NBA playoffs: Jokic leads Nuggets over Blazers as 76ers strike back against Raptors

• Denver take series opener against Portland 121-113
• Philadelphia level series with Toronto at 1-1

Nikola Jokic scored 37 points and the Denver Nuggets withstood Damian Lillard’s 39-point game in a 121-113 win over the Trail Blazers in the opener of their second-round playoff series on Monday night.

Lillard, who struck for 50 points, including a 37-footer at the buzzer to oust Oklahoma City in five games in the previous round, missed eight of 12 three-point attempts and Gary Harris blocked his three from behind in the closing minute to keep the Trail Blazers from closing in. Jamal Murray added 23 points for Denver, who were making their first appearance in the second round in a decade, and Paul Millsap scored 19.

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from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2vCqLkx