Aaron Gordon’s clutch outside shooting helped the Denver Nuggets rally from being down by as many as 18 points to top the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 137-132 in overtime Monday.
Denver (51-28) trailed for nearly all of regulation before taking a 125-123 lead with 27 seconds remaining when Gordon connected on a deep 2-point jumper in the right corner. Less than a minute earlier, Gordon sank a game-tying 3-pointer on the opposite side of the floor, part of his 23-point performance.
The Nuggets’ lead was fleeting, as Deni Avdija answered with a basket in the paint on the other end to force overtime. But in the extra frame, Gordon set the tone with another crucial jumper, knocking down his fourth made 3-pointer of the night.
The triple gave Denver a lead in overtime it never relinquished, set up via one of Nikola Jokic’s game-high 13 assists. The Most Valuable Player contender finished with a game-high 35 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for his 33rd triple-double of the season.
He dished his final assist to Jamal Murray for an exclamation-point dunk on the Nuggets’ 10-3 run to open the extra frame. Denver’s 12-7 advantage in overtime extended an overall run of 38-17 that began midway through the fourth quarter.
With 8:34 to go in regulation, Toumani Camara hit a jumper to cap his team-high 30-point game. The shot gave Portland a 115-99 lead, built largely with a long-range barrage.
The Blazers shot a blistering 25-of-52 from 3-point range, setting a record for the most triples ever made against a Denver team.
The Nuggets successfully countered with a whopping 66-32 advantage for points in the paint. Jonas Valanciunas played a key part off the bench, scoring 14 points in roughly 10 minutes of action and shooting 6-of-7 from the floor.
Julian Strawther added 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting. Murray scored 20 points and Cameron Johnson had 17.
Jrue Holiday recorded a double-double for Portland in the loss, going for 19 points and 11 assists. Donovan Clingan also had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Denver’s win moves the Nuggets into third place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers following their loss at Dallas on Sunday.
