After the Nuggets’ worst third quarter of the season quietly sandwiched inside a blowout win, Jamal Murray shrugged off the complacent portion of the game.
“If you look at every game we’ve played, I feel like there’s been a stint where we haven’t played well,” he said Saturday.
For their next trick 48 hours later, the Nuggets proved that point in reverse.
They dug their deepest halftime hole of this season at Ball Arena, 17 points after trailing by as many as 22, as if to see whether they could crawl out against an injury-depleted opponent. They could. Making a dramatic 180, Denver defeated Toronto on Monday night, 125-119.
Nikola Jokic amassed 35 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, six steals and two blocks in his 126th career triple-double. Aaron Gordon added 19 points on 8 of 9 shooting, efficient when nobody else was. Murray went for 11 assists.
Toronto All-Star Scottie Barnes and a handful of teammates were out due to injuries, so two-way forward Jontay Porter was one of the first Raptors off the bench. He exceeded expectations with 14 points and five assists on 4 of 7 outside shooting in his first time sharing an NBA court with his brother, Michael Porter Jr.
Bruce Brown contributed a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double in his second return to Denver for as many teams this season.
Meanwhile, Nuggets coach Michael Malone shook up his bench rotations. Jokic took a seat with three minutes left in the first quarter as Gordon played the five for a 60-second stint until Zeke Nnaji joined the fray. But things started to unravel when the second unit surrendered an 11-0 run to start the second frame. Jokic checked back in earlier than usual to correspond with his early exit. He proceeded to commit the Nuggets’ eighth turnover — and his second — with 9:34 left in the half.
Michael Porter Jr. (1) of the Denver Nuggets blocks a shot by Ochai Agbaji (30) of the Toronto Raptors during the second quarter at Ball Arena in Denver on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
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The Nuggets only turned it over once the remainder of the game.
Defensive activity ramped up dramatically. Jokic anticipated and stole a pocket pass that started a fast break as Denver was chipping away in the third quarter. Murray buried a three to get the Nuggets back within single digits for the first time.
Their second unit improved considerably in its second try. A struggling Reggie Jackson, after missing four of his first five attempts, made a 3-pointer and a driving layup in the last 35 seconds of the quarter to close the gap to 98-93. Toronto didn’t replicate its second-quarter surge with Jokic resting in the fourth. Murray was a changed man. He hadn’t scored his first point until 1:06 remained in the first half, but he finished with 26, making circus scoop shots and smooth turnaround jumpers to fuel the comeback.
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