November 5th 2024.
When the Denver Nuggets are on their game, it's truly a sight to behold. They glide gracefully towards the basket, expertly pass the ball, fiercely defend, take care of possession, and make shots with ease. Their home court, Ball Arena, becomes a battleground where they dominate their opponents, leaving them exhausted and defeated.
However, the current Nuggets team is not quite at that level yet. They still have some growing and learning to do. But on Monday night, they proved their resilience and determination by pulling off a thrilling victory. Despite being behind for most of the game against the Toronto Raptors, Denver rallied in the final moments to secure a 121-119 win.
Missing their star point guard Jamal Murray and with power forward Aaron Gordon aggravating his calf injury early on, the Nuggets had to dig deep and struggle to find their rhythm. But they refused to give up and kept fighting until the very end.
Coach Michael Malone was proud of his team's effort, especially from the young players who are still developing their skills and confidence. "The more they are in these situations, the better they will become," he said. "We were down by 11 with only 5:30 left, but we stayed calm and focused. It's the third or fourth time this season that we've been in that position, and there was no panic. We just kept pushing and found a way to win."
It was a close call, as the Raptors almost pulled off a last-second miracle shot. R.J. Barrett threw up a 26-foot prayer with Russell Westbrook all over him, but the ball spun around the rim and came out. "To be honest, I was already heading to the locker room," Westbrook said with a grin. "I thought I did a great job defending, and I even tipped the ball. I didn't think it was going in. But that's a shot I would take every time."
The Nuggets also had their fair share of lucky breaks, such as the missed shot by Barrett. "I still don't know how it didn't go in," Coach Malone admitted. "I'm just grateful it didn't on 'Grateful Dead Night'," he joked, referring to the psychedelic jerseys worn by some fans in the crowd.
As always, Nikola Jokic was the driving force behind the Nuggets' victory. The center put up incredible numbers, scoring 28 points, dishing out 14 assists, and grabbing 14 rebounds for yet another triple-double. But he had help from his teammates, including Julian Strawther, who made a clutch driving layup in the final minute to give Denver the lead.
Strawther had a rough start to the game, particularly on the defensive end, causing Coach Malone to call his performance "unacceptable." But the young player redeemed himself in the second half and thanked his coach for showing faith in him. "I'm not going to give up on you," Malone told him. "Everyone has bad halves."
The Nuggets' final rally was sparked by a three-pointer from Christian Braun, who was assisted by Michael Porter Jr. The crowd erupted as the Nuggets claimed a one-point lead. Unfortunately, Gordon had to leave the game early due to his calf injury, and his status for future games is uncertain.
Coach Malone admitted he was surprised that Gordon played at all, considering the tough schedule the team has had to endure. "But I'll have to talk to our training staff for an update," he added. Meanwhile, Murray was still out of the lineup due to concussion protocol.
In the third quarter, Jokic kept the Nuggets in the game as the Raptors tried to pull away. He scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, helping Denver stay within five points of their opponents. This was the second time this season that the Nuggets had to come from behind to beat the Raptors, with the previous win being a thrilling overtime victory.
But the Nuggets didn't make it easy for themselves. They started off the game with sloppy play and too many turnovers. By the end of the first quarter, the Raptors had a three-point lead, and the Nuggets had already given away 12 points off of turnovers. At halftime, the margin had increased to five points, with Toronto converting 16 points from Denver's mistakes.
Despite their struggles, the Nuggets managed to pull off the win, showing their resilience and potential. And as Coach Malone said, "That's the beauty of this league, you just have to find a way to win."
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