Nikola Jokic, Nuggets come back from 11 down late to steal win from Warriors

Nearly every Nuggets game follows the same tired blueprint to some degree.

Questionable amounts of effort on defense in the first half. A teaspoon of Nikola Jokic rest minutes that cause stomach upset at best. A deficit of 12 points (maybe 14 or 15) late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter. An energetic run and a feeling of revival.

After that, the outcome with this team is anyone’s guess.

It was a thrilling 119-115 victory over Golden State on Tuesday night at Ball Arena. The Nuggets (11-8) didn’t give up a point in the final 2:32, closing the night on a 10-0 run. Steph Curry led the Warriors with 24 points, but he shot 8 for 23 from the field and 4 for 15 from outside. Jokic went for 38 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and a pair of free throws to show remorse for his and the team’s recent struggles down the stretch.

Denver trailed 109-98 with 6:13 to go but got a spark from Michael Porter Jr.’s four-point play, his only three in a 22-point night. Jokic got a shooter bounce with 1:17 left to tie the score at 115, Aaron Gordon made a pair of foul shots for the lead with 49 seconds left, and Russell Westbrook threw himself after a loose ball to follow up with a to force game-saving turnovers. he was called in for his defense.

Although the court was an obnoxious shade of yellow to signify and celebrate the NBA Cup occasion, Denver was officially eliminated from the group stage of the season tournament by halftime due to other results in the league. Golden State had already secured a spot in the eight-team knockout phase before the opening tip.

This one was more about the Nuggets’ morale. Losers of two of their last three and three of their last five coming in, they have fallen victim to their own dramatic swings in effort and execution. Their defense was the worst in the league over the previous five games.

“I always thought our team was very different because I felt like we played for each other,” coach Michael Malone said during his pre-match press conference. “And lately I feel like we’re playing with each other.”