Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to victory as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 119-107 in the opening game of the new NBA season.
The Nuggets, defending champions, were presented with their championship rings before tip-off at the Ball Arena in Colorado and put on an impressive performance.
Serbia’s Jokic had a standout game, recording 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. His teammate, Jamal Murray, added 21 points. LeBron James was the top scorer for the Lakers with 21 points.
In another game on Tuesday, Devin Booker inspired the Phoenix Suns to a thrilling 108-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.
Booker, 26, scored 32 points and contributed eight assists, including a crucial pass to Jusuf Nurkic, who made a layup with 10.3 seconds remaining to secure the win.
Former Warrior Kevin Durant scored 18 points for the Suns, marking his first game back in the Bay Area since leaving Golden State in 2019. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, but struggled with his three-point shooting, missing 10 of his 14 attempts from beyond the arc.
By BBC Sports.
