On January 2, 2025, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the 18-win and 13-loss Nuggets host the 18-win and 15-loss Hawks. This was the second meeting between the two teams this season. In their first encounter, the Nuggets won by 30 points on the road, with Jokic scoring 48 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists. Today, the Hawks were determined to seek revenge. Could they do it? The Nuggets were without Gordon, starting with Murray, Westbrook, Braun, Porter, and Jokic. The Hawks were missing Johnson, starting with Trae Young, Daniels, Matthews, Huijia, and Capela.
In the first quarter, Porter hit a three-pointer, which was answered by a three-pointer from Daniels. Murray made a mid-range shot and Jokic scored a 2+1, giving the Nuggets an 8-3 lead. Daniels and Trae Young tied the score, but Porter, Jokic, and Braun extended the lead to seven points. Trae Young made three free throws and Capela scored with a hook, reducing the gap to two points. Porter made a layup, but Huijia and Daniels responded, leveling the score. Jokic and Murray then extended the lead back to seven points. Krajicek, Huijia, and Okongwu scored for the Hawks, while Strasser, Pickert, and Watson responded for the Nuggets, maintaining a six-point lead. Hunter and Trae Young scored for the Hawks, but Murray, Jokic, and Pickert responded, ending the first quarter with the Nuggets leading 40-33.
In the second quarter, Matthews scored a layup, reducing the gap to five points. Jordan and Watson extended the lead to nine points for the Nuggets. Okongwu, Hunter, and Rody scored for the Hawks, but Strasser, Murray, and Jordan responded for the Nuggets. Trae Young and Krajicek brought the Hawks within one point, but Jordan's hook shot kept the Nuggets ahead. Hunter and Huijia scored consecutively for the Hawks, giving them a four-point lead. Westbrook scored a layup to bring the Nuggets within two points, but Krajicek's three-pointer put the Hawks up by five. Strasser, Westbrook, and Braun responded, putting the Nuggets back in the lead by two points. Hunter and Capela scored for the Hawks, but Westbrook and Porter responded, keeping the lead at two points. Daniels and Krajicek gave the Hawks a two-point lead, but Westbrook and Jokic responded, putting the Nuggets up by four points. Trae Young made one of three free throws, and the half ended with the Nuggets leading 74-71.
In the third quarter, Trae Young made a floater, reducing the gap to one point. Porter hit a three-pointer, but Trae Young responded with a floater, keeping the gap at two points. Braun, Murray, and Westbrook went on a 7-0 run, extending the lead to nine points. Matthews and Huijia brought the Hawks within five points, but Braun and Porter continued to score, increasing the lead to 17 points. Huijia made a layup, but Jokic and Porter responded, extending the lead to 20 points. Hunter scored a 2+1, but Westbrook, Jokic, and Watson responded, increasing the lead to 23 points. Trae Young made a free throw, but Jokic scored five consecutive points, extending the lead to 26 points. Trae Young then made two consecutive three-pointers, reducing the gap to 20 points. Watson made a layup, followed by a layup from Matthews, ending the third quarter with the Nuggets leading 115-95.
In the fourth quarter, Matthews hit a three-pointer, which was answered by Strasser and Murray, maintaining a 21-point lead for the Nuggets. Trae Young continued to score, but Braun and Murray responded, keeping the lead at 25 points. Okongwu and Rody brought the Hawks within 20 points, but Strasser and Watson extended the lead back to 25 points. With over three minutes left in the game, the suspense was lost, and the Nuggets ultimately won 139-120.
Jokic scored 23 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and had 15 assists, achieving his 14th triple-double of the season and setting a new league record. Westbrook scored 16 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, and had 11 assists, achieving 15 points and 10 assists for the second consecutive game, setting a new career record with the Nuggets. Porter scored 21 points and grabbed 4 rebounds, while Murray scored 21 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and had 2 assists. Braun scored 15 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and had 4 assists. Strasser scored 13 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, and Watson scored 11 points.
Trae Young scored 30 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and had 9 assists. Hunter scored 20 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, had 3 assists, and made 3 steals. Krajicek scored 14 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had 5 assists. Huijia scored 13 points and grabbed 3 rebounds, while Daniels scored 9 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, had 6 assists, and made 3 steals.
After the win, the Nuggets surpassed the Mavericks, who lost today, moving up to fourth place in the Western Conference, while the Mavericks dropped to fifth.