Nikola Jokic named NBA Most Valuable Player in 2021 and 2022
Nikola Jokic starred as the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets beat the Eastern Conference leaders the Boston Celtics 115-109.
Jokic scored 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his 20th triple-double of the season.
The in-form Nuggets have won seven of eight games since the NBA All-Star break last month.
Jaylen Brown scored 41 points for Boston, which is suffering back-to-back losses for only the second time this season.
The Celtics remain at the top of the Eastern Conference despite the defeat. Denver is third in the West, one game behind the leaders, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jokic played down suggestions that the matchup between two of the league’s premier teams could be a preview of the NBA Finals later this year.
“We are far from the final, my friend,” he said.
“We had really good energy tonight. Our offense really clicked today.”
Elsewhere, Luka Doncic finished with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami heat 114-108.
Kyrie Irving scored 23 points while four other players scored double figures as the Mavericks ended a three-game losing streak.
THE Minnesota Timberwolves earned a 113-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers in a seesaw match in which the lead changed hands 17 times.
Anthony Edwards led the scoring with 44 points, including a 25-foot three-pointer to give the Timberwolves a 108-105 lead with one minute, 11 seconds remaining.
DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic both scored 33 points as the Chicago Bulls resisted a late gathering of the Warriors of the Golden State to win 125-122.
Klay Thompson’s 28-foot three-pointer gave the Warriors a 119-118 lead with 40 seconds left, but DeRozan scored with a 17-foot pull-up jumper to put the Bulls back in front.
Kevin Durant scored 35 points Phoenix Suns earned a second straight victory with a 120-113 wire-to-wire victory over the Toronto Raptors.
