Nikola Jokic leads Nuggets to Game 5 win over Jazz in first round playoff series
Denver star records 40 points, 13 assists in playoff-high scoring performance
Nuggets advance to second round after holding Jazz under 50% shooting
Nikola Jokic scored a playoff-high 40 points and added 13 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 112-97 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
With the victory, the Nuggets advance to the second round of the playoffs, where they will face the winner of the series between the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans.
Jokic, who won the NBA Most Valuable Player award for the second straight season this year, was dominant from the start, scoring 16 points in the first quarter.
The Nuggets led by as many as 20 points in the second quarter, but the Jazz cut the deficit to 55-47 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Jokic and the Nuggets took control of the game, outscoring the Jazz 32-19.
Aaron Gordon added 17 points for the Nuggets, while Monte Morris contributed 15 points.
Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 25 points, while Rudy Gobert added 13 points and 19 rebounds.
The Nuggets held the Jazz to just 46.7% shooting from the field and 28.6% shooting from three-point range.
Comments