Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Jamal Murray scored 45 points as the Denver Nuggets held off the struggling Utah Jazz to snatch a 128-125 victory on Monday. Nuggets point guard Murray drained eight three-pointers and shot 13-of-19 from the field in a back-and-forth duel that saw the lead change hands no fewer than 22 times.
Murray’s virtuoso performance was backed by 22 points from Nikola Jokic, who also pulled down 12 rebounds, on a night when all of Denver’s starters reached double figures. The win lifted Denver to 38-24 in the Western Conference standings, while Utah fell to 18-43 and remains one place off the bottom.
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Elsewhere Monday, Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a five-week injury absence but could not prevent the Milwaukee Bucks slumping to a hefty 108-81 defeat to the Boston Celtics. Antetokounmpo, making his first appearance since suffering a right calf strain in late January, finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort against the outclassed Bucks.
Boston, meanwhile, kept up their pursuit of the Detroit Pistons at the top of the Eastern Conference with a potent all-round offensive effort. All five starters finished in double digits for the Celtics, while Payton Pritchard produced an eye-catching 25-point cameo off the bench that included five three-pointers. The Celtics drained 20-of-50 from outside the arc, with Derrick White and Sam Hauser bagging four three-pointers apiece. Boston improved to 41-20 with the victory as the Bucks fell to 26-34. The Celtics are second in the East, five games behind leaders Detroit (45-14). The Bucks’ third straight loss leaves them in 11th place in the East, just outside the play-in places.
In other games on Monday, Trae Young managed the unusual feat of getting ejected for new club Washington before playing a game for the franchise. Young has been injured since his trade to the Wizards from Atlanta on January 7, but is due to make his debut later this week. On Monday, however, he was ejected after walking onto the court during the third quarter of the Wizards’ 123-118 defeat to the Houston Rockets to complain after teammate Jamir Watkins was shoved to the hardcourt by Houston’s Tari Eason.
“Don’t expect me to get ejected too many more times D.C…but I’m definitely bringing that energy & competitiveness when I’m back for my brothers!” Young wrote on Twitter following the incident. On the court, Washington was well beaten by Houston, who improved to 38-22 and remain in third place in the Western Conference. Alperen Sengun led the Houston scoring with 32 points while Kevin Durant finished with 30 points.
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