NBA: Nikola Jokic stars as Denver Nuggets beat Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs

Nikola Jokic scored 31 points to help the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs 117-106.

Jokic came out on top against French rookie Victor Wembanyama, who managed 17 points for the Spurs.

Denver’s win was their fifth in a row and 11th in 12 games.

Elsewhere, Zion Williamson scored 34 points as the New Orleans Pelicans earned a 112-104 win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The victory meant the fifth-placed Pelicans moved to within two games of the fourth-placed Clippers in the Western Conference.

The Phoenix Suns won 107-96 at the Charlotte Hornets, with Devin Booker getting 21 points for the visitors.

The Suns are seventh in the Western Conference and aiming for a top-six spot to avoid having to go through the play-in tournament to reach the play-offs.

Phoenix’s Kevin Durant scored 13 points and needs 20 more to pass Shaquille O’Neal’s 28,596 to move eighth on the NBA all-time scoring list.