De’Aaron Fox had 24 points and nine assists, Richaun Holmes scored 20 points, and the host Sacramento Kings rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 125-115 on Tuesday night.
Marvin Bagley III scored 18 points, Harrison Barnes and Tyrese Haliburton had 13 apiece and Buddy Hield and Nemanja Bjelica scored 12 each for the Kings.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished with 26 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double in four games. It was his 44th career triple-double, a franchise record. Jokic also committed a career-high-tying 10 turnovers.
Michael Porter Jr. had 30 points and 10 rebounds, Monte Morris scored 24 in place of Jamal Murray, and Gary Harris added 11 for the Nuggets.
Murray sat out due to a right elbow contusion.
Denver led 105-98, but consecutive 3-pointers, a layup by Fox and a three-point play by Bjelica put Sacramento back in front 109-107. Cory Joseph hit a runner in the lane, Holmes drained a 12-footer and Haliburton’s layup put the Kings ahead 115-108 with 4:19 left.
After Jokic committed an offensive foul, Holmes scored in the lane and Haliburton hit a deep 3-pointer to make it 120-108.
The Kings led by 12 at halftime and as many as 14 early in the third quarter when Denver rallied. Morris, Harris and Jokic hit mid-range jumpers, Porter sank two free throws and Harris scored on a steal and layup.
Sacramento missed two shots on the next possession, Jokic had a three-point play and Porter hit a 3-pointer to cap a 16-0 run and an 85-81 Nuggets lead.
Denver went up 99-89 after another Porter 3-pointer, but the Kings closed within four heading into the fourth.
The Nuggets led 43-41 early in the second quarter, but Sacramento came on strong. Bagley scored 14 of his 18 first-half points in the second period as the Kings built a double-digit lead.
Fox fed Holmes for a finger roll and had a three-point play to make it 67-57, and after Porter hit a 3-pointer to cut it to nine, Barnes answered with one from the corner as the halftime horn sounded to put Sacramento up 74-62 at the break.
–Field Level Media
