NBA round-up: Jokic leads Nuggets fightback against fired-up Raptors

On Monday, the Denver Nuggets showcased an impressive second-half comeback to secure a 125-119 victory over the undermanned Toronto Raptors, with Nikola Jokic leading the charge with a remarkable 35-point triple-double.

Jokic, a two-time Most Valuable Player, delivered an impressive performance to bring Denver back into contention after trailing by 22 points in the second quarter against the NBA champions, Toronto.

Despite Toronto's strong start and double-digit advantage, Jokic took control of the game in the third quarter, scoring 19 points and helping Denver outscore Toronto 42-30.

This narrowed the visitors' lead to five points heading into the fourth quarter. Denver's dominance continued in the final quarter, and they finally took the lead midway through when Jamal Murray's layup put them ahead 108-107.

In the end, Denver outscored Toronto 32-21 in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Jokic, who completed his 21st triple-double of the season, credited their turnaround to matching and surpassing Toronto's physicality.

He praised the team's fighting spirit and character, emphasizing that they are not quitters. Jokic led Denver's scoring, supported by Murray's 26 points, 12 assists, and five rebounds.

Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. also contributed with 19 points each. On the other hand, R.J. Barrett led Toronto's scorers with 26 points, and Kelly Olynyk added 24.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics, the leaders of the Eastern Conference, had an easier time as they secured their 50th win of the season with a comfortable 121-99 victory on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 27 points, while Jayson Tatum finished with 26. In another game, the Phoenix Suns, led by Kevin Durant's 37 points, overcame a 19-point deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-111.

Devin Booker contributed 27 points, and Bradley Beal added 24 to secure the hard-fought victory for the Suns. Darius Garland led Cleveland's scoring with 30 points.

Cleveland took control early in the game, building a significant lead after a 41-point first quarter. By the second quarter, they were up 63-44 with less than five minutes left.

However, Phoenix fought back strongly, outscoring Cleveland 19-7 in the final minutes of the half to narrow the gap to just seven points.

The momentum continued for Phoenix in the third quarter, where they outscored Cleveland 34-21 to take the lead and secure the victory.

Phoenix's record improved to 38-27, maintaining their sixth-place position in the Western Conference.