Jokic, Nuggets send Bucks to worst loss of season

Nikola Jokic had 37 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his ninth triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets trounced Milwaukee 128-97 to snap the Bucks’ five-game winning streak.

Jamal Murray added 24 points as the Nuggets earned their third straight victory. Denver handed Milwaukee its most lopsided loss of the year and shot 55.8 percent, the highest field-goal percentage by any Bucks opponent this season.

Giannis Antetokoumpo had 27 points and eight rebounds for Milwaukee as the Bucks finished an eight-game homestand in which they went 5-3.

Antetokounmpo had his string of four straight games with at least 35 points end, putting him one off the team record owned by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who scored at least 35 points in five straight games on two separate occasions during the 1972-73 season.

Elsewhere, Kemba Walker hit six three-pointers on his way to 25 points and six assists, and the Boston Celtics defeated the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers, 117-112.

Jaylen Brown finished with 18 points and Jayson Tatum scored 14 despite a poor shooting performance, as the Celtics posted three straight victories for the first time since January.

The Clippers, who have lost five of eight, played without superstar Kawhi Leonard after he was ruled out shortly before the game due to back spasms.

Paul George led Los Angeles with 32 points.

In a game that featured 16 lead changes, the Celtics took a 91-89 edge into the fourth quarter. It grew to 111-100 on a layup by Tatum with 4:23 remaining.

In Florida, Trae Young took over late and made sure Nate McMillan would win his debut as interim coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

Young scored 18 points, including 13 straight for his team in the fourth quarter, and the Hawks snapped Miami’s six-game winning streak by beating the Heat 94-80. (AP)