WASHINGTON (AP) — Jordan Poole scored 39 points and the Washington Wizards surpassed a career-high 56 from Nikola Jokic, defeating the Denver Nuggets 122-113 on Saturday night and ending their 16-game losing streak.

Jamal Murray (hamstring), Aaron Gordon (calf) and Dario Saric (ankle) were all out for Denver, making Jokic something of a one-man show for the Nuggets. He shot 38 times from the field – also a career high – and had 16 rebounds and eight assists.

But Washington always had an answer.

The Wizards (3-18) won for the first time since Oct. 30. Their 16-game losing streak set a franchise record.

Poole made nine 3-pointers, the most of his career, and Washington as a team made 16. Denver shot 5 of 24, so the Nuggets couldn’t fully capitalize on Jokic’s dominance.

The Wizards had a 69-57 halftime lead, and although Jokic scored 23 points in the third quarter, Washington still held a six-point lead when he went to the bench to start the fourth quarter. Denver trailed 108-95 when it came back with 7:35 left.

Takeaways

Nuggets: It was a huge game for Jokic, but the fact that it wasn’t a triple-double — he didn’t quite have enough assists — was a sign that Denver didn’t have enough balance. Julian Strawther had a decent evening off the bench with 18 points.

Wizards: Although Denver didn’t come close to full strength, the Wizards won despite their own injuries. Kyle Kuzma (rib) and rookie Alex Sarr (back) did not play.

Key moment

Justin Champagnie made a driving bench shot with 1:12 left to give the Wizards a 118-111 lead. Champagnie had a more modest career high of his own, scoring 23 points.

Key statistics

Jokic’s previous career high was 50 points, on February 6, 2021 in Sacramento.

Next

Both teams play on Sunday. Denver is at Atlanta and Washington hosts Memphis.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba