Jokic takes over as Nuggets surge back late to top Warriors

DENVER—The Denver Nuggets looked down and out on Tuesday night, set back 12 early and trailing several possessions late but when you feature the best basketball player in the world it’s never over and Nikola Jokic led a late-game charge to top the Golden State Warriors 119-115.

Denver ended the game on a 14-2 run as the three-time MVP poured in 38 points, adding 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals. Jokic’s three triples paced the Nuggets 46% shooting from deep as they answered back to 12 makes from the arc by the famously long-range shooting dubs.

“The defense, all day long, I’ve been talking to my team, talking to you guys, pregame, after the game, about our defense,” head coach Michael Malone said after the game. “When you’re ranked 30th in the last five games, there’s nowhere to go but up. And I felt our guys were locked in a lot more tonight than we have been. But to have that kind of approach, that means you’re getting stops on the other end. When you get stops like that, now you can get out and run and attack a defense that’s not set.”

Malone mentioned a bunch of big moments like Jamal Murray getting a key block down the stretch that set up free throws for himself in transition on the other then end got big man Kevon Looney to foul out. The coach also talked about Russell Westbrook forcing a key late jump ball on former All-Star Andrew Wiggins as well as Christian Braun diving on the floor to get another jump ball a few seconds later.

“Those are winning plays at the end of a close game that is hanging in the balance,” Malone said. “I’m proud of our guys for making all of the plays down the stretch.”

There were moments where the Dubs seemed to reveal Denver’s weaknesses, especially in getting around screens and guarding excessive movement but with Draymond Green on the bench, the Nuggets were able to catch up.

“Steph obviously, very hard to guard. He moves a lot. I think they, missed Draymond out there because the timing was a little off, he was open for like a split second, and he would normally get one off,” Murray said. “You can play good defense on him, he passes it, and then you got to chase him wherever he’s going. And then you got to talk if you’re going to switch. So I think that’s the tough part because when he gives it up, everybody has to know where he’s going and where he’s gonna be.”

The Nuggets held Curry to 24 points on 23 shots with 11 rebounds and seven assists. Most of that is in line with his season averages but on a worst percentage. It’s a testament to the Nuggets to have not given in on Tuesday because the game looked like it would go sideways multiple times, including a 19-4 Warriors run to start the fourth, thanks to an issue that plagued the team all year thus far—smaller guards out on the perimeter.

“Yeah, I think the communication was better—talking earlier, talking loud, even if someone did get beat there was help,” Murray explained. “It wasn’t just breakdown after breakdown in one possession. We had one breakdown and somebody scrambled with some more effort. So I think that’s what it’s all about. Just effort. There’s not many plays you can run on defense other than playing hard and knowing personnel and covering for each other, we did a better job today than we have in the past games.”

Murray only had 12 points on the end he’s more known for, chipping in eight helpers. The Nuggets as a team threw 33 assists on 40 made shots while the Warriors slung 36 helpers on their 44 makes. It was a quick-moving game of hoops that Denver was able to keep up with.

“It wasn’t pretty, but winning this league is not always going to be pretty,” Malone said. “We needed a win, especially on our home court, and we were 5-4 at home going into tonight, so we knew what we’re going to get with them, the team that lost four in a row. And we had some really good performances.”

Jokic tallied 24 in the second half on eight-of-13 shooting to finish the game as a plus-23. Simply said, Jokic buoyed, carried and led the Nuggets to a win in a game where some backups were as bad as a minus-17.

“To close 14-2, that means you’re getting stops and you’re executing and you’re scoring, and Nikola knows when it’s closing time, he’s gonna step up,” Malone said.

Jokic’s mid-range jumper over Curry with 80 seconds left gave the Nuggets a lead and his free throws 65 seconds later iced the game. They were part of a run that included a wild three-point play, another made bucket, free throw and assist that ended with him scoring nine of the 14 points on Denver’s game-winning surge.