----- Nikola Jokic finished 27 points, 22 rebounds, and 12 assists as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108 Friday night at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
The Nikola Jokic Show!
Nikola Jokic finished with 27 points, 22 rebounds, and 12 assists as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108 Friday night at Ball Arena in Denver. It was the first 20-20 game of Jokic's career.
Scoot Henderson showed flashes of brilliance. He scored 16 of his game-high 30 points in the second quarter. He connected on 8-of-15 from the floor in 37 minutes of action.
Anfernee Simons scored 18 of his 29 points in the third quarter.
Denver (34-16) led 33-20 at the end of the first quarter, but Portland used a 21-7 run to open the second taking a 41-40 lead with 6:34 left in the half. The Nuggets led 59-55 at halftime.
Denver would push their lead to double-digits at 13-points with 4:09 left in the third, but Portland responded with a 14-7 run and trail 92-84 entering the fourth quarter.
Portland (15-34) trailed 103-97 with 6:42 left in the game, but Denver used an 8-2 run to push their lead back to double-digits and keep their distance.
Notes- Jerami Grant was a late scratch from the lineup due to back spasms. Toumani Camara got the start in his place. The Nuggets had 34 assists on 46 made field goals.
Up Next- The Trail Blazers play their second-straight game against the Nuggets Sunday night in Denver. The game is scheduled to tip off at 5:30 PM.
Chad's Take- The emergence of Scoot Henderson is awesome!