Nikola Jokic scored 25 of his season-high 55 points in the first quarter and the Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to six games with a 130-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Inglewood, Calif.
Jokic added 12 rebounds with six assists while going 18 of 23 from the floor and 5 of 6 from 3-point range. His 25 first-quarter points were a high for any quarter in his career.
The 55 points tied the highest total in the NBA this season. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a 55-point effort against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 23.
Aaron Gordon scored 18 points, Jamal Murray had 15 and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 12 for Denver, which is 2-0 on a three-game road trip after opening the season 1-2 away from home.
James Harden scored 23 points and Jordan Miller added a career-high 22 in his first game of the season for the Clippers, who saw their losing streak reach six games. Ivica Zubac had 18 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles.
The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Bradley Beal (hip), the latter of whom was ruled out for the remainder of the season earlier Wednesday.
Jokic took control in the opening quarter, getting his 25 points by shooting 8 of 11 from the floor and 2 of 3 from 3-point range while making all seven of his free-throw attempts. Denver led 39-35 after the first period.
The Clippers rallied to lead by as many as 10 points in the second quarter and were up 68-63 at halftime. The Nuggets took charge with a 43-point third quarter, using a 21-6 run to take a 94-78 lead after a running layup from Jokic.
The three-time MVP reached 50 points for the fourth time in his regular-season career on a free throw with 1:58 left in the third. He also has a 50-point game in the playoffs.
Despite the Nuggets holding a 122-103 lead, Jokic returned to the court with 6:01 remaining and scored three more points before leaving with 3:29 on the clock.
The Nuggets won even as Cameron Johnson (arm) and Christian Braun (ankle) came away with injuries in the first quarter. Johnson did not return, while Braun tried to play through discomfort in the second quarter but did not return after halftime.
