It was not the least to say the least, but the Denver Nuggets found a way to get it done Sunday night at Ball Arena because they used a big comeback from the second half to secure a 119- win. 109 on the Orlando Magic.
The Nuggets have now won five games in a row and are a perfect 4-0 with Aaron Gordon in the series. Denver’s record improved to 31-18 during the season, which is good for fourth place in the Western Conference.
It was not the biggest first quarter for the Nuggets, as they allowed Orlando to lead 29-23 after the first 12 minutes. One positive from the first quarter was the game from Gordon, who scored 12 first-quarter points, which happened to be the Nuggets’ first 12 points of the game.
The second quarter yielded more of the same when Orlando outscored Denver 36-24 during the period to take a 65-47 lead at halftime. Denver shot just 18-of-46 from the field in the first half and 4-of-15 from outside on the arc. On the other hand, the Magic shot 26-of-47 off the field and 9-of-18 out of three to extend their lead against the Nuggets.
When the third quarter rolled around, it was time for the Nuggets, as they had to put together a big twelve minutes to make a turn. Denver only did that when they outscored the Magic 38-21 in the third quarter and were just 1 point behind in the fourth quarter.
Nikola Jokic was the star in the third series, when he scored eight assistants during the period to help the Nuggets get back into the game. Gordon and Jamal Murray also played a big part in Denver’s success in the third quarter, as they definitely came out of the locker room with a lot more energy from the break than they started.
In the fourth quarter, the Nuggets did what they had to do to get the job done. They made great shots when they had to and found a way to fend off a Magic team that gave them everything they could handle.
Gordon led the Nuggets offensively with probably his best game in Denver. Gordon not only scored 24 points, but he also did so on an effective 10-of-13 shooting from the field to go along with seven rebounds and two assistants.
Jokic also finished with a fairly solid 17-point stat line, 16 assists (two of his career highs) and nine rebounds on 5-of-11 shooting from the field. The Nuggets also scored a fair number of double-digit players, with Murray scoring 22 points, while Michael Porter Jr. (20), Will Barton (15) and Monte Morris (10) also scored.
Denver will be back in action on Tuesday night when they welcome the Detroit Pistons into 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. Tip for that match is set at 19:00 MST.
Also calls on RJ Hampton, who gives it all he had and played fantastic for Orlando. Hampton scored a career-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, 2-of-5 from outside the three-point line. Hampton undoubtedly suffers a player in this league, and it’s a shame it will not be in Denver, but we wish him all the best!