Another back-and-forth contest unfolded at the Pepsi Center Tuesday night, one that Nuggets coach Michael Malone so eloquently described as “weird.”
But when Indiana staged their fourth-quarter surge to cut Denver’s lead to two points with less than four minutes to play, the Nuggets’ counterpunch was enough to finish off another vital victory for their playoff hopes. Denver scored nine consecutive points — capped by a nifty shot off the glass with the shot clock winding down by Paul Millsap — to re-extend its lead to double digits, before holding on to win 107-104 to gain more ground in the tight Western Conference standings.
“We knew they were gonna make a run, but it was different because we never felt like we were not in control of the game,” said Will Barton, who finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. “There was no panic. We just had to get back on track, get some stops and get some easy buckets.”
The third consecutive victory for the Nuggets (43-35), who continue to play without second-leading scorer Gary Harris due to a right knee sprain/strain, pulled them within a half-game of eighth-place and idle New Orleans (43-34) with four games remaining. The 10th-place Clippers (42-36) came back to beat San Antonio late Tuesday to stay a game behind Denver.
Denver led the entire second half but needed to fend off a late Indiana rally spearheaded by all-star and Most Improved Player frontrunner Victor Oladipo, who scored 15 of his 25 points in the final frame. After Thaddeus Young converted a floater and sank two free throws to slice the Nuggets’ lead to 91-89 with 3:55 to play, a Jamal Murray 3-pointer from the left wing ignited a 9-0 run that also included two free throws and a driving layup by Barton before Millsap’s key jumper.
“We just executed well, rebounded well and scored when we needed it,” Nikola Jokic said.
Jokic continued his month-long tear with 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting, seven assists and six rebounds. Though Millsap struggled from the floor (6-of-13), he scored six of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and finished the night with seven rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. That frontcourt duo, plus Barton, anchored a Nuggets team that won despite surrendering 25 fastbreak points and 26 off of 16 turnovers.
And so this Denver squad that looked like a postseason longshot a week ago is now less than a game away from the eighth spot. If the Pelicans lose Wednesday to the Grizzlies — a tanking team that has somehow beaten Denver, Minnesota and Portland in the past three weeks — the Nuggets will slide back into that eighth slot ahead of Thursday’s massive home game against the Timberwolves.
The Nuggets are balancing their “win-now” reality with playing pressure-free basketball with four games to go. Thatap why, when the Pacers ripped off their their fourth-quarter push, Denver responded with its own run to finish off another crucial victory.
“We can’t play like itap life and death, because we’re gonna die a lot,” Malone said. “ … I want our guys to play free, to enjoy and embrace the moment and what we’re involved in right now.”
