In a game that felt more like a playoff preview than a regular-season stop in early December, the Denver Nuggets edged the Atlanta Hawks 134–133 in Atlanta, powered by a monster night from Nikola Jokic, who finished with 40 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in the one‑point win.
The defending champions moved to 16–6 on the season, while the upstart Hawks slipped to 13–11, but walked away looking far from overmatched.
Jokic Takes Over, Again
The story of the night was once more
Nikola Jokic, the two-time MVP and centerpiece of Denver’s championship core.
According to the NBA’s official game recap, Jokic dropped
40 points, grabbed
9 rebounds, and dished
8 assists, coming within a whisper of yet another triple-double. He was the clear offensive engine, controlling tempo and punishing Atlanta’s defense both inside and out.
What stood out:
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Efficiency and control: While the full box score was not detailed in the highlight descriptions, Jokic’s impact was obvious in both scoring volume and playmaking.
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Clutch presence: In a one-point game, nearly every Jokic possession mattered. His ability to create quality looks late helped Denver hold off a relentless Hawks push.
This performance is the latest entry in a long line of Jokic masterclasses that continue to define Denver’s identity: slow the game down, let Jokic read the floor, and dare defenses to pick their poison.
Jamal Murray’s Double-Double Lifts Denver Backcourt
While Jokic was the headline,
Jamal Murray quietly put together the kind of all‑around game that makes Denver so tough to guard.
Murray finished with
23 points and 12 assists, shooting
8-of-16 from the field and
4-of-6 from three‑point range, according to the NBA’s highlight summary. That combination of scoring and playmaking gave Denver a reliable second option when Atlanta loaded up on Jokic.
Key takeaways from Murray’s night:
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Shotmaking from deep: 4-of-6 from three kept Atlanta’s defense stretched and punished any over-help on Jokic.
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Table-setting: 12 assists underscored Murray’s ability to run the offense, not just hunt his own shot.
When Murray is both scoring efficiently and facilitating at this level, Denver’s offense reaches a tier most teams simply can’t match.
Hawks’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker Steals the Spotlight in Defeat
Even in a loss,
Nickeil Alexander-Walker delivered one of the standout performances of the night across the league.
The guard led Atlanta with
30 points and 5 rebounds, according to the NBA recap. For a Hawks team still shaping its backcourt hierarchy and depth, that kind of breakout scoring night is massive.
Why his performance matters:
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Offensive burst: 30 points in a one-point loss signals not just volume, but trust—Atlanta kept the ball in his hands in a game that went down to the wire.
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Rotation implications: If Alexander-Walker continues to deliver at anywhere near this level, it gives the Hawks another legitimate scoring option beside their primary stars.
Even against Denver’s championship defense, Alexander-Walker proved he could create and convert at a high level, something that bodes well for Atlanta’s long-term outlook.
How the Game Was Decided
From the available highlight information, here’s what defined the game:
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High‑octane offense on both sides: A final score of
134–133 tells you everything—this was not a grind-it-out defensive slugfest.
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Late‑game execution: Denver did just enough in the closing minutes to survive Atlanta’s push. In one-possession games, a single missed rotation or turnover becomes decisive, and the Nuggets’ experience showed.
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Stars versus depth: Jokic and Murray carried Denver at the top, while Atlanta leaned on Alexander-Walker’s big night and a more spread scoring effort.
While full possession-by-possession detail isn’t captured in the short highlight descriptions, the margin and stat lines strongly suggest a back-and-forth affair where neither team ever truly pulled away.
What This Means for the Nuggets
At
16–6, Denver continues to look like a team firmly in the
title-contender tier.
This game reinforced a few truths:
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Jokic is still the league’s ultimate matchup problem: 40–9–8 against an energetic, athletic Hawks team is another reminder that there’s no real blueprint to stop him—only to survive him.
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Murray’s health and rhythm change everything: When he’s producing 20+ points with double‑digit assists, the Nuggets’ offense becomes nearly unguardable.
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Winning close games still matters: Defending champs are often judged by whether they can flip the switch when it tightens late; Denver did exactly that.
For a long season, pulling out games like this on the road can be the difference between a top seed and a traffic jam in the middle of the conference.
What This Means for the Hawks
For the
13–11 Hawks, this is the kind of loss that stings in the moment but looks encouraging on film.
What stands out:
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Competing with elite competition: Going toe‑to‑toe with the defending champs and losing by a single point suggests the Hawks’ ceiling is higher than their record alone indicates.
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Emerging contributors: Alexander-Walker’s 30-point outing gives Atlanta another data point that its supporting cast may be deeper and more dynamic than expected.
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Defense still a question: Giving up 134 points—even to Denver—is a reminder that if the Hawks want to move from fun to frightening in the East, they’ll need more consistent stops.
In the bigger picture, taking a powerhouse like Denver to the brink suggests Atlanta can be a genuine problem come spring—if they can tighten the defense and close games more cleanly.
The Bigger Picture: A Showcase of Modern NBA Offense
This Nuggets–Hawks duel was a snapshot of where the NBA is today:
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Positionless playmaking: A 7‑footer like Jokic serving as primary creator, while guards like Murray and Alexander-Walker oscillate between scoring and facilitating.
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Three-point efficiency and spacing: Murray’s 4-of-6 from deep and Denver’s spread attack kept Atlanta in scramble mode.
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High-scoring thrillers as the norm: 134–133 is no longer an anomaly—it’s a feature of a league built on pace, spacing, and skill.
For fans, it means more nights like this: stars putting up video‑game numbers, role players breaking out, and games coming down to one or two possessions.
What to Watch Next
Looking ahead, here’s what this game sets up:
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Can Jokic sustain this run of dominance? If he keeps stacking 40-point near triple-doubles in wins, the MVP conversation will only get louder.
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Will Murray keep trending up? His blend of scoring and playmaking is Denver’s barometer; if he stays at this level, they remain the team to beat.
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Is Alexander-Walker’s night a turning point? If the Hawks continue to feature him after this 30-point performance, it could reshape their rotation and offensive identity.
Both teams walk away from this one with clear identities: Denver as the poised, star-driven juggernaut; Atlanta as the dangerous, fast-rising squad that’s one defensive leap away from something bigger.
Sources
1. Nikola Jokic Drops 40 PTS 9 REBS & 8 AST vs Hawks - YouTube
2. Denver Nuggets vs Atlanta Hawks Full Game Highlights - YouTube
3. NUGGETS at HAWKS | FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS | December 5, 2025
