DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his first game in a month, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 22 points and the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 122-109 on Friday.
Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, missed 16 games after injuring his left knee in the first half of the Nuggets’ Dec. 29 loss in Miami. Denver went 10-6 during that stretch, which also included extended absences from starters Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun.
Jokic’s 29th double-double of the season came despite the Serbian star playing under a minutes restriction imposed by coach David Adelman. Jokic, 30, was limited to 25 minutes, his second shortest time in a game this season.
James Harden had 25 points and nine assists for Los Angeles. The Clippers had won 16 of their last 19 games, the best winning percentage in the NBA during that period.
Jokic scored 11 points in a 3:47 stretch in the fourth quarter, extending Denver’s lead from five to 16. The Nuggets improved to 7-3 this season in the second game when playing on back-to-back nights.
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