Playing his second back-to-back this week and already averaging 39.2 minutes five games into the season, Nikola Jokic seemed determined to finally earn himself a fourth quarter on the bench.
Jokic scored 18 of his 27 points in the third quarter as the Nuggets turned a single-digit halftime lead into a 129-103 rout of the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, tipping off a five-game home stand at Ball Arena. It was their first regulation win of the 2024-25 season and their first time leading after the first quarter.
Jokic made 10 of 18 shots from the field to aid his 16 rebounds and nine assists, playing just shy of 30 minutes. Michael Porter Jr. completed an efficient back-to-back of his own with 20 points on 4-for-6 outside shooting. And Christian Braun continued to demonstrate his seamless two-way fit in the starting lineup with 17 points, three assists and two steals.
Twenty-four hours after being outscored by 21 points from the 3-point line in a dramatic loss at Minnesota, the Nuggets (3-3) bounced back with their best display of perimeter offense yet. They knocked down 16 of 32 attempts from 3, including three from Julian Strawther in a 17-point outing off the bench.
Garbage time is not irrelevant when a team’s second unit hasn’t been able to buy a basket all season. After Jokic provided the 24-point cushion, the fourth quarter Saturday was a valuable collection of minutes for the confidence of Denver’s struggling bench players. In fact, it was their first opportunity to even play garbage time with a lead. Peyton Watson saw the ball go in a few times as a rim-runner. Michael Malone’s young cast was able to work on chemistry with Russell Westbrook. Hunter Tyson scored a career-high seven points after debuting as the 10th man in Michael Malone’s rotation Friday. Jokic never needed to remove his over-shirt.
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The Nuggets led by as many as 17 in the first half after the bench briefly supplied a pleasantly surprising jolt. DeAndre Jordan made his first appearance of the season as Jokic’s backup center, in place of the struggling Dario Saric. His entrance was immediately followed by an 8-0 run featuring a Tyson 3-point play and a pair of buckets for Strawther.
But the Jazz answered with six consecutive points, a run that quickly inflated in the second quarter. Utah came all the way back to tie it moments after Jokic checked back in. But the result never felt seriously in doubt, even then. Within minutes, Jokic and the starters had reopened a 14-point lead.
Westbrook made his first Nuggets start with Jamal Murray in concussion protocol. Scoring continued to be a labor for the 35-year-old point guard — he shot 2 for 11 — but his minutes roving between units managed to be a positive anyway, thanks to seven assists and five steals. In one impressive sequence, he broke up a lob during a 3-on-1 fast break, then drew a foul in mid-air while reeling in an offensive rebound at the other end.