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NBA: Cavs frustrate Jokic in win over Nuggets, Embiid fuels Sixers

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Agence France-Presse

<p> The short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the NBA champion Denver Nuggets, 121-109, on Sunday as frustrated Nuggets star Nikola Jokic battled foul trouble and ended the game watching from the bench.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><div dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/rTecrPtREK">pic.twitter.com/rTecrPtREK</a></div>— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1726414810877718878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2023</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Darius Garland led Cleveland with 26 points and rookie Craig Porter Jr. added a career-high 21 to help the Cavs to a third straight victory despite the absence of star guard Donovan Mitchell and top reserve Caris LeVert.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">CPJ said &quot;we&#x27;re having a sunday FUNday&quot;.<a href="https://twitter.com/craigporter0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@craigporter0</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetEmKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetEmKnow</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZlDsonTZba">pic.twitter.com/ZlDsonTZba</a></p>— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1726402676483645589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2023</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>&quot;Coming into this game I knew a lot of guys were out with injuries, so I knew I had to step it up. Playing against Denver -- champions last year -- you&#x27;ve got to come out ready and that&#x27;s what we did,&quot; Porter said.</p><p>Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic, shouldering a big load with star teammate Jamal Murray still sidelined by a strained hamstring, finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.</p><p>But he battled foul trouble and saw his streak of 12 games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds end.</p><p>The Cavs never trailed after the first quarter and pushed their lead to 26 in the fourth, when Nuggets coach Michael Malone pulled Jokic and his other starters.</p><p>Evan Mobley scored 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for Cleveland, and Jarrett Allen chipped in 15 points.</p><p>The Cavs out-rebounded the Nuggets 47-33 and out-scored them in the paint 56-46.</p><p>&quot;We just came out with a lot of energy and effort,&quot; Allen said. &quot;They&#x27;re a tough team to beat but we think we have a squad that can go against anybody.&quot;</p><p>Lopsided victories were the order of the day in Sunday&#x27;s early games.</p><p>Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid needed just three quarters to score 32 points with 12 rebounds and nine assists, powering the Philadelphia 76ers to a 121-99 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">SIXERS WIN! <a href="https://t.co/FjPy2VIWk0">pic.twitter.com/FjPy2VIWk0</a></p>— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1726365589957181808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2023</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Tyrese Maxey shook off a slow start to score 25 points and hand out 10 assists for the Sixers, who led 61-49 at halftime and never trailed the rest of the way.</p><p>With the game in hand, Embiid sat out all of the fourth quarter. His nine assists were his season high, and while he came up just shy of a sixth career triple-double, he said the win was more important.</p><p>&quot;I got told I was three assists away, but that&#x27;s not where my head was at,&quot; Embiid said. &quot;We just try to play the right way. They just made it easy, honestly, because they kept doubling and when I&#x27;m in that mode, if you want to double, we&#x27;ve got to make you pay.&quot;</p><p>It was also a blowout in Toronto, where the Raptors led by as many as 40 points on the way to a 142-113 victory over the Detroit Pistons.</p><p>The Raptors set a franchise record with 44 assists as they handed the Pistons an 11th straight defeat.</p><p>And it was a rout in Indianapolis, where the Orlando Magic -- led by 24 points from Paolo Banchero and 19 from Franz Wagner -- beat the Indiana Pacers,128-116.</p><p>The Magic, with six players scoring in double figures, led by as many as 40 late in the third quarter.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

The short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the NBA champion Denver Nuggets, 121-109, on Sunday as frustrated Nuggets star Nikola Jokic battled foul trouble and ended the game watching from the bench.