Nikola Jokic is a true powerhouse

Nikola Jokic had 36 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as the Denver Nuggets breezed past the Sacramento Kings 136-105 on Thursday night for their franchise-record 11th straight road win.

Peyton Watson scored 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting for the Nuggets (18-6), who shot 59% from the field and completed a 4-0 trip. Cameron Johnson added 16 and Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Jokic made 14 of 16 shots from the floor, including both his 3-pointers, and went 6 for 8 at the free-throw line. He did not play in the fourth quarter.

Bo Horvat suffers lower body injury

Islanders leading scorer Bo Horvat suffered a lower-body injury about seven minutes into the second period in Thursday's game against Anaheim and did not return to the contest.

Horvat became tangled with Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson at 6:52, limped off ice and immediately went down the tunnel leading to the Islanders locker room.

Brandon Bussi is on fire in Carolina

Logan Stankoven saved Brandon Bussi's winning streak, and then the rookie goalie took it from there.

Bussi stopped all three Washington attempts in a shootout to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Capitals on Thursday night. The Hurricanes trailed 2-1 when Stankoven tied the game with 2:15 remaining.

Bussi, who was picked up off waivers by Carolina in early October, has now won eight straight games. He's also 10-1-0 — the fastest goalie to reach 10 wins.

Jacob Fowler wins NHL debut

Jacob Fowler made 36 saves in his NHL debut and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Thursday night.

Montreal gave the rookie plenty of support, as Alexandre Texier, Brendan Gallagher, and Cole Caufield staked the Canadiens to a 3-0 lead through two periods. Oliver Kapanen also scored to help Montreal snap a two-game skid.

Athletics sign Mark Leiter Jr.

Free agent right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. has reached agreement on a $2.85 million, one-year contract with the Athletics, according to a person familiar with the deal.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the move won't be finalized until Leiter passes a physical.

Leiter, 34, is the latest pitcher to leave the Yankees after they declined to tender him a contract last month along with several other bullpen veterans. He spent parts of the past two seasons with New York, which acquired him at the trade deadline from the Cubs in 2024.

Logan Cooley out 8 weeks with lower body injury

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley is expected to miss a minimum of eight weeks with what the team is calling a lower-body injury.

General manager Bill Armstrong announced Cooley's timeline Thursday.

Cooley, 21, was injured Dec. 5 in Vancouver when he slid into the net, with his left leg crashing into the right post. Being out eight weeks would take him to the Olympic break in early February and could put him in line to return when the season resumes later in the month.

Sherrone Moore detained by police

Sherrone Moore is in custody in the Washtenaw (Michigan) County Jail on Wednesday evening, hours after Michigan fired him for cause as the program's head coach.

The school announced it had parted ways with Moore after an investigation found "credible evidence" that he "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member," according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Moore, 39, was detained by police in Saline, Michigan, around 4:10 p.m. as part of a Pittsfield Township Police Department assault investigation, according to Austin Meek and Sam Jane of The Athletic. The City of Saline Police Department said that Moore was turned over to authorities "for investigation into potential charges," per Thamel and Dan Wetzel of ESPN.

Atlanta Braves land Robert Suarez

The Atlanta Braves agreed to a three-year, $45-million deal with right-hander Robert Suarez, the team announced Thursday.

Suarez will earn $13 million in 2026, $16 million in 2027, and $16 million in 2028. There are no deferrals in the deal. The reliever also agreed to donate 1% of his salary to the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

Suarez led the National League with 40 saves last season with the San Diego Padres and has 77 career saves to his credit. He will operate in a setup role for the Braves, who plan to use Raisel Iglesias as their closer, a source told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Ryan Leonard out 3-4 weeks with shoulder injury

Washington Capitals forward Ryan Leonard will miss three-to-four weeks due to a shoulder injury, the team announced Thursday.

Leonard suffered the injury Dec. 5 against the Anaheim Ducks when he took a big hit from Jacob Trouba.

"He'll be out for the foreseeable future with the shoulder, and (he) sustained some facial injuries as well," Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters.

Timo Meier takes personal leave of absence

The New Jersey Devils said Thursday that forward Timo Meier is taking a personal leave of absence from the team to attend to a family health matter.

No other details were provided. The Devils say the organization supports Meier and his family and appreciate their privacy at this time.

Meier is nearing the midway point of his third season with New Jersey after being traded there from San Jose at the deadline in late February 2023. He spent the first part of his NHL career with the Sharks.