The Nuggets were so red-hot, even Nikola Jokic’s off-balance attempt to bait his way to the foul line for three shots went in.
Jokic seemed to draw contact while entering his shooting motion, but the officials called the foul on the floor. His wacky 3-pointer didn’t count, and the Nuggets’ possession ended in their first missed shot of the game. More than eight minutes into the first quarter.
Not much else could stop Denver from scoring in a 146-117 win over the Trail Blazers on Monday night at Ball Arena. Jokic scored 40 on 22 shots, and the Nuggets (35-19) matched a season-high 65.9% clip from the field in their seventh consecutive win, pulling within one game of the second-place Grizzlies with one game remaining before the NBA’s All-Star hiatus.
The Blazers are near the bottom of the West, but they arrived in Colorado on a surge. In the previous 12 games, as Michael Malone pointed out before opening tip, their defensive rating was the best in the league. They were 10-2 in that stretch.
“The numbers are real. It wasn’t just a one-, two- or three-game window,” Malone said. “This is 12 games. … And their defense is a big part of that. … They just have a lot of size and length and physicality. They’re gonna try to get into us early, slow us down.”
As it turned out, Denver’s finishing was immune to even the stingiest defense. Jamal Murray’s 7-for-10 night included a 360 layup. Christian Braun’s 26 points featured jump-shooting off the dribble, another blistering dunk and a driving spin move. And Jokic eventually got what he wanted, a four-point play opportunity during the third quarter when he once again leaned into a defender for contact, conveniently sinking a shot that wasn’t necessarily designed to be sunk.
That wasn’t even his most impressive three of the evening. On an out-of-bounds play late in the shot clock, he caught the ball in the corner with Deandre Ayton in his face. Out of room, out of options, Jokic somehow stepped back further into the corner and hoisted a desperate shot.
It contributed to his team’s 11-for-11 shooting start.
Jokic was able to rest the fourth quarter again while bench contributors continued to light up the scoreboard. Jalen Pickett went for 14 points and eight assists, both career highs. Zeke Nnaji added 11 efficient points and five rebounds.
Murray was ejected early in the fourth after converting a 3-point play and chirping with Portland reserve Dalano Banton, a fellow Canadian. It ended a well-rounded night for Murray, with 17 points, eight assists and only one turnover.
Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr. remained out of the lineup with tight hamstrings, both mild casualties of the dog days of the season. Julian Strawther started and supplied a complete performance, with 18 points and three helpers.
The Nuggets will go into the break after hosting Portland again on Wednesday.