Jamal Murray hit a swish-worthy floater with 55.9 seconds left on the clock, Nikola Jokic dished out a record-breaking variety of assists on the best way to his 14th triple-double of the season and the Nuggets staged a exceptional comeback to safe a 122-118 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night time.
Jokic completed with 31 factors, 13 assists and 11 rebounds as he navigated foul hassle. The two-time reigning NBA MVP handed Alex English for probably the most assists in workforce historical past. Jokic has 3,686 profession assists in 568 video games – English recorded 3,679 over 837 video games in a Denver uniform.
Jokic’s teammates made certain to understand the achievement.
“We clapped a little bit,” said Murray, who finished with 28 points. “That’s plenty of passes. That’s fairly spectacular.”
English thought so, too.
“I knew that ultimately my all-time help document can be damaged. I’m honored to see that it’s 2 instances, I imply 3 time MVP of the NBA do it. Congrats huge fella,” English posted on his Twitter account.
Never one to dwell an excessive amount of on particular person accolades, Jokic mentioned he appreciated this explicit mark.
“When you have a lot of assists, it just shows that you’re a good team player,” said Jokic, whose teammates plan to sign the ball for him. “That’s one thing I wish to be. I need all people to recollect me as a man who was a very good workforce participant.”
Murray took over down the stretch to assist the Western Conference-leading Nuggets win their fifteenth straight at dwelling.
The Nuggets trailed 118-115 when Murray hit a 3-pointer with 2:05 remaining to tie the sport. Then, he nailed a driving floater to provide Denver a lead it did not relinquish.
Bruce Brown completed with 16 factors for a Denver workforce taking part in the second sport of a back-to-back. Nuggets coach Michael Malone remained within the NBA’s well being and security protocol for a second straight sport. David Adelman stuffed in as performing head coach.
“Winning ugly. Winning pretty. Who cares?” Adelman mentioned. “Good workforce win.”
Adelman in contrast the mix of Murray and Jokic to a modern-day model of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Given the best way Jokic passes, although, it is onerous to say who would symbolize who.
“I don’t think Stockton can score like me,” Murray cracked. “I believe we’re very distinctive as a result of they attempt to guard us in so many various methods.”
Jaden McDaniels led seven Minnesota gamers in double figures with 18 factors. The Timberwolves led by 10 early within the second half.
“I’m mad. I’m mad as hell we lost because I played badly,” said Anthony Edwards, who was 7 of 17 from the floor, including 0 for 4 from 3-point range, and finished with 16 points. “I might have helped us, for certain.”
It was an eventful first quarter for Jokic, who had a basket taken away on the evaluate (shot-clock violation) and an offensive foul rescinded courtesy of a problem. He nonetheless had 13 factors within the interval and 5 assists, together with a full-length move to Brown for a dunk.
“He has a John Stockton sort of thoughts in a 7-foot physique,” Adelman mentioned.
