The Denver Nuggets hold the NBA’s largest active winning streak right now as they win their 6th in a row by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 124-92. Nikola Jokic missed another near triple-double by scoring 8 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists on 3-5 shooting, but the story of the game was the Nugget bench. They scored 76 points including 20 from JaMychal Green and 19 points from DeMarcus Cousins. The Nuggets now move to 10-0 when Boogie plays and he produced his best game as a Nugget tonight. He scored 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists on 7-10 shooting.
Three games in four nights can always be tough, but the Nuggets conquered the stretch by winning all three. The offense is on an absolute roll of late. They have scored 110+ points in eight of their last nine games. Paint scoring aided the large advantage for Denver tonight as they scored 62 in the paint and knocked in 24-31 free throws. The Nuggets will have two days off before hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday at 7:00 PM MT.
1st Quarter
- The Trail Blazers initiated a 6-4 lead with four points from Keon Johnson. All six Portland points came in the paint as they began 3-4 shooting while Denver shot 2-7 early
- Denver’s offense looked tired early as most of their jump shots were short. Jokic did catch Portland sleeping for a full-court touchdown pass to Gordon which appeared to awaken the offense at the moment. Anfernee Simons responded with four straight points to stretch their lead 10-6
- A free throw from Barton and a transition layup by Jeff Green cut the lead to one until Simons converted a floater in the paint. Green knocked in two free throws at the other end, and Monte followed with a three to give Denver the 14-12 advantage
- Jokic’s hook shot extended a 10-2 scoring run for Denver, but Simons answered with a smooth step-back three. The next offensive possession for Denver, Jokic found Gordon for his 4th assist of the quarter and after a stop at the other end, Green found Morris for a wide-open layup, expanding the lead 20-15
- Boogie Cousins checked into the game and immediately knocked in a three, but Ben McLemore answered with his own three after a Denver turnover. Forbes and Hart then traded baskets for a 27-22 Nugget lead
- Cousins found JaMychal Green for a dunk off a beautiful assist and the next offensive possession, JaMychal hit a corner three, but it was quickly answered by a Brandon Williams step-back triple
Score: 32-27 Nuggets
Scoring leaders: Simons - 9, Uncle Jeff - 6
2nd Quarter
- JaMychal and Boogie combined for four points to introduce the quarter. Denver forced six straight Portland missed shots and Boogie capitalized with a layup off an offensive rebound for the 38-27 lead
- Greg Brown III scored Portland’s first points of the quarter with a two-handed slam, but Boogie kept attacking the paint with another driving layup
- JaMychal Green and Boogie Cousins dominated the boards early in the second, and it helped a 10-2 scoring run for Denver. After two made Watford free throws, Boogie found Forbes for a three from the wing
- Two JaMychal free throws and an Austin Rivers corner triple gave Denver their largest lead of the game 50-31. The bench played outstanding early. They had 28 points at the 6:45 mark in the second quarter, and they outscored Portland 18-4 midway through the quarter
- A three-point play from Drew Eubanks and an Elleby layup forced a Michael Malone timeout. That cut the lead to 52-38 until Uncle Jeff and Monte combined for four straight
- One free throw from Gordon and a Jeff Green euro step layup extended the lead back to 19, but the Nuggets turned it over three times in a row for five straight Blazer points
- Gordon, Jeff Green, and Morris combined for six points in three straight possessions, but Hart ended the quarter with two free throws
Score: 65-48 Nuggets
Scoring leaders: JaMychal Green - 13, Simons - 13
3rd Quarter
- Jokic tallied his 9th assist when he found Gordon for a corner three. Hart and Elleby added six points for Portland to cut the lead to 14
- Jokic scored his first points of the half with a five-foot floater, but the Nuggets would turn it over on their next possession resulting in a Hart transition layup. Nikola recorded his 10th assist for Gordon layup, but the Blazers answered with a Eubanks dunk
- The Big Tipper compiled his 14th rebound and converted it into a tip shot, and then he assisted Gordon for a dunk on the next possession. That expanded the lead back to 20 at 78-58
- After a Portland timeout, the Nuggets missed their first four shots. Brown III and Watford scored four points in that span, and after a Denver offensive foul, McLemore sank a three to get Portland within 13, 78-65
- Facu and Simons traded free throws on both ends, and a couple of possessions later, Jokic found Forbes for a corner three. Austin Rivers then picked the Blazer’s pockets with a steal and a euro step layup at the other end
Score: 86-70 Nuggets
Scoring leaders: Gordon/Uncle Jeff - 14, Simons - 14
4th Quarter
- The whistle controlled the first minute of the quarter as there were five fouls calls in that span. Sloppy play ensued for both teams. The Nuggets turned it over three times in the first minute and Portland twice
- Bryn Forbes sank two threes in a row as Denver obtained their largest lead, 93-70. Simons answered with two free throws, but JaMychal matched it with a physical layup at the other end
- Rivers forced a Blazers timeout with a corner three off a Boogie assist. That extended Denver’s lead to 26
- Eubanks slid to the rack for a layup, but Forbes answered again with his third triple of the game. On Denver’s next offensive possession, Boogie attacked the rim with a physical layup, but Elijah Hughes countered with a three-pointer
- Two Boogie free throws, a JaMychal Green layup, and a Boogie three gave the Nuggets a 114-79 advantage
- Drew Eubanks scored four in a row along with a Hughes floater. Markus Howard then scored his first points of the game by converting a five-foot shot
Score: 124-92 Nuggets
Scoring leaders: JaMychal Green - 20, Simons - 16
Stat leaders
Points: Ja. Green - 20
Rebounds: Jokic - 18
Assists: Jokic - 11
Silent hero of the game: Boogie Cousins - 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists on 7-10 shooting and 2-3 from beyond the arc