It wasn’t pretty to say the least, but the Denver Nuggets found a way to do that on Sunday night at the Ball Arena, when they used a big rebound in the second half to secure a 119-109 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Nuggets have won five consecutive games and are a perfect 4-0 with Aaron Gordon in the lineup. Denver’s record improves to 31-18 this season, which is good for fourth place in the Western Conference.
It was not the best of the first quarters for the Nuggets, which allowed Orlando to jump to a 29-23 lead after the first 12 minutes of the games. A positive point in the first quarter was Gordon’s game, which scored 12 points in the first quarter, which happened to be the Nuggets’ first 12 points in the game.
The second quarter produced more of the same, as Orlando beat Denver 36-24 in the period to take a 65-47 lead for the break. Denver only hit 18 of 46 pitches in the first half and 4 of 15 targets in the arc. On the other hand, Magic hit 26 out of 47 on the field and 9 out of 18 in three to build its lead against the Nuggets.
When the third quarter arrived, it was time to die or die for the Nuggets, as they had to put together 12 minutes to have any chance of recovering. Denver did just that by overcoming the Magic 38-21 in the third quarter and losing by just 1 point in the fourth quarter.
Nikola Jokic was the star of the show in the third with eight assists in the period to help the Nuggets get back into the game. Gordon and Jamal Murray also played a big role in Denver’s success in the third quarter, as they certainly came out of the halftime locker room with much more energy than when they started the game.
In the fourth period, Nuggets did what was necessary to complete the job. They made great moves when needed and found a way to defeat a Magic team that gave them everything they could.
Gordon led the way for the Nuggets offensively with his best game in Denver. Gordon not only scored 24 points, but did so with an efficient shot of 10 out of 13 field shots, with seven rebounds and two assists.
Jokic also ended with a very solid line of statistics of 17 points, 16 assists (two of his career record) and nine rebounds on 5 of 11 pitches. The Nuggets also had a good number of players scoring double digits, while Murray added 22 points, while Michael Porter Jr. (20), Will Barton (15) and Monte Morris (10) also entered the scoring.
Denver will be back in action on Tuesday night, when they host the Detroit Pistons in the city. It will be another reunion game, as Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee will play their first games in Denver since signing with Detroit last season. The tip for this game is scheduled for 19h MST.
In addition, I shouted at RJ Hampton, who gave everything he had and played very well for Orlando. Hampton set his career record with 16 points out of 7 out of 13 field shots, 2 out of 5 beyond the three-point line. There is no doubt that Hampton will be a player in this league and it is a pity that it is not in Denver, but we wish him all the best!