Jamal Murray powered Denver to a 66-58 halftime lead, but Portland’s 39-point second quarter tightened the contest.
Denver struck first with a 31-19 opening quarter, then Portland answered by outscoring the Nuggets 39-35 in the second to trim the halftime margin to eight. Jamal Murray leads all scorers with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic has 12 points, six assists and five rebounds for Denver. Deni Avdija’s 13 points and Damian Lillard’s 11 points and five assists have led Portland’s response; Donovan Clingan has added nine rebounds and three blocks. After the break, watch whether Denver can slow Portland’s scoring surge and whether Murray can keep driving the Nuggets’ offense.
Key Performers
Jamal Murray (Denver): 20 points, 5-for-9 FG, 9-for-9 FT Nikola Jokic (Denver): 12 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds Deni Avdija (Portland): 13 points; Damian Lillard: 11 points, 5 assists