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith, each scoring 19 and 17 points, respectively. The Nuggets proved dominant on the boards, securing a 46-32 rebounding advantage, while connecting on 56% of their shots.
The game saw the Nuggets hold a comfortable lead, peaking at 13 points, before concluding the first half with a 64-58 advantage. The Pacers managed to close the gap to 56-55, courtesy of Obi Toppin’s fast-break dunk late in the second quarter. However, Denver responded swiftly with a 6-0 run, regaining command of the game.
Denver’s long-range efforts saw them net 8 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc, while the Pacers struggled with a 14 of 43 performance from three-point territory.
Observations from the game highlighted Denver’s balanced offensive strategy, which allowed the Nuggets to recover from their previous defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, ending a nine-game win streak. Conversely, Indiana’s prior three-game winning streak was halted, with difficulty containing Denver’s powerful inside play. Indiana’s largest lead did not extend beyond two points during the initial quarter.
A pivotal stage came when the Pacers reduced the deficit to 115-108, only for Gordon to sink a 19-foot jumper, followed by Braun capitalizing on an alley-oop from Jokic.
The Nuggets’ dominance was further underlined by an overwhelming advantage in points inside, finishing with a 74-46 lead in the paint.
Up next, the Nuggets are scheduled to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, while the Pacers are set to host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
