Nuggets fans received welcomed news prior to tip-off that Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon would both be available to play for the first time since November. CB got the start with AG seemingly on a minutes restriction. With a back-to-back against a Sixers team that will be very difficult for a center-less team handle, the Nuggets needed to get this one against the only lottery team they will see on what has turned into a nightmarish 7-game road trip through the Eastern Conference.
Michael Porter Jr. came in ready to make a statement to his former team, though, and to contenders inquiring about him as the trade deadline approaches.
1st Quarter
Brooklyn started with a clear game plan to pressure the ball, and it worked well. Murray turned it over on the first possession and disjointed offense continued through the quarter. PWat, Zeke, and Holmes did their best to contain MPJ and the other Nets bigs, but the home team raced out to an 11-point lead, fueled by four early turnovers. CB had a nice drive and finish early, but struggled to get into an offensive rhythm after that.
AG returned to action at the 4:32 mark and made an immediate impact. His first two defensive possessions shook the rust off. In the first, he switched onto MPJ, who got the step but was fouled at the rim, and he was blown by again the next time down. But he settled in quickly, providing some long-needed rim running and bully ball, putting up 7 big points by the end of the quarter and playing hardnosed defense. Tim Hardaway Jr. added three net-ripping triples in a row to close out the final minutes, as well, and Brooklyn’s lead dwindled to 33-29 as the first buzzer sounded.
2nd Quarter
The Nuggets started the second with a noticeable uptick in energy and physicality. AG hit a pair, and THJ scored again after some scrappy offensive rebounding. After a Pickett trey and Nnaji dunk on a nice feed from Jalen, the Nuggets tied the game 38-38. Mike answered with a towering three straightaway and added a pair from the line to wrestle momentum back for Brooklyn. Murray tried to keep them in it with five more points, but several turnovers and Brooklyn’s hot shooting built the lead back to 57-46 with a minute left in the half. Mal fed Aaron for a lay-in, and after THJ made a pair, Porter Jr. committed an ill-advised offensive foul that gave Mal enough time to hit a step-back J to bring the Nuggets back to within 7 at the half (59-52).
3rd Quarter
The Nets pushed their size advantage early as Clowney, Sharpe, and MPJ dominated the glass and ballooned the lead to 71-56 after just three minutes. After a quick timeout, Murray answered with a jumper followed by a Holmes three, but Clowney responded with two corner threes of his own, giving him a team-leading 20 points. Denver tried to pick up the pressure and hustle from there. They forced a three-second violation and hustled down several offensive boards, finally leading to a Spencer Jones triple. The Nets kept hitting, though, and Adelman was forced to call his second timeout of the 3rd as seven unanswered points shot the lead back to a game-high 18.
AG checked back in at 5:09 looking to jumpstart a rally with Mal. He dunked it on the first possession for his 13th point in 15 minutes. The teams traded big shots from there with Watson and MPJ both hitting from deep. Murray then found AG for an and-1 and his 13th assist. On the missed FT, Murray grabbed the board and drove to the lane for his own and-1, cutting the lead to 13. After a pair FTs for Thomas, Murray took Wolf into the lane and scored high off the glass with a foul. The flurry continued with a JM steal on the following possession and bounce pass ahead to AG for a transition dunk, prompting a Brooklyn timeout as the lead fell to 11.
The rally ultimately sputtered as THJ and Mal missed good looks from three while Cam Thomas dropped in 5 in the final minute including a monster step-back three as the quarter ended (100-84).
4th Quarter
Hardaway Jr. did what he could to reignite the comeback with back-to-back treys, getting the Nuggets to within 10 after just a minute. Brooklyn responded in kind, though, as Thomas’ penetration continued to cause the defense problems. After a personal 8-point run, Thomas’ 17th point off the bench gave the Nets a seemingly insurmountable 112-90 lead.
To his credit, Murray and the bench kept battling, scoring 5 in a row. Peyton added a swat and a FT to get the lead down to 17. A Spencer steal then led to a THJ and-one, and the lead fell to 12 with 3:00 left. Mal hit three more to keep the good guys in check. Jones then ripped Clowney in the open court, but, for the second time in as many minutes, got blocked from behind at the rim, all but sealing the win for the Nets.
FINAL SCORE: Nuggets 115, Nets 127
GAME NOTES:
- The Nets were 17/19 from the line in the first half, 31/37 for the game
- Murray’s 8th assist moved him past Ty Lawson into 5th place in team history (he also notched a career-high 16 assists for the game)
- Gordon had 20 & 6 on 8/15 in just 21 mins.
- Braun struggled in his return (3 pts., 2 rebs. in 24 mins.)
- MPJ finished with a pedestrian 27/11/5 as his excellent play continues
