DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic blocked Jae’Sean Tate’s drive to the basket as time ran out and the short-handed Denver Nuggets escaped with a 95-94 victory over the Houston Rockets.
Jokic finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds in the absence of forward Michael Porter Jr. Porter left the game with 4:50 remaining in the first quarter and didn’t return because of what the team called lower back soreness.
Porter missed a fast-break layup early in the game and came up the court gingerly. He stayed in the game for more than four minutes before leaving.