The Denver Nuggets took down the Portland Trail Blazers, 116-113, at Pepsi Center on Sunday evening.

A 40-point night from Nikola Jokic propelled Denver (29-13) to another win on Sunday, allowing the Nuggets to hold first place in the Western Conference. Jokic capped off his season-high night with a pair of free-throws to make it a two-possession game with only 55 seconds remaining. Portland (26-18), however, answered back with a jump shot from C.J. McCollum. Still, the Nuggets managed to hold on to the lead until the final buzzer. Denver was aided by a wildly efficient offensive performance, as the team shot 55.6 percent from the field.

In addition to his team-high scoring performance, Jokic recorded 10 rebounds and eight assists. The big man shot 15-of-23 from the floor en route to his big night. Jamal Murray added an additional 24 points and four rebounds. As a team, Denver totaled nine three-pointers and shot 17-of-20 from the free-throw line.


Portland, meanwhile, saw a strong night from its own superstar. Damian Lillard dropped 26 points and dished out seven assists. The team as a whole, though, struggled to match Denver's offensive output. The Blazers shot only 45 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range.


The Trail Blazers will visit Sacramento on Monday evening, while Denver will host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.