Jamal Murray scored 24 factors, Michael Porter Jr. had 20 and the Denver Nuggets scored the final six factors of the sport to tug out a 118-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday evening.
Aaron Gordon added 19 factors for the Nuggets, who received their ninth in a row at residence. They improved to 24-1 of their final 25 video games at Ball Arena. Nikola Jokic completed an help shy of one other triple-double. He had 17 factors and 13 rebounds.
“It was an awesome win, all enterprise” Murray mentioned. “We transfer on to the following. We did what we needed to do and I believe that is a part of the rationale we’re so profitable; simply transfer on to the following sport and deal with enterprise.”
Fred VanVleet had 21 factors for the Raptors. Pascal Siakam added 19.
Siakam’s jumper with 2:20 remaining gave the Raptors a six-point edge, however the Nuggets rattled off seven straight factors to go up 112-111 with 1:15 left.
VanVleet hit a pair of free throws as Toronto regained a one-point lead, however Denver scored the ultimate six factors, all on free throws, to safe the win. Murray transformed a free throw in that remaining stretch after Scottie Barnes was known as for a technical following a foul by Jakob Poeltl and ejected by referee Scott Foster.
“I used to be simply saying one thing to myself and I suppose he took offence to it, so simply kicked me out of the sport,” Barnes mentioned. Denver outscored Toronto 35-25 within the remaining quarter. Foster mentioned Barnes was ejected with only one technical foul for utilizing verbiage which “immediately questioned the integrity of the crew.”
Scottie Barnes was ejected for the primary time in his profession on this play within the remaining seconds of the sport. <a href=”https://t.co/ebyhWL9Twt”>pic.twitter.com/ebyhWL9Twt</a>
—@ESPNNBA
“It was one other instance of our defence stepping up when the sport was on the road,” coach Michael Malone mentioned. “We had well timed stops, large baskets, large free throws, profitable the problem [that reversed a foul call on Jokic in the late going] after which profitable that soar ball and attending to the free-throw line on a technical. A whole lot of issues went our manner on the finish. We had been down the entire sport however we stayed with it.”
The Raptors completed with extra second-chance factors (20) than the Nuggets (14) and maintained a lead for many of the sport. Toronto coach Nick Nurse mentioned an analogous effort on most every other evening would produce a win.
“We play like that, we’re in all probability going to have the ability to beat anyone,” he mentioned. “We in all probability outplayed them and executed very well and all these issues. We simply did not fairly get it executed on the very, very finish.”
WATCH | Canada’s Murray helps Nuggets beat Raptors:
Nuggets defeat Raptors as Canada’s Murray leads manner
Jamal Murray of Kitchener, Ont., scores 24 factors in Denver’s 118-113 win over Toronto. Scottie Barnes is ejected late within the sport for objecting to a foul name.
The Raptors led by as many as 10 factors within the first half however Denver closed the second quarter with a 7-0 run to tug to 61-58 on the break. The burst included a 3-pointer by Porter and a dunk by Gordon off Jokic’s alley-oop go within the remaining minute of the interval.
Murray scored 12 factors within the third quarter, together with a 3-pointer halfway via the interval that put the Nuggets up 72-69 for his or her first lead of the sport. But the Raptors fought again to take an 88-83 lead into the fourth quarter and led 101-93 when Siakam transformed a hook shot with 7:08 left to play.
All 5 Raptors starters scored in double figures, the fifth time that has occurred this season. VanVleet additionally had 14 assists.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, left, appears to go the ball as Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet defends within the first half of an NBA basketball sport, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/The Associated Press)
Nuggets ahead Zeke Nnaji stays sidelined indefinitely by a proper shoulder harm. The Nuggets are a league-best 30-4 at residence this season. Jokic’s streak of 10 straight triple-doubles at residence was snapped. He has completed an help or rebound shy of a triple-double 9 instances this season. Murray made 5 of his 10 3-point tries and now has 803 in his profession, one shy of the Nuggets’ franchise mark held by Will Barton, who was within the enviornment as a member of the Raptors.
Raptors proceed their five-game highway journey Wednesday in Los Angeles towards the Clippers.
Nuggets shut out a three-game homestand Wednesday evening towards the Chicago Bulls.
WATCH | VanVleet leads Raptors previous Wizards in OT:
Raptors defeat Wizards in time beyond regulation as VanVleet leads manner
Toronto beats Washington 116-109, Fred VanVleet hits two 3-pointers in time beyond regulation and finishes with 25 factors.
