Nuggets score 72 first half points and rout short-handed 76ers

Christian Braun had 22 points, Cameron Johnson scored 18, and the host Denver Nuggets used a big first half to rout the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers, 124-96, on Tuesday night.

Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray and Bruce Brown finished with 12 points each and Nikola Jokic had 14 assists for Denver, which never trailed. The Nuggets play nine of their final 13 games at home, where they started 17-13.

Denver remains in fifth place in the crowded Western Conference race, 1-1/2 games behind the third-place Los Angeles Lakers.

MarJon Beauchamp scored 16 points, Quentin Grimes and Trendon Watford contributed 12 points each and Justin Edwards added 11 points for Philadelphia, which had its brief two-game winning streak snapped.

Andre Drummond gathered in a game-high 10 rebounds for the visitors.

The Sixers are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind red-hot Atlanta, which has won 10 in a row.

Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid (oblique strain), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left elbow sprain) and Tyrese Maxey (sprained right finger).

Embiid was loudly booed by Nuggets fans when he sat on Philadelphia's bench in the third quarter. He has not played in Denver since the 2019-20 season, denying fans a marquee matchup of big men with Jokic.

Denver never trailed and ended the first quarter with an 18-8 run to lead 38-22.

Another run at the start of the second quarter made it 53-27, capped by Brown's finger-roll layup. midway through the period. The Nuggets took a 72-40 lead into halftime, knocking down 25 of 44 shots (56.8%) from the floor and 9 of 17 from 3-point range (52.9%).

The 40 points is the fewest Denver has allowed in the first half this season.

The Sixers had a quick burst to start the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 27, but a 3-pointer by Gordon and layups by Jokic and Braun restored the 32-point lead.

Consecutive 3-pointers from Drummond and Beauchamp got Philadelphia within 94-69 with 1:39 left in the third. Four free throws and a turnaround jumper by Jonas Valanciunas made it a 31-point game, and Denver took a 100-71 lead into the fourth.