Nikola Jokic's 12th triple-double assists Nuggets outlive Magic

This is an interesting post by Mike Singer from The Denver Post talking about several important news items this week. Mike Singer recently posted the article and I thought it was worth publishing here.

The Nuggets needed every ounce of production from MVP candidate Nikola Jokic on Tuesday night.

Without another superlative effort, who knows what kind of comeback chaos the Orlando Magic would’ve orchestrated?

Jokic’s 12th triple-double of the season paced the Nuggets’ 110-99 road win over the Magic, a victory that was only assured late in the fourth quarter following back-to-back 3-pointers from Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets, 26-17, will turn around Wednesday to take on the Raptors in Tampa.

“It’s funny, at halftime, I was telling our coaches how we played a great first half, think we were up 22 at the break, and I was nervous as hell,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

” … When teams make a run, they make it interesting, you know you have a player in Nikola Jokic that you can play through.”

Jokic, who finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, kept the Nuggets humming even when the Magic threatened to completely erase what was once a 24-point lead. The Magic cut it to within two possessions on multiple occasions in the fourth.

“We lost the focus, we lost the way how we play,” Jokic said of nearly giving up the lead. ” … We were not aggressive at all.”

Orlando guard Evan Fournier had a game-high 31, while Aaron Gordon, the subject of innumerable trade rumors, had 13 points on 6-for-13 shooting.

Jamal Murray added 21 points, and the Nuggets got significant contributions from Will Barton (19 points, 8 rebounds) and Porter (18 points, 7 rebounds) but Jokic helped keep them afloat.

“We’ve been here before, and we’ve got a really good team,” Murray said. “… We came here on a business trip.”

The Magic opened the third quarter on a 20-6 run, largely employing the same strategy that built them a 22-point deficit in the first place. They went inside while the Nuggets settled for easy 3-point looks. And when the Nuggets weren’t launching from outside, they were fueling Orlando’s break with seven turnovers.

Predictably, Denver’s insistence on the 3-point line made it a game. Orlando chiseled the deficit to 67-59 before the Nuggets began playing through Jokic down low. He had eight points and three assists to momentarily steady his team, which carried an 80-69 lead into the fourth.

“We can miss shots, but it needs to be creative, open shots, not just one, two dribble, no passes,” Jokic said.

Malone began Tuesday’s pre-game news conference with an emotional tribute to the victims of Monday’s King Soopers shooting. In between tears, Malone made it clear how heartbroken he was for the families of the 10 victims. At the end of his news conference, which stayed far away from Tuesday’s game, he put into perspective his job compared to the pain of the families.

“We get judged on wins and losses, but if you take a step back, and you put yourself in one of those families, what do you feel?” Malone asked.

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That was Malone’s frame of mind less than two hours ahead of Tuesday’s tip.

The Nuggets were a cohesive, well-oiled machine in the first half – tenacious on defense and unselfish on offense. It led to a glaring disparity inside, as the Nuggets threatened to run the Magic off the court.

Denver carried a 61-39 lead into the break after dominating the paint 42-12. Orlando offered no resistance whatsoever and looked like a disjointed outfit with rumors swirling just two days ahead of the trade deadline.

Jokic had team-highs of 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 17 productive minutes. He and Campazzo authored a passing clinic, including several no-look highlight dimes.

Murray had 11 points and was hot to start the game. He and Barton’s aggressive play kept the Magic reeling for most of the first half.