WASHINGTON — Nikola Jokic scored a career-high 56 points, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Washington Wizards, who snapped their 16-game losing streak with a 122-113 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Starters Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Aaron Gordon (calf) were out for Denver, which left Jokic as something of a one-man show for the Nuggets. He took 38 shots from the field — also a career high — and had 16 rebounds and eight assists.
But Washington always had an answer. Jordan Poole scored 39 points to go along with eight assists, including a career-high nine 3-pointers. Washington made 16 3-pointers as a team; the Nuggets went 5-of-24 from distance.
The Wizards were up 69-57 at halftime, and although Jokic scored 23 points in the third quarter, Washington was still up by six when Jokic went to the bench at the start of the fourth. Denver was down 108-95 when he returned with 7:35 remaining.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.