Nikola Jokić recorded his NBA-leading 12th triple-double of the season, finishing with 39 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Houston Rockets 128-125 in overtime on Monday night.

The Rockets held a one-point lead with 2.3 seconds left in regulation before Amen Thompson committed an away-from-the-ball foul that sent Jamal Murray to the free throw line to tie the game. Jokić missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

Jokić was 13 for 27 from the field and 5 of 9 from 3-point range, while adding two steals and two blocked shots. He fouled out with 1:23 remaining in overtime, but the Nuggets had already built a five-point lead.

Murray finished with 35 points, including six of the Nuggets’ 11 points in the overtime period.

The win was Denver’s fifth in a row after an undefeated four-game road trip. The victory over their fellow West contenders lifted the Nuggets to 19-6 as they held their second-place conference standing.

Alperen Şengün led the way for the Rockets (16-7) with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Kevin Durant added 25 points.

 

Jazz top Mavs despite Flagg’s 42 points

Keyonte George had 37 points, Lauri Markkanen finished with 33 points and 15 rebounds and the Utah Jazz beat the Dallas Mavericks 140-133 in overtime despite a historic 42-point performance from Cooper Flagg.

Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in a game, accomplishing the feat less than a week before his 19th birthday. LeBron James held the previous record at 19 years and 88 days old.

Flagg was 13 of 27 from the field and made 15 of 20 free throws, adding seven rebounds and six assists in the losing effort.

The Jazz rallied from eight points down in the final 3:06 of regulation to force the extra session.

George’s 37 points were two shy of his career high as he made five 3-pointers.

 

Pistons beat Celtics to avenge loss

Cade Cunningham had 32 points and 10 assists to lead the Detroit Pistons past the Boston Celtics 112-105, exacting some revenge on the team that ended their franchise record-tying 13-game winning streak last month.

Cunningham made six 3-pointers as he recorded his 13th double-double of the season.

The Pistons’ secondary scoring was very balanced, with Caris LeVert and Tobias Harris each adding 13 points and Detroit’s bench outscoring Boston’s 47-14.

The win was the fourth in a row for the Pistons, who remained atop the Eastern Conference standings at 21-5.

Jaylen Brown had 34 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the losing effort for the Celtics (15-11), who are tied for fourth in the East. Derrick White added 31 points.