Nikola Jokic went off with 35 points and Michael Porter Jr. had a rousing fourth quarter showing as the defending champion Denver Nuggets held off a valiant Minnesota Timberwolves rally to earn a 115-112 road win.
Nikola Jokic drops 35 and 16 as the @nuggets hold on down the wire to claim the #2 spot in the West!
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2024
Michael Porter Jr.: 26 PTS, 4 3PM
Jamal Murray: 18 PTS, 11 AST
Anthony Edwards: 30 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST pic.twitter.com/B9u5cSbMHz
The reigning Finals MVP added 16 rebounds and five dimes in a battle of the West’s top teams. Jokic already had 12 points and eight boards after one quarter, and finished with a 22-10 double-double statline by the end of the first half.
Joker also has 11 early as these stars go at it on NBA TV 🤩 https://t.co/vMA7c7pg5E pic.twitter.com/RMJ0rlyy2E
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2024
Porter Jr. erupted for 13 of his 26 points in the final frame, including some clutch triples and dunks late, in another splendid shooting performance for Denver.
https://t.co/YF8adlU66c pic.twitter.com/QBhPm6nYY8
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 20, 2024
Jamal Murray had 18 markers and dished out 11 assists with Aaron Gordon contributing 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who improved to a league-best 12-2 record post All-Star break.
The Nuggets led by as many as 18 points, but nearly blew the lead despite the Timberwolves side missing their twin towers of Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) and Rudy Gobert (ribs), in addition to second-string center Naz Reid (head) being sidelined as well.
Mike Conley connected on an off-balance triple with 11.5 seconds left to keep the Timberwolves within two. Jaden McDaniels then drilled his fourth triple of the game, trimming the lead to a single digit with 4.5 ticks left, 111-109.
JADEN MCDANIELS 3. LEAD CUT TO 1.
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2024
4.2 seconds left...
Nuggets-Timberwolves | Live on NBA TV
📲 https://t.co/i20qPDL3uT pic.twitter.com/EH1TVBRz9F
After Murray drained two free-throws at 115-12, the Timberwolves had one last chance to tie the game but Anthony Edwards’ potential game-tying 3-pointer fell short as time expired.
Ant was this close to sending the game to OT at the buzzer 😳
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2024
Nuggets hold on and move into 2nd in the West. pic.twitter.com/0Aaj2eQQGD
Edwards topscored his squad with 30 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds, including a 14-point third-quarter outburst that saw Minnesota outscore the reigning Western Conference champions, 29-17.
McDaniels tied his career-high with a 26-point night while Conley added 13 markers, all in the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets (48-21) moved within percentage points of West leaders Oklahoma City (47-20) for the Western Conference lead, as the Timberwolves (47-22) dropped one game back into third place.
