Nikola Jokic scores 48 points as the Nuggets defeat the Hawks 141-111

De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta with 20 points. Hunter was escorted to the locker room midway through the third quarter after being hit in the head on a blocked shot by Aaron Gordon, which was not called for a foul but returned

Dyson Daniels added 18 points and Trae Young had 15 points and 10 assists for the Hawks.

Jamal Murray was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Takeaways

Nuggets: Denver set season highs with 43 assists, including 11 from Russell Westbrook, and 62.9% shooting from the field (56 of 89).

Hawks: Hunter has scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven games, including four in a row.

Key moment

After trailing 45-25, the Hawks gained a lead that cut Denver’s lead to 51-39. The Nuggets used two of Porter’s six dunks in the first half to regain momentum and led 71-48 at halftime, their largest lead of the game.

Key statistics

The Nuggets made 21 of 44 shots in the first half (61.4%). Meanwhile, with 17 of 51 shots (33.3%), the Hawks were well on their way to their worst shooting percentage of the season.

Denver returns home to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday and Atlanta plays at the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba