Michael Porter Jr. scored 22 points, Nikola Jokic added 18 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, and the Denver Nuggets defeated the Charlotte Hornets 102-95 on Saturday night.

Denver, who opened the second half with a 25-1 run and outscored the Hornets 30-9 in the third quarter, was led by Jamal Murray, who had 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Miles Bridges led Charlotte with 22 points, P.J. Washington had 20, and rookie Nick Smith Jr. scored 19 points on five 3-pointers. The Hornets have dropped seven straight games due to injuries.

Terry Rozier was ruled out of the game before the game due to a knee injury, while No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller suffered a sprained ankle in the second quarter after being stepped on by Peyton Watson. Miller staggered to the locker room and was never seen again.

Cody Martin, on the other hand, had his first action since January 14 for the Hornets. Martin had appeared in only seven games since the start of the 2022-23 season and had not appeared at all this season. In 17 minutes, he scored six points.

In 28 of their last 29 games, the Nuggets have scored more than 100 points.

The Hornets led 60-54 at halftime, but the Nuggets regained control by starting the second half with a 15-0 run led by Jokic, Murray, and Aaron Gordon, who each scored 14 points. In the third quarter, the Nuggets held the Hornets to 2-of-22 shooting and built an 18-point advantage.

The Hornets would close to within three late, thanks to Smith’s strong shooting from long range.Smith had previously set a career high of nine points.

Despite having five fouls, Jokic scored on a spin move to give the Nuggets a 99-94 lead. With 43 seconds left, the Hornets committed a costly 5-second infraction on an inbounds play under their own basket, and Jokic added two free throws.

A few seconds later, Jokic fouled out, but Denver held on.