DENVER (AP) \u2014 Jamal Murray scored a season-high 53 points, Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 21 rebounds and a season-high 19 assists, and the Denver Nuggets held off the Dallas Mavericks 142-135 on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
Jokic entered the night with 5,992 assists and reached the milestone when he fed Murray for a layup with 4:56 left in the second quarter. It was part of a 33-point first half for Murray, who was 11 of 16 from the field and scored 14 straight points in one stretch.<\/p>\n
Jokic recorded his 6,000th career assist during Denver\u2019s fourth straight win. The Nuggets (46-28) are tied for fourth with Minnesota, which beat Houston in overtime on Wednesday night. Denver holds the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the season series against the Timberwolves.<\/p>\n
He made his only shot of the third quarter but heated up in the fourth after Dallas had trimmed an 11-point lead to 127-126 with 4:20 left in the fourth. The Mavericks had a chance to tie the game but Brandon Williams missed two free throws with 3:58 left and Denver took over.<\/p>\n
Jokic hit an 8-foot floater, fed Peyton Watson for a corner 3-pointer and Murray hit a 3-pointer and a 19-foot step-back jumper to make it 138-128.<\/p>\n
Murray, whose career high is 55 points, was 19 of 28 for the game and hit 9 of 14 3-pointers.<\/p>\n
Rookie Cooper Flagg had 26 points and Naji Marshall scored 22 for the Mavericks, who have lost five in a row and 24 of 28 since late January.<\/p>\n
Dallas had cut 13-point deficit to 93-92 late in the third but Jokic scored six points and had three assists in the final 2:51 to give Denver a 111-100 lead heading into the fourth.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
Mavericks: At the Trail Blazers on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Nuggets: Host the Utah Jazz on Friday night.<\/p>\n