On December 24, the Denver Nuggets secured a 102-95 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Michael Porter Jr. led the Nuggets with 22 points, while Jamal Murray contributed 20 points. Nikola Jokic nearly recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, and Aaron Gordon added 14 points.

The Nuggets, who won seven of their past eight games, went 3-0 on a road trip leading up to a Christmas Day matchup with the Golden State Warriors. Despite shooting 43.3 percent from the field, Denver managed to outscore the Hornets 30-9 in the third quarter.

For the Hornets, Miles Bridges scored 22 points, P.J. Washington added 20 points, and Nick Smith Jr. contributed 19 points. Charlotte, playing without guard Terry Rozier, who was a game-time decision due to a sore knee, struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 8-for-28 on 3-pointers. Rozier participated in warm-ups but did not play.

Nick Richards posted a double-double for the Hornets with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Despite making a late push in the fourth quarter, Charlotte couldn’t overcome Denver’s lead. The Hornets were down 91-76 early in the fourth quarter but pulled within three points (97-94) with 3:24 left. However, the Nuggets closed the game with key plays from Jokic, securing the victory.

The Hornets led 60-54 at halftime, with Washington and Bridges leading the scoring for Charlotte. Despite their halftime lead, the Hornets struggled with three-point shooting in the game.