Jamal Murray put the Nuggets on the doorstep. Nikola Jokic dropped the hammer.
Denver’s one-two punch did exactly what their teammates needed them to do: lead them to a 124-109 win Sunday at Minnesota.
Murray had 32 points entering the fourth quarter, but the Timberwolves weren’t budging. That’s when Jokic, who’d been passive due to foul trouble, asserted himself. He served up back-to-back 3-pointers to start the fourth then later buried back-to-back jumpers. Jokic’s fourth triple-double of the young season (19 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists) extended Denver’s winning streak over Minnesota to nine. Of far more importance, it gave the Nuggets some breathing room as pressure had mounted after a slow start to the season.
“It wasn’t just Nikola in that fourth quarter,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Jamal Murray kept us in the game the whole night. I thought he set the tone early, being aggressive, looking for his offense for 36 points.
“… We weren’t great tonight, but we got a win and we needed a win.”
Denver (2-4) gets a second shot against the Timberwolves on Tuesday at home. The status of Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t clear after he missed Sunday’s game with a wrist injury.
But Minnesota’s loss was Denver’s gain. The Nuggets sunk 19-of-45 3-pointers, led by five triples from Facundo Campazzo, who played easily his best game of the young season. Campazzo finished with 15 points and three steals in 21 minutes off the bench. His plus-26 plus-minus was second only to Jokic’s plus-27.
“He’s a good player,” Jokic said of Campazzo. “I personally know what he can do.”
Paul Millsap buried four 3-pointers, while JaMychal Green and Murray nailed three each.
“I’m just making more shots than you guys expect,” Murray said of the 67 points he’s scored in the last two games. “Just doing what I do. Making winning a priority. That’s all we care about.”
The 45 attempts shattered Denver’s season average (30.3), which ranked 25th in the league entering Sunday’s game.
The Nuggets appeared to have a comfortable 71-63 lead midway through the third quarter when the wheels fell off, again. The Timberwolves, led by former Nugget Malik Beasley, sawed away at the deficit with plucky defense and aggressive offense.
Minnesota ripped off a 10-0 run to flip momentum and poke even more holes in Denver’s backside defense. With the Nuggets forced to play small due to Jokic’s foul trouble, Minnesota attacked the paint. Their inside-out attack softened up the perimeter before Beasley’s late third-quarter triple gave the Timberwolves an 84-83 lead going into the fourth.
The first two weeks of the NBA season exposed the Nuggets’ bench unit, at times their effort and a defense sorely in need of stability. Their discipline, particularly around the perimeter, hadn’t been there.
“A lack of discipline can cost you anywhere from three to 15 points,” Malone said before the game. “… We know we’re not going to play a perfect game, nobody does. But for us, right now, as we’re trying to integrate a new second unit, our margin of error is really small.”
Malone’s comments took into account a team missing Michael Porter Jr. (COVID protocol) and a reserve unit trying to assimilate numerous newcomers. Through five games, the rotating cast of players had had a cascading effect down the roster.
“My message to the second unit is to, when they come into the game, be aggressive, play with pace,” Malone said. “When we do defend and rebound, get out and run and look to get some easy baskets. … That group should be a lot more effective and efficient than it has been.”
Though Denver’s reserves got outplayed in the first half, it didn’t matter because Murray was special. His 26-point outburst, including 16 in the second quarter, gave the Nuggets a 55-48 lead going into halftime.
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