1678193070 Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray lead Denvers comeback win over

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray lead Denver’s comeback win over Raptors – The Denver Post

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray lead Denvers comeback win over

DENVER, CO – FEBRUARY 6: Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets drives into Precious Achiuwa (5) of the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter on Monday, March 6, 2023 at Ball Arena in Denver. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/ The Denver Post)

As long as you have the MVP, the game is never over.

For most of the fourth quarter, the Nuggets fell to eight, got timely stops, grabbed buckets and survived a lively Raptors roster to a thrilling 118-113 win. Of course, Nikola Jokic played a key role in the comeback.

Jokic flirted with another triple-double to finish with 17 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, and the Nuggets benefited from a timely challenge call after Jokic was booed late for a defensive foul.

In disbelief after the whistle, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was ejected late. Despite a sloppy effort for most of the night, the Nuggets outplayed the Raptors 35-25 in the fourth quarter for their fourth straight win.

“I think we still have the #1 clutch defense in the NBA,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who was most pleased with his team’s ability to clear the glass in the fourth quarter. “Tonight was another example of our defenses being reinforced.”

Winners in eight of the last nine, Denver improved to 46-19 this year and 30-4 at home.

Jamal Murray recorded a team-high 24 points, 18 of which came in the second half. He also drilled five 3-pointers to move within a range to tie Denver’s all-time franchise record. Murray said he was aware of the record but still defended his shot selection.

“I was aware of that,” he joked, interrupting a post-game question.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 points with four 3-pointers and Aaron Gordon threw in 19.

Murray opened the third quarter with bad intentions. He worked his way from the inside out, starting with a jumper and then a reverse layup before extending his comfort zone to the 3-point line. They also started falling from there as Murray appeared to be eyeing the franchise’s record for most 3-pointers of all time. He finished the quarter alone with 12 points, just two 3 points behind Will Barton, now a Raptor, for the record 804.

Denver’s second unit struggled to find much cohesion after the starters dropped out. Between Bruce Brown and Reggie Jackson, they both searched the court for their rhythm. It took until the fourth, but Jackson finally found his. If there was a mission before the postseason started, it should be about establishing some semblance of identity off the bench. Until then, Denver could be more vulnerable than they care to admit. Still, after Murray’s blistering run, the Nuggets went fourth behind by just 88-83.

With just 18 regular-season games remaining as of Monday night, Malone said his goal is to both ensure his team’s health and keep the momentum going. In it, however, Malone admitted that there was still room for growth.

“The only area I could say we need to improve on, if I was being really picky, is our paint defense,” Malone said before the game.

For several months now, Denver’s defense has been among the NBA’s elite when it comes to preventing 3-pointers. But to crack the top-10 in total defense, Malone said he wants to get greedy.

Their central defense was the biggest concern in the first half as the Raptors went into the break with 28 points inside with a 61-58 lead. Denver countered Toronto’s length with accurate 3-point shooting.

Porter buried four 3-pointers in the first half while posting a team-high 14 points. On numerous occasions, his teammates would arc after him because they knew he had it working. His performance was invaluable as the Raptors swarmed Jokic and limited him to just 9 points with three shots in the first half. OG Anunoby had the primary defensive duty, although Toronto showed double teams the deeper Jokic got into the paint.

He ended the second quarter in fireworks when he threw a perfect pass to Gordon, who floated around the room for the alley-oop.

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