National Basketball Association
Denver 111, Portland 106
When: 10:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Officials:
#23 Tre Maddox, #56 Mark Ayotte, #64 Justin Van Duyne
Attendance:
N/A
By Field Level Media
Nikola Jokic scored 41 points, Jamal Murray had 19 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-106 on Tuesday night.
Michael Porter Jr. had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Zeke Nnaji scored 10 for Denver.
Damian Lillard had 25 points and 13 assists, Enes Kanter finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony had 24 points and Gary Trent Jr. and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18 each for the Trail Blazers.
Portland led most of the third quarter but Jokic did his best to keep the Nuggets close. Down six, he hit a jumper and a 3-pointer, and after Jones completed a three-point play, Monte Morris tied it with another 3-pointer.
Lillard's 27-footer put the Blazers ahead 78-73 but Jokic hit a short jumper in the lane and Nnaji drained a corner 3-pointer to tie it heading into the fourth.
Murray, who seemed bothered by a sore shoulder in the second half, missed seven of his eight shots through the first 36 minutes but started to find his stroke in the fourth. His 3-pointer from the wing tied it at 83 and he hit another from just inside the line to give Denver an 87-85 lead, its first since late in the first half.
Lillard and Murray began trading points. Murray hit two more 3-pointers and Lillard had a dunk, a 3-pointer and two free throws as the Nuggets grabbed a 95-92 lead with 4:42 left. After Anthony missed at the other end, Jokic found a cutting Murray for a layup and a five-point lead.
Lillard missed a 29-footer and then Jokic found Murray again for a twisting jumper in the lane and a 99-92 lead, and the Nuggets closed it out.
Anthony led Portland in the second quarter. He hit two free throws, two mid-range jumpers and, after a 3-pointer by Jones, drained two more jumpers. He capped his 16-point quarter with a 3-pointer with 33 seconds left in the half, and the teams went into the intermission tied at 57.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
| Portland |
|
Denver |
|
Damian Lillard 25 |
Scoring |
Nikola Jokic 41 |
|
Damian Lillard 13 |
Assists |
Jamal Murray 8 |
|
Enes Kanter 14 |
Rebounds |
Michael Porter Jr. 10 |
|
Carmelo Anthony 3 |
Free Throws Made |
Jamal Murray 6 |
|
N/A |
Steals |
Monte Morris 2 |
|
Derrick Jones Jr. 3 |
Blocks |
Facundo Campazzo 1 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Portland
|
106 |
47.1 |
14-41 |
10-10 |
21 |
47 |
7 |
0 |
9 |
| Denver
|
111 |
42.6 |
14-36 |
17-18 |
25 |
40 |
3 |
8 |
1 |
Upcoming Games
-
Denver will play their next game at home against Washington. The Nuggets have a W/L % of .471 after a win and .643 after a loss.
-
Portland will play their next game on the road against L.A. Lakers. The Trail Blazers have a W/L % of .556 after a win and .615 after a loss.
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