t effective. That will be a significant part of their preseason worko

DENVER -- Foul trouble kept Nikola Jokic from playing more minutes the past two games. He showed what he can do when he stays on the floor.Jokic had 27 points and 15 rebounds, Gary Harris scored a career-high 24 points and the Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks 117-107 on Monday night.Jokic finished an assist shy of his first career triple-double and tied his career high in points to help the Nuggets win their third straight game. Emmanuel Mudiay scored 18 points.Jokic averaged only 20 minutes in the first two games of the homestand after committing five fouls each game. It derailed potential big nights, but he had just one foul against the Mavericks and dominated.Mike told me he was going to beat me if I made more stupid fouls, Jokic said of coach Michael Malone. I listened.Deron Williams led Dallas with 23 points and eight assists.Denvers recent offensive surge started after its 20-point loss in Dallas on Dec. 12. Malone shook up his starting lineup and the Nuggets have responded by scoring 30 or more points in eight of the last 12 quarters and are averaging 125.3 points since the change.Theyve gotten it done with contributions from different players and Harris was a big contributor Monday. The third-year guard out of Michigan State is averaging 19.3 points since returning from a foot injury.He has three games back and I dont think its a coincidence that we have won three games in a row, Malone said.Harris got the Nuggets started early, scoring 16 in the first half as Denver overcame a 16-point deficit to lead by two at the break. The lead grew to 12 in the third but Dallas made a run to get within six late in the fourth. Jokic hit a 3-pointer, a short jumper and fed Wilson Chandler for a layup for his ninth assist.When you have a guy playing that well you want him to get it, teammate Jameer Nelson said of the triple-double. Thats a heck of an accomplishment for an individual. It means hes playing the game the right way.Jokic had a chance for his 10th assist but Mudiay missed his only 3-pointer off a pass. Jokic wasnt concerned about missing out on the feat.It doesnt really matter, he said. The game is more important than your name.The Mavericks ran out of gas after playing Sunday afternoon.They wore us down as the game went on, Williams said. They came out and hit a lot of 3s in the second half and got the lead. We battled but we couldnt outlast them.TIP-INSMavericks: G J.J. Barea returned to the lineup after missing a month with a strained right calf. He had 11 points in 13 minutes. ... Andrew Bogut (right knee) and Dirk Nowitzki (right Achilles) are hoping to return for the start of 2017.Nuggets: G Jamal Murray played despite a sore right foot. He had three points in 14 minutes. ... C Jusuf Nurkic didnt play a game after logging just eight minutes.TALL TALEMavericks coach Rick Carlisle joked before Mondays game that Jokic was taller than his listed 6-foot-11.Thats (ridiculous). He is probably like 7-4, Carlisle said. His arms are crazy long. Hes a guy thats plays an on-the-floor game but he is some player. Some of his passing is ridiculously creative and he can make shots. We know he can grab it and put in the basket because he did it about six times last game.He was equally impressed after Mondays performance.He kicked our (butt) last game too, he said. Its not a surprise; hes good.UP NEXTMavericks: At Portland on Wednesday night.Nuggets: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. Jets Jerseys China . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. Cheap Jets Jerseys . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. http://www.cheapnewyorkjetsjerseysauthentic.com/ . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Buzz Williams has coached Virginia Tech for two seasons with low expectations from outside as a motivational tool.He wont have that card to play this year because of what the Hokies accomplished last season.The Hokies (20-15, 10-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) were the surprise of the ACC last season. They beat two teams ranked in the top 10, and closed the regular season with six consecutive victories in ACC play, their longest in-conference winning streak since they won eight straight in the Southern Conference in the 1964-65 season.The Hokies have their top four scorers back, led by Zach LeDay (15.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Seth Allen (14.4 ppg), get Ahmed Hill (8.7 ppg in 2014-15) back from knee surgery and welcome sharpshooting transfer Ty Outlaw this year.One viewpoint the Hokies dont welcome is talk that success will change their approach.I dont really think hes got to create motivation for us, LeDay said of Williams. I mean, we know what type of team we are. We dont bring in five five-star, top-20 players out of high school every year, so we know what type of team we are. We know were going to have to give it our all every night and every nights going to be a battle.The us-against-them mentality might be a harder sell for Williams this year, especially with the Hokies expected to be a preseason Top 25 consideration, but he said hes not planning to change the way he views the accolades.Once you get past the top 10, 12, 15 teams, then everybody is just kind of searching, he said. `Let me reach for this team. I like how theyre going, and I think that thats probably whats happening to us a little bit. We kind of finished semi on a good note over the last month of the season. It sounds good. It looks good.For the first time in his tenure with the Hokies, Williams and his staff will have ample talent available. He has seven returnees that played significant minutes last season, adds Hill and Outlaw and freshmen guard Tyrie Jackson (18 ppg as a high school senior) and 6-fooot-10 freshman Khadim Sy, who could help immediately defensively.ddddddddddddSome others things to loss for from Virginia Tech in the 2016-17 season:TALK IS NICE, BUT: A buzz about basketball around campus can be heady stuff to take in for 18-22 year old players, and the Hokies ability to ignore the hype of expectations and keep doing the things Williams preaches is key, particularly since, after last season, opponents are unlikely to look past Virginia Tech this season.INCORPORATION: Barring injuries, the Hokies are transitioning from having not enough players to having more than enough, and while Williams loves the idea of having certain combinations on the court together, they must first build the chemistry to make it effective. That will be a significant part of their preseason workouts.TRIPLE THREATS: The Hokies say Outlaw is likely the best shooter on the team, and he joins a roster on which Justin Bibbs made 76 3-pointers last season, Seth Allen made 44 and two others made at least 20. With a roster still lacking tall depth, their ability to make shots from long range can remain a significant equalizer this season.MR. ENERGY: Chris Clarke missed 13 games as a freshman with a broken foot, but was a huge energy source when available. Hes very athletic, can play every position except center and always provides a spark on the court.We were distinctly a different team when he played, Williams said.KINGS OF THE CASSELL: Cassell Coliseum is a difficult place to play when the fans, already right on top of the court fill it up and find reasons to be loud. Making home game must-see events for the student body and community is one of the goals for this season and will only enhance the Hokies move toward being a consistent ACC winner.---Online: The APs college basketball page: http://collegebasketball.ap.org---Follow Hank on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hankkurzjr ' ' '