The Denver Nuggets don’t like to do anything the easy way, but after falling behind by 14 entering the fourth quarter Denver defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in overtime 137-132. Portland set a franchise record with 25 made threes but the Nuggets went on a 24-8 run to tie the game at 123 before forcing overtime and then taking the victory. Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists with 5 steals and 2 blocks, Aaron Gordon added 23 points and 9 boards, and Jamal Murray added 20 points with most of them coming in the 4th quarter and overtime after a quiet start.

Toumani Camara had 30 points for Portland before he fouled out late, Deni Avdija chipped in 26 points with 13 coming from the foul line, and Donovan Clingan put up 18 points and 12 rebounds but it wasn’t enough to stop Denver’s late comeback. The Nuggets are now winners of 9 in a row and have taken over third place in the Western Conference standings from the Los Angeles Lakers, who have dropped two straight thanks to injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Denver has a path to keeping that three seed – if they can remember to start playing basketball before the fourth quarter going forward.

Game Flow

Aaron Gordon missed a three to open the game, but Toumani Camara made his for Portland. Jamal Murray missed a step-back, but Nikola Jokic got the rebound and putback and then found Jamal under the rack for a layup. Scoot Henderson made a bucket, AG missed another but managed to find Joker for a paint finish. Deni Avdija finished too for the Blazers while Denver stayed cold from deep with a Cam Johnson miss. Jokic had his shot blocked by Donovan Clingan but recovered the ball and beat him for a reverse layup for an 8-8 early tie. Avdija got free throws and Camara hit a pair of threes to put Portland in front, but AG finished at the rim and both Christian Braun and Cam Johnson ran the floor for transition dunks to cut it to 16-14. Clingan hit free throws, Gordon and Clingan traded threes, then Matisse Tybule and Christian Braun did the same. Camara hit another three but Joker got a tip-back and a nice spinning floater as Denver still trailed 30-25. Cam Johnson had a great finish, Tim Hardaway Jr. blew a dunk, and Joker hit a fabulous fake-to-hook shot over Robert Williams, but Denver only made 1-of-7 from deep and had some late turnovers, and still trailed Portland 35-31 after one.

Jrue Holiday and Jamal Murray traded threes to start the second quarter, then Jamal laid a hard screen on Cissoko that reviewed but was determined to be a foul on Cissoko. After a free throw, Jamal then missed a drive but tapped the carom to Jonas Valanciunas for a dunk. Portland hit more threes, going 11-for-19 from deep early, but Denver kept attacking the paint in response to keep it within single digits. Jamal got his third foul and had to sit, Clingan made another Portland three, and Jonas got to the line and made one of two for a 48-40 Denver deficit. Portland hit free throws and their 13th three of the first 16 minutes of the game and Denver called a timeout to regroup down 13. Valanciunas hit a paint hook, Julian Strawther hit a three off a Cam assist, and Bruce Brown recovered his own miss for a finish to cut it to 53-47. Cam Johnson hit a step-back to cut it back to 4 as Denver found the right energy level during a 9-0 run. Jokic came back in, and Julian hit a couple of buckets around a Williams bucket for Portland. Portland fought back with free throws and another three from Camara, while Jokic missed a three. Jrue made Portland’s 15th three-pointer of the half, and Hardaway got called for an offensive foul for kicking out his leg on a three-pointer. Jokic missed a turnaround to continue Denver’s bucketless streak at the end of the quarter for almost 5 minutes, and Denver kept fouling Avdija for free throws as Portland pulled away late for a 72-58 halftime lead.

Cam Johnson got to the free throw line early, then Aaron Gordon hit a three, but Cam got his fourth foul on a cheap baseline call and had to sit. Jamal Murray missed three early threes in the quarter, Christian Braun traded buckets with Avdija, and Hardaway finally made his first shot. Joker missed over Clingan but got the putback, then had a block against Clingan, then Jokic found AG to cut Portland’s lead to 78-71. Joker finished in the paint, Camara buried yet another three for Portland, and Jamal bricked another three. The Blazers hit another corner three, Jokic answered with a floater over Clingan, but his turnover the next time down led to a Clingan bucket as they got the lead back to double digits at 86-75. Joker buried a three out of a timeout, but Clingan and Camara answered right back with two-point buckets. Jokic missed a three, Portland hit another, and Denver was badly losing the math equation from deep. Jokic had another bad turnover, his sixth of the game, but Cam Johnson made three free throws and Strawther hit a dunk off a Hardaway steal. Avdija got a good roll on a three, Joker hit a turnaround, and Bruce Brown got to the line for two after a Jokic deflection. Holiday hit a layup in the closing seconds though and Denver still trailed by 14 after three quarters, 101-87.

Scoot Henderson opened the fourth quarter scoring for Portland, answered by Valanciunas, but Portland took and made another open three. Valanciunas and Henderson traded threes, Jonas hit a baseline jumper but then was called for a foul against Clingan the other way. Jamal Murray finally made his third shot of the game, followed shortly by a tough stepback for his fourth, but nothing Denver did slowed Portland at all. Jamal got a block on Scoot after review, Joker finished in the paint, and Jamal drew an offensive foul to get Denver the ball back down 115-103 as an immediate Jokic dunk made it a 10 point deficit with 6:28 to go. Jrue Holiday hit an open corner three, CB drove the hoop for a bucket, and AG finished at the rim to make it 118-109. Robert Williams had free throws, Joker hit a turnaround, and then Jamal Murray drew a charge that was confirmed on review and finished in the paint to cut it to six. Cam Johnson hit the three-pointer off a Jokic assist to cut it to a bucket. Jokic and Robert Willams each got to the charity stripe, and Avdija made a free throw to keep the lead at three. Camara fouled out on a Jokic rebound, then Joker got to the foul line to cut it to one at 121-120. Avdija kept getting to the line though and made both himself, but an AG corner three tied it up at 123. Avdija missed a three and AG got the rebound, Braun missed an open three but Aaron Gordon hit a long two with a toe on the line from the corner to give Denver the lead back at 125-123. Avdija hit a drive past Braun to tie it and leave Denver the final shot. Jokic got the ball in the paint but missed a turnaround hook and a tip attempt and the game went to overtime.

Jokic won the tip in overtime, then passed to AG for the corner three. Denver forced a 24 second violation, then Jamal Murray buried a three. Scoot Henderson responded with a three of his own, Jamal got to the line for two, then Jokic was called for an offensive screening foul that was overturned on review, and Murray dunked it for a 135-128 lead. Avdija and Jokic exchanged paint buckets as Joker’s beat the buzzer. Jokic grabbed a rebound, Braun missed a corner three and Avdija made the transition bucket, but Denver ran the clock and despite Jamal Murray’s missed layup in the waning seconds the Nuggets won 137-132.

Final Thoughts

The Nuggets are extremely unserious – until they flip the switch. When a team outscores you 48 to 9 from behind the arc to begin a game you might have a math problem. Denver lost the points contest from deep 75-36 and still won the game, in part because they kept the pressure on and executed down the stretch. They made a 24-8 run to tie it at 123, then ground out the victory in overtime despite Jokic having two chances to finish it in regulation. The Nuggets couldn’t find the switch for three quarters, then flipped it with 8 minutes to go in the fourth and chased down the Blazers. Denver stopped making mistakes, started executing on both ends and taking care of the ball, and valued their possessions enough to make them count.

That’s good practice; it’s good to get into the mud and wrestle a victory away. I don’t think Denver should be putting themselves in those positions against teams like the Blazers, but it’s great to see them rediscovering their clutch gene and teaching the new additions how they handle business down the stretch going into the playoffs. This is a feeling they need to remember when the games are close. Now maybe play better against the Grizzlies for three quarters so you don’t have to practice this again immediately…