NBA: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets handle Spurs in Austin

Nikola Jokic poured in 31 points in three quarters of action to help the surging Denver Nuggets to a 117-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday in Austin, Texas, in a battle between the teams on the top and bottom of the Western Conference standings.

Denver (47-20, the leaders in the West) led by as many as 21 points in the second period, by nine at halftime and by seven after three quarters. The Nuggets put away the game via a 15-5 surge over the first five minutes of the fourth period, going up 101-84 on a jumper by Jamal Murray with 7:20 to play. Denver won its fifth straight and its 11th out of 12 games since the All-Star break.

Murray added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Denver while Michael Porter Jr., Christian Braun and Justin Holiday scored 13 points apiece and Peyton Watson hit for 10.

Jeremy Sochan led San Antonio with 19 points. Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama scored 17 points each, Zach Collins had 13 and Julian Champagnie tallied 10 points. The Spurs (14-53, last in the West) have lost three straight games, all as the home team.

The Nuggets sprinted away from a game tied at 12 with a 19-2 run capped by a hook shot by Jokic at the 2:09 mark of the first period. Denver was up 37-18 after one quarter.

Murray's turnaround jumper early in the second period stoked the Nuggets' lead to 21 points before San Antonio began chipping away at its deficit. The Spurs closed within 47-33 after Champagnie's 3-pointer with 6:07 left in the quarter and used an 8-2 surge over the final 2:09 of the half to pare the margin to 58-49 at the break.

Jokic led all scorers before halftime with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Wembanyama's 11 points paced San Antonio in the half.

The Spurs closed to within 69-63 on a pair of free throws by Sochan with 6:31 to play in the third quarter. Denver responded with an 8-0 run, powered by six Jokic points, to go back up by 14 points. The Nuggets had an 86-79 lead heading into the final period.

The game was the first of two in the Texas capital for the Spurs as part of their annual regional outreach program.

--Field Level Media/Reuters