Nuggets Win As Murray Drops 53 And Jokic Reaches 6000th Assist

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The NBA produced three dramatic results on 26 March 2026, highlighted by Jamal Murray scoring 53 points as the Denver Nuggets edged the Dallas Mavericks 142-135. The Boston Celtics ended the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 12-game streak, while the Minnesota Timberwolves erased a huge overtime deficit to defeat the Houston Rockets 110-108.

The night also featured a major milestone for Nikola Jokic, who delivered his 6,000th career assist during Denver’s fourth straight win. Across the league, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Julius Randle and Jaylen Brown delivered standout performances in games that shaped early Western and Eastern Conference storylines.

Denver’s win over Dallas tightened the Western Conference race, pulling the Nuggets level with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the standings. Denver holds the head-to-head tiebreak after winning the season series against Minnesota. The Mavericks trailed by 11 in the fourth quarter but closed to 127-126 with 4:20 remaining, before Denver closed out the contest.

Murray carried Denver’s attack and set a new season high with 53 points in the shootout. Murray exploded for 33 before half-time, shooting 11 of 16 from the field and at one point scoring 14 consecutive Nuggets points. Murray attempted only one shot during the third quarter, then rediscovered rhythm in the closing period.

Jokic produced another near triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 21 rebounds and a season-best 19 assists. Jokic entered the matchup with 5,992 career assists and reached 6,000 when a pass found Murray for a layup with 4:56 left in the second quarter. The basket formed part of Murray’s dominant first half and Denver’s fourth successive victory.

The Mavericks still had an opportunity to level the game after trimming the margin to a single point. With 3:58 left, Brandon Williams went to the line but missed both free throws following an 11-point Dallas deficit earlier in the quarter. Denver capitalised on that slip and controlled the final minutes to secure the 142-135 success.

Boston’s 119-109 victory over Oklahoma City snapped the defending champions’ 12-game winning run and evened the season series between the last two NBA title holders. The Celtics trailed at half-time but produced 70 second-half points, turning the game around during a decisive stretch in the third and early fourth quarters at home.

Jaylen Brown was central to that swing, scoring 14 of his 31 points in the third period as Boston moved ahead 88-83 entering the fourth. Brown also collected eight rebounds and eight assists. Jayson Tatum, coming off two difficult outings, contributed 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a more controlled all-around display.

The Celtics’ advantage grew to 14 in the final quarter before Oklahoma City responded. The Thunder closed to 115-109 with 1:30 left, but a Brown layup and two Derrick White free throws sealed the result. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced Oklahoma City with 33 points and eight assists, yet the Thunder shot 12 of 37 from three and lost second-chance points 19-2.

NBA results: Short-handed Timberwolves stun Rockets in overtime comeback

Minnesota’s 110-108 overtime win in Houston came despite a severely reduced rotation. Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points before leaving with an apparent leg injury. By the final buzzer, Naz Reid had been ejected for disputing officiating, Rudy Gobert had fouled out and Ayo Dosunmu sat out with a sore calf, while Anthony Edwards remained unavailable.

Randle, acquired during the season, delivered all 24 of personal points after half-time and became the late hero. Houston controlled late stages of regulation, with Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun posting 30 points each and combining on a 12-0 surge. That run overturned an 11-point Minnesota lead with about 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Overtime began completely in Houston’s favour as the Rockets scored the first 13 points. Minnesota answered with a 15-0 closing burst, the largest comeback from an overtime deficit since detailed play-by-play tracking started in 1997. Randle hit the go-ahead jumper with 8.8 seconds remaining, completing the rally and putting Minnesota ahead by two.

Randle was then whistled for a foul on Durant’s drive with 3.3 seconds left, sending Durant to the line. Houston had made the first 23 free throws, but Durant’s initial attempt fell short. Durant missed the second on purpose to chase a rebound, yet the Rockets failed to attempt a final shot as Minnesota improved to 10-5 without Edwards.

The combination of Murray’s scoring outburst, Jokic’s historic assist mark, Boston’s defensive response and Minnesota’s improbable overtime surge created one of the most eventful nights of the NBA season so far. Each result added weight to early playoff positioning and highlighted the depth of contenders across both conferences.