Nikola Jokic scored 40 points, Christian Braun had 26 points, and the surging Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 146-117 on Monday night for their seventh straight win. Jamal Murray added 17 points and eight assists before picking up his second technical foul and Julian Strawther finished with 18 for Denver.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara, left, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther and center Nikola Jokic, right, defend in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) AP AP

The Nuggets got scoring contributions up and down their bench, shooting 65.9% in their seventh consecutive win to stay hot in pursuit of Memphis for second in the Western Conference.