Nuggets Top Injury-Hit 76ers 124-96

The Denver Nuggets dominated the injury-riddled Philadelphia 76ers 124-96 on Tuesday night at Ball Arena, extending their strong home performance in a key matchup of the late NBA season.

Christian Braun led the Nuggets with 22 points, while Nikola Jokic contributed eight points and a game-high 14 assists in just 25 minutes of play. Cameron Johnson added 18 points, and Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Bruce Brown each scored 12 points. The Nuggets never trailed, surging to a 38-22 lead after the first quarter behind an 18-0 run and building a 72-40 halftime advantage. They shot 56.8 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from three-point range in the opening half, holding Philadelphia to its fewest first-half points allowed by Denver this season. Jokic dished out 10 assists in less than 12 minutes before picking up two quick fouls and a technical in the first quarter, limiting his scoring opportunities on 4-of-7 shooting. He also committed five turnovers but grabbed seven rebounds as his teammates converted efficiently, finishing with a 50 percent field goal rate and 48 percent from beyond the arc.

Philadelphia, missing four of its top five scorers, struggled throughout. Joel...