Nikola Jokic stayed in street clothes again, but the Nuggets didn’t use that as an excuse. Instead, they leaned on balance, shot-making, and just enough late-game composure to outlast a scrappy Brooklyn Nets squad 107-103 in a game that felt tighter than Denver would’ve liked.
Brooklyn never went away, even after trailing by as many as 19, but Denver controlled most of the night (led for 79% of the game) thanks to efficient offense and big contributions from unexpected places. Jamal Murray steered the ship, the bench delivered a huge punch, and the Nuggets did just enough defensively in the closing minutes to escape.
1. Jamal Murray Looked Like The Closer Denver Needed
With Jokic sidelined, Murray stepped into the lead role and delivered 27 points and 6 assists on 9-16 shooting. He was especially sharp at the line, going a perfect 7-for-7, and hit 2-3 from deep. Whenever Brooklyn trimmed the lead to one or two possessions, Murray calmly got to his spots and kept Denver in front.
He also protected the ball, committing just two turnovers in 33 minutes, part of a team effort that saw Denver give it away only seven times. That care mattered in a four-point game. While Brooklyn forced 9 turnovers, Denver limited the damage and allowed just 7 points off giveaways, a key difference late.
2. Tim Hardaway Jr. Flipped The Game Off The Bench
Hardaway proved why he is the team’s most valuable player. In just 28 minutes, he scored 25 points, going 9 for 15 in shooting, hitting 7 out of 11 three-pointers. Every time the Nets were about to cut the lead, Hardaway answered back. He doesn’t just score; he also plays strong defense.
He grabbed 8 boards and was plus 21, the best on the team. His plus-minus was the best in the game. The team was 50.0% from 3, hitting 13 out of 26. Hardaway single-handedly kept the defense stretching, and turned what could have been a tough loss into a comfy win.
3. Nets Got A Star Turn From Michael Porter Jr. – Just Not Enough Help
Michael Porter Jr. went all out to win the game for Brooklyn. He scored 38 points and got 10 rebounds. He shot 13 of 28 and hit 7 out of 15 for 3’s. He made all of his 5 free throws and got 2 steals and 2 blocks to help his team win. He impacted the game all over.
The problem was his teammates. The other Brooklyn starters shot 14 of 30. The Nets team total was 37 of 85. They did win the rebounding 49 to 41 and got 14 offensive rebounds, but they turned too many of those extra chances into empty trips.
4. Denver’s Balance Made Up For The Missing MVP
Jokic normally puts up huge stats, but Denver needed five other players to score 12+. Peyton Watson had 19 on 7-15 with 2 blocks, and Jonas Valančiūnas had 12-9-3 on 4-4 free throws.
Bruce Brown had 12 and 3 and played good all around, and Julian Strawther had 7 and 2 steals. Denver had 24 assists on 38 made baskets, same as Brooklyn, but Denver did it with fewer turnovers and better 3-point shooting.
5. Efficiency, Not Volume, Decided It
The Brooklyn Nets outshot the Denver Nuggets 85 to 80 and out-rebounded them 43 to 36. The Nuggets made the most out of every opportunity while Brooklyn did not. Denver made 47.5% of their shots and 50.0% of their threes. Brooklyn made 43.5% of their shots and 37.8% of their threes. The three-point shooting difference was the quiet separator of the game.
Even at the free-throw line, Denver made three more free throws than Brooklyn, which is always a plus. That’s even how you get a line of 72.0% free shooting (18-25), you stay aggressive, and Denver was aggressive. In a game where a total of zero points is the difference, every little mistake or edge counts. Brooklyn was doing more with their efforts while Denver was making their shots.
