Jokić finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over the Kings in Denver's first game without Malone

Denver snapped its four-game skid with a 124-116 victory over the Sacramento Kings in Wednesday's Western Conference matchup at the Golden 1 Center. It improved to 48-32 overall as it continues to fight for positioning in the playoff race. As for the Kings, they saw their own three-game winning streak come to an end as they fell to 39-41.

The Nuggets shocked the basketball world on Tuesday when they announced they were firing Malone, who had led the team to its first NBA championship only two seasons ago, as well as general manager Calvin Booth. While the Nuggets had struggled to replicate their success since that title, Malone was widely considered one of the NBA's better coaches.