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    • Denver Nuggets fall behind early, but recover to beat Brooklyn Nets 144-139 in overtime
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    Denver Nuggets fall behind early, but recover to beat Brooklyn Nets 144-139 in overtime

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    The Denver Nuggets earned an overtime victory on the East Coast and found themselves in the exact same scenario the next day. After beating the Toronto Raptors yesterday with a late-game comeback, Denver used a similar approach tonight and found itself on the right side again with a 144-139 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets. In a game where defense was optional, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led an all-around effort that saw the Nuggets get big nights from Cameron Johnson, Cam Thomas and Dennis Schroder.

    Murray got the Nuggets off to a good start with a pair of shots that helped them take an early lead. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t last. The effects of the back to back were evident as the Nuggets energy was mid-range at best. Still, Murray kept them in with some support from the other starters. Schroder started to heat up and quickly brought the Nets lead close to double digits. Denver continued to play tired and the lead continued to grow as the bench checked in. The Nets took full advantage. By the end of the first quarter, the Nuggets had given up forty points and trailed 40-27.

    Things weren’t much better for Denver to start the second, Brooklyn pushing the lead to seventeen before Denver finally started to play some defense. They managed to reduce the score to eleven and Jordi Fernandez called a timeout. Denver started to play a little better, but the Nets still hit a number of threes, including a very tough one from Johnson, and kept the lead around ten. Jamal continued to be the catalyst for the Nuggets offense. When he wasn’t getting shots, he found his way to the line and converted his attempts. However, the defense remained poor and that kept the Nuggets from closing the gap. Johnson was inexplicably left to his own devices at the three-point line for the entire half and was 5-5 from deep. At the half, Denver trailed 73(!!!)-62.

    The Nuggets got off to a good start in the third quarter. They got a couple of stops and then a Christian Braun layup and another Murray three to cut the lead to four and allow Jordi Fernandez to take a timeout. It took the Nets a total of three minutes before they finally got a bucket. The Nuggets fell behind by as many as two points before the Nets finally started shooting again and held ahead of Denver with a few possessions. However, the intensity was noticeably higher for the road team. Both clubs went back and forth with their stars scoring midway through the quarter. As the quarter ended, Denver brought in their bench but came within a few buckets of taking the lead, and the Nets continued to fend off the Nuggets’ advance with three points. Brooklyn ended the third quarter with a 99-96 lead.

    Peyton Watson opened the fourth with a three from the corner, then a Russell Westbrook drive to the bucket gave the Nuggets the lead. He led the offensive attack for the Nuggets bench and showed how he can be positive as a spark plug off the bench. Eventually, the reserve group started to slow down on offense, as Ziaire Williams gave Brooklyn great minutes. Midway through the quarter, the Nets clung to a one-point lead. Denver had some chances, but kept making stupid fouls (Braun had a particularly bad foul) and that kept them from taking the lead. With three minutes to go they were still down by two points. An Aaron Gordon three finally put the Nuggets ahead with two minutes left. Thomas got back-to-back baskets, including an incredibly tough fadeaway against Braun, to put the Nets up three with thirty-three seconds to play. Just like last night, the Nuggets played the possession and free throw game and earned themselves a final shot down by two. However, Jokic hit an easy hook with eight seconds left, giving the Nets a chance to win at the buzzer. Dorian Finney-Smith had a good view from the corner, but only caught iron and with the score tied at 125, the Nuggets headed to overtime again.

    Jokic led the start of OT for Denver. First he made a shooting error, then he muscled his way to an easy basket, then hit a slicing Michael Porter Jr. hit for an easy layup. On the Nets side, Thomas went cold and the Nuggets had a chance to steal another road game. They had a few chances, but Schroder hit a three to pull Brooklyn back within three. Braun responded with one of his own and the Nets were running out of time. They refused to give up and started playing the possession and free throw game themselves. Gordon closed the door with two free throws in the last fifteen seconds and the Nuggets win the battle of who can score the most points (144-139).

    Best matchup: Jamal Murray vs. Dennis Schroder

    October 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (27) dribbles the ball against Brooklyn Nets point guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory credits: Gregory Fisher-Imagn images

    The battle for the point guard position tonight was tough. Schroder led the Nets in scoring with 28 points and Murray scored 24 himself. Murray didn’t have the best night of three, but he still had his final game going and that made him a very effective weapon on offense. It wasn’t what I’d call a great Murray game, but it was effective enough. Schroder, on the other hand, blasted away from three and did most of his damage from beyond the arc, like most Nets. He still showed some of that speed, though, and had a few easy baskets on layups of his own.

    The most important thing I noticed: team performance

    Everyone in Denver played their part tonight. Jokic and Murray were stars, Gordon fed off them, Michael Porter Jr. knocked down his shots. Moreover, the role players were also played excellently. Braun again scored in double figures and was a consistent hound on defense, Russ went all out for Russ carrying the bench and led a big run in the second half behind his energy, Dario Saric made a shot and Watson hit a big three! Great overall effort from a group of guys who had excuses to let this one get away (and almost did early on), but didn’t.

    Jokic cashes the Thing to Bet with ease

    There’s really nothing more to say about Jokic. He is simply the most dominant basketball player in the world. As predicted, he had no trouble dishing out assists tonight, reaching double-digit assists (+250) before the end of the third quarter. With OT it will be another absolute monster of a stat line for him as he finishes with 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists.

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