ATLANTA – Nikola Jokic recorded a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds, Will Barton and Gary Harris each scored 18 points and the Denver Nuggets beat Atlanta 105-100 on Friday night in the Hawks’ home opener.
Emmanuel Mudiay had 16 points for Denver (2-3). It was the Nuggets’ first win in Atlanta in six years.
Jokic, the third-year center from Serbia, helped Denver overcome Atlanta’s 14 3-pointers.
Paul Millsap, the former four-time All-Star for the Hawks, had 16 points and six rebounds for Denver in his return to Atlanta.
Dennis Schroder, back in the lineup after missing two games with a sprained left ankle, led Atlanta with 20 points. Schroder’s steal and layup cut Denver’s lead to 101-98 with 1:22 remaining. Jokic answered with a jumper.
The Hawks (1-5) have lost five straight since opening the season with a win at Dallas.
Taurean Prince had 19 points and Dewayne Dedmon had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta.
A basket by Jokic gave Denver an 83-75 fourth-quarter lead before the Hawks closed the gap to 85-83 with the help of 3-pointers from Kent Bazemore and Marco Belinelli. The Nuggets regrouped with six straight points, including two layups by Barton, to push the lead back to eight points.
Denver led 53-52 at halftime despite Atlanta’s big edge on 3-point shooting. The Hawks made 8 of 17 3-point attempts while the Nuggets made only 3 of 11.
The Hawks gave Millsap a video tribute during a first-quarter timeout and fans responded with an ovation. Millsap smiled and waved to the fans.
Nuggets: Denver’s last win in Atlanta was March 16, 2011. ... Coach Michael Malone said he didn’t worry about Millsap controlling his emotions in his Atlanta homecoming. “I respect Paul’s experiences and his maturity as a veteran,” Malone said. “He knows how to hold his own emotions.” ... Jamal Murray was initially credited with making a 3-point shot from the corner before the buzzer sounded to end the first quarter. Following a video review, officials ruled time expired before the shot. ... Jokic has recorded double-doubles in back-to-back games, his first two of the season.
Hawks: Belinelli made five 3s for 15 points. ... A huge “Coming Soon” banner covered what was a wall of luxury suites as the $192.5 million renovation of Philips Arena, which began this offseason, is scheduled to be completed following the season. Capacity is down from 18,047 to 15,711 for this season. ... The scoreboards did not work for much of the third quarter. ... Ersan Ilyasova started in his return after missing two games with a left knee strain.
Nuggets: Visit the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night as Denver continues its four-game trip.
Hawks: Host Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon.
