Nikola Jokic had an impressive performance with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists, while Russell Westbrook contributed 21 points, helping the Denver Nuggets come back to defeat the Toronto Raptors 121-119 on Monday night.
Michael Porter Jr. added 19 points for Denver, which played without guard Jamal Murray and lost Aaron Gordon to a right calf strain in the first quarter.
For Toronto, Grady Dick scored 26 points, and Jakob Poeltl finished with 24 points before fouling out. RJ Barrett added 16 points and nine assists but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that could have won the game for the Raptors.
In addition to Jokic, Denver received 17 points from Christian Braun, 16 points from Peyton Watson, and 13 points from Julian Strawther. This win came after the Nuggets defeated the Raptors 127-125 in overtime on October 28 in Toronto.
The Raptors were ahead by five points at halftime and started the third quarter with a 10-1 run to go up 74-60, prompting a timeout from the Nuggets.
Denver managed to cut the lead to 87-85 by the end of the third, but Toronto responded with six straight points, taking a 93-88 lead into the final quarter.
Zeke Nnaji’s dunk made it 93-90, but a 3-pointer from Barrett, two layups by Poeltl, a three-point play from Jamal Shead, and Dick’s driving layup pushed Toronto’s lead to 109-98 with 5:45 remaining.
The Nuggets slowly closed the gap. Jokic made a layup, Porter passed to Watson for a three-point play, and Jokic assisted Porter on another layup.
Jokic and Strawther each made two free throws, Braun hit a 3-pointer, Jokic scored with a hook shot, and Watson’s corner 3-pointer gave Denver a 118-117 lead.
Ochai Agbaji scored after a pass from Barrett, but Strawther responded with a driving layup. The Raptors couldn’t score on their next possession.
Strawther made one of two free throws with 12 seconds left, and after a take foul, Barrett’s 26-foot shot, with Westbrook defending, missed. Agbaji scored 16 points, and Davion Mitchell added 13 for Toronto.
The Nuggets started strong, but Toronto came back to take a 37-34 lead after the first quarter. The Raptors led 57-49 after Grady Dick hit a 3-pointer and a layup with 4:39 remaining in the second. Denver closed the gap to two points but trailed 64-59 at halftime.
