The Denver Nuggets took advantage of a massive comeback to win their ninth game in ten tries. They have only lost one game since the All-Star break.
The Nuggets defeated the Toronto Raptors, 125-119, to close out a four-game homestand. They went 3-1 at Ball Arena during that stretch. Denver is now just 0.5 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference standings.
It was Denver’s fourth-largest comeback in franchise history, dating back to 1996-97. They trailed by as many as 22 points in the second quarter. It was also only the tenth time in franchise history that Denver found a way to win after leading by as many as 17 points at halftime.
Nikola Jokić made history by becoming the first player to score at least 35 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists and 6 steals. He also had 2 blocks, earning him praise from head coach Michael Malone after the game.
“People criticize Nikola’s defense because he doesn’t average three blocks per game. But if you’re really a basketball purist and you watch the game, you see he has some of the best hands in the game. NBA, without exception,” Malone said. “One of the most underrated defenders in the entire NBA.”
Jamal Murray carried Denver late by scoring 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. He also recorded 12 assists, including 6 also in the fourth quarter.
“When I get into painting, I feel like I’m a little more controlled, which allows me to read [the defense] more,” Murray said of his improvement as a passer.
Denver’s defense looked a little sluggish in the first half, as Toronto made 52 percent of its shots and 47.4 percent of its three-pointers. Rookie Gradey Dick came through and scored 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting. RJ Barrett also dominated his man at will for 15 points, and Toronto finished with a 68-51 lead.
Toronto took the lead to 21 points, but then a Jokić block on Barrett woke the Nuggets up. The Joker went into takeover mode, scoring a ridiculous 19 points in the third quarter to pull Denver out of its muddy start.
When Jokić left the game early in the fourth quarter, Murray ran the show as Denver’s primary option. That allowed Denver to take its first lead since the first quarter at 6:48 in the period. Jokić recorded his second block of the game a minute later, leading to a dunk, and when Murray made a perfect pass to Michael Porter Jr. in the corner, it sealed the game for Denver.
