ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Franz Wagner scored 24 of his 27 points in the second half, Paolo Banchero added 23 points, and the Orlando Magic overcame Nikola Jokic’s triple-double Wednesday night to record their fifth straight victory, 124-119 over the Denver Nuggets.
Jokic finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for the Nuggets, who fell to 4-4 without injured guard Jamal Murray. The triple-double was the sixth of the season for Jokic and 111th of his career.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points for Denver.
Cole Anthony scored 20 points for the Magic, who took the lead for good on Banchero’s 3-pointer with 1:49 left. Goga Bitadze, Jalen Suggs and Wagner clinched the win with six straight free throws in the final 14 seconds.
The game was tied at 108-all with 4:25 remaining when Jokic was called for a foul in the backcourt as he swung his arms around and caught Suggs, who fell to the floor.
Jumpers by Wagner and Banchero then put Orlando up by four, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a 3-pointer and Aaron Gordon drove for a layup that put Denver back ahead briefly.
Murray missed his eighth straight game with a strained right hamstring.
The Nuggets led 62-56 after a first half in which Porter scored 15 points and Reggie Jackson added 14.
Jokic, whose first-half ejection at Detroit on Monday marked the first time since March 14 that he had not accomplished a double-double, had 13 points, five rebounds and eight assists at halftime.
Orlando shot 54% for the game but made just 10 of 29 3-pointers (34.5%).
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Visit Houston on Friday.
Magic: Host Boston on Friday.
