Nikola Jokic displayed remarkable stats with 26 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope delivered a season-best performance with 22 points as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-101 in a game hosted by the Nuggets on Sunday.

Contributing to Denver’s win were Reggie Jackson and Michael Porter Jr. with 19 points each, and Christian Braun with 10 points. This victory ended Denver’s recent trend of two consecutive losses on their home court.

This season, Jokic has achieved an impressive 23 triple-doubles and a total of 128 triple-doubles in his career.

Denver played this game without guard Jamal Murray for the fifth consecutive time due to discomfort in his right knee and ankle. Murray has missed a total of 21 games this season due to various injuries he has encountered.

Leading the scoring for Cleveland were Evan Mobley with 23 points, Jarrett Allen with 19 points, Caris LeVert with 15 points, and Donovan Mitchell with 13 points, appearing in his second game after a six-game absence due to a broken nose.

The Cavaliers have faced challenges recently, losing eight of their last 12 games.

Forward Dean Wade was absent for the seventh consecutive game due to a knee injury. Prior to this absence, Wade also missed games due to personal matters and is currently not part of the five-game road trip, with the next game scheduled against Utah on Tuesday night.

In the second quarter, Cleveland led by four points before Denver’s momentum picked up. Jokic’s play, including a crucial three-point play, propelled the Nuggets to a 46-45 lead, supported by Braun’s quick seven-point contribution in a span of two minutes.

At halftime, Denver held a 65-56 lead over Cleveland.

The Nuggets extended their lead in the third quarter, led by Jokic, who recorded 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists. The moment Jokic assisted Aaron Gordon for an alley-oop, the lead expanded to 85-66 midway through the quarter, securing Jokic’s triple-double.

As Denver increased its lead to 27 points, courtesy of Jokic’s assist to Justin Holiday for a 3-pointer with 1:35 remaining in the third quarter, they entered the final quarter with a 101-77 advantage.

Tensions rose as Caldwell-Pope received a technical foul towards the end of the third quarter, followed by Gordon receiving another early in the fourth. Despite a brief run by Cleveland at the start of the final quarter, bringing the score to 101-81, the Cavaliers were unable to mount a serious comeback.