Jamal Murray had 23 points in Denver’s home opener, Nikola Jokic notched his second straight triple-double to start the season and the Nuggets beat the Phoenix Suns, 133-111, yesterday (Philippine time).

Christian Braun scored 20 points and Aaron Gordon had 17 points two nights after posting a career-high 50 for Denver, which had seven players score in double figures. Cameron Johnson scored 15, Jonas Valanciunas added 12 and Bruce Brown contributed 11 as the Nuggets shot 51.2 percent (43-of-84) from the field.

Jokic finished with 14 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds. He took just eight shots, making five, and didn’t attempt a field goal until a goaltending call on Phoenix with 2:26 left in the second quarter. His first shot attempt was a free throw with 4:18 left in the first half.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points, Grayson Allen scored 17 and Dillon Brooks had 15. Phoenix shot just 43.2 percent (38-of-88) from the field.

Denver led by nine in the first quarter, which ended with Murray hitting a 56-foot pull-up jumper at the buzzer to make it 34-28.

It was a seven-point Nuggets lead midway through the second period and they finished the quarter strong. Gordon hit two free throws, a spinning dunk off a lob pass from Jokic and a three-pointer. Murray hit another from deep in the final minute to give Denver a 71-54 halftime lead.

The Nuggets went ahead by 20 on Jokic’s turnaround jumper with 7:52 left in the third before Phoenix made a run. Brooks and Booker hit two buckets apiece, Oso Ighodaro made a layup and Booker converted a three-point play that got the Suns within nine.

Denver responded with 11 straight points and headed into the fourth with a 100-83 lead.

Murray’s three-pointer early in the final quarter gave the Nuggets a 108-86 lead, but Phoenix went on another run to get within 110-99 on Royce O’Neale’s three-pointer midway through.

Denver scored the next 11 points to hold off the Suns. (Field Level Media / Reuters)