Nikola Jokic ejected as Wizards deal Nuggets costly loss

Lead by double digits in the first quarter, cruise into halftime with a comfortable lead and then allow the opponent to work themselves back into the game after halftime. There’s been a trend emerging when the Nuggets have hosted two inferior Eastern Conference teams over the last two weeks.

The same series of events that unfolded against the Pistons two weeks ago happened again Sunday as the Nuggets fell to the Wizards 95-90. It cost Denver the game and potentially more.

After leading the Wizards by nine points at halftime, the Nuggets put up a clunker of a third quarter. Denver was outscored 22-10 in the period as the Wizards eventually erased what was once a 15-point lead. The Nuggets’ troubles were compounded at the 3:47 mark of the fourth when Nikola Jokic was ejected for arguing with an official.

Jokic finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes. Elsewhere for Denver, Jamal Murray added 12 points before he left the game for good in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain. Murray missed six games earlier this season with the same injury.

The Nuggets scored just 28 points in the second half. Troy Brown Jr. led the Wizards with 24 points.

Jokic got off to a great start against Washington, scoring the Nuggets first 10 points, but was struck in the face by Bobby Portis’ errant left wrist as the Wizards big man drove to the basket in the first quarter and had to leave the game. The All-Star center, who was sitting on 14 points at the time, went back to the locker room, reemerged at the end of the period. Jokic scored nine points the rest of the way.

The Nuggets’ advantage on the Rockets for the second seed in the West shrunk to two and a half games with the loss. Denver visits Golden State for the final time this season on Tuesday.