The Denver Nuggets haven’t looked like a championship contender at almost any point since Nikola Jokić returned from his knee injury. Their mediocre play hit a low-point in Memphis—in what was something of a schedule loss but still hard to swallow—for a fanbase sure the team would return to contention post-All-Star break.
Even though it wasn’t literally a must-win against Toronto on Friday night, the game felt like it carried more weight than 1 of 82. And through three quarters, it looked like the type of game that exposes a team that simply doesn’t have what it takes.
But the great thing about sports is that vibes aren’t what matter in the end. The scoreboard is truth.
1st Quarter
The Nuggets got off to yet another slow start at home, leading to yet another 30-point quarter for a mediocre offense. After Jokić opened the scoring with a jump hook, Toronto rattled off 11 in a row. Christian Braun eventually managed to convert, making a pair of layups to cut into the early lead. Then Jokić and Murray alternated scores to get the Nuggets within two at the five-minute mark.
The teams went tit-for-tat the rest of the quarter with Murray and Hardaway leading the scoring for Denver. A Walter three extended the Raptors lead to 27-19, but Tim Hardaway Jr. responded with a pair of threes. Jokić ended the quarter with a circus jumper as he tried to draw a foul, getting the Nuggets to within three, 30-27.
2nd Quarter
Despite some discombobulated offense without Jokić to start the second, a THJ three tied the game at 34. A nice find by Murray in transition led to a lay-in by Bruce and the first Nuggets lead since the opening minute. RJ Barrett responded with a three, then Walter hit one from the corner to extend the Raptors’ lead back to four—their 14th field goal on 14 assists. Jokić checked back in and went to work against Poeltl with a nimble baseline spin and lay-in. He then found AG cutting down the lane for an easy two, tying the game at 42. AG matched seven more for Toronto with four of his own followed by a Joker touchdown to CB with three minutes left in the half. After Cam made two of three free throws then hooked AG up with an easy put-back dunk to give the Nuggets their largest lead of the game on a 10-2 run, CB’s corner three grew the lead to 57-51 with under a minute left.
3rd Quarter
Toronto threw the first punch to start the second half. But Murray responded with a reverse layup and jumper to keep it tight. His 6th point of the first three minutes tied the game, as did his 8th. Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram got a couple back, and the Nuggets called timeout down 69-65 with just under eight minutes left. The energy didn’t pick up as a lifeless team gave up another six in a row including a wide-open dunk on a defensive breakdown, prompting a second timeout in as many minutes as the Raptors lead expanded to 10.
Jokić’s three with four minutes left got the Nuggets to within seven, and after Poeltl could only convert one-of-two from the line, Jamal hit a floater to claw a bit closer. Ingram responded, but Jokić found Bruce in the corner for his 8th assist. He was blocked at the rim by Scottie Barnes leading to a open corner three for the Raptors with under a minute left. THJ responded with another three, but the Nuggets couldn’t get the stop to end the quarter, sending them to the fourth trailing 94-85.
4th Quarter
The fourth started better than each of the first three as the Adelman found some life with a small-ball lineup. Bruce hit a three followed my Mal’s 21st on a turnaround jumper. The Nuggets then won a challenge capped off with a Mal step-back three to close the gap to one in what felt like the first spark of life for the good guys all night. After Shead hit and was fouled (but missed the free throw), Murray outran the Raptors to the other end and was fouled at the rim, where he c:onverted both. A big Cam rebound led to Spencer Jones finding THJ for his 17th and a brief lead. Toronto responded with a pair of makes Hardaway hit his sixth three, bringing the crowd to their feet and tying the game at 101.
Jokić swapped in for Murray with six minutes left, but it remained the THJ Show as Tim hit his seventh off an aggressive Brucey B offensive rebound. AG then banged in a straightaway three, giving the Nuggets a six-point lead that felt bigger. Toronto then lost a challenge on a Poeltl foul, but the Nuggets couldn't convert. CB passed up a wide open three, drove instead and missed, leading to an Ingram three in transition. But Jokić outran Toronto's defense to answer with a layup. Murray and Barnes traded makes as the Nuggets clung to a one-point lead with just under two minutes left.
The Nuggets' momentum continued as Murray found a cutting Gordon for an and-one layup. On the missed free throw, Nikola flew in from the weakside to snatch the rebound and was then fouled, leading to a pair of free throws. A Barnes put-back and Poeltl and-one tied the game at 115 with :58 left---another one possession finish guaranteed. And here's the sequence that ended it:
- Jokić turnaround fadeaway
- AG block of Barnes
- Mal free throws, giving the Nuggets a four-point lead with 12.3 seconds left
- Jokić fouled Poeltl, who missed the first; missed the second on purpose
- AG rebound, foul, and 1-2 from the line
Nuggets win. Somehow.
FINAL SCORE: Raptors 115, Nuggets 121
GAME NOTES
– Jamal Murray had his 26th 30-point game of the season (31/5/6)
– With the win and Minnesota’s loss to the Blazers, the Nuggets move into a tie for fifth and have the tiebreaker
– The Nuggets have now won three-in-a-row at home, which feels more positive than it should
