Mikal Bridges, Nets endure Nikola Jokic's triple-double, hold off Nuggets
Nets forward Mikal Bridges, left, looks to drive to the basket as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 12, 2023, in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
DENVER — Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and the Nets withstood a late rally and another triple-double by Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets, 122-120, on Sunday.
Nic Claxton had 20 points and Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie added 15 each for the Nets (39-29), who have won five of their last six. Dinwiddie also had 16 assists.
“Even if we don’t know what we’re doing sometimes, just scrambling, all five guys help each other,” Bridges said. “Sometimes it’s not going to be perfect, but I think just the next guy stepping up is the biggest thing.”
Jokic had 35 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists for his league-leading 27th triple-double of the season but missed a contested 14-foot jumper with five seconds left that would have given the Nuggets the lead. Michael Porter Jr. added 23 points for Western Conference-leading Denver (46-22), which lost its third straight.
“Tough loss,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Our guys fought back, gave ourselves a chance at the end.”
Coach Jacque Vaughn described the Nets’ third quarter, in which they outscored the Nuggets 37-18 and shot 63%, as one of their most impressive quarters he’s seen in his time with the team. “We started to fly around, 15 turnovers we produced tonight, our ability to be disruptive,” Vaughn said. “We stayed together for an impressive win on the road.”
Trailing by eight points at the break, the Nets fought back to take an 80-77 lead on Bridges’ jumper midway through the third quarter. The Nets stretched their advantage to 98-87 as Royce O’Neale and Joe Harris connected on successive three-pointers in the final 40 seconds of the period. Harris hit another three to give the Nets a 109-94 lead with 8:11 left, their biggest lead to that point.
Nets forward Mikal Bridges, left, looks to drive to the basket as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 12, 2023, in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
The Nuggets got within 116-110 on a three-point play by Christian Braun and Jokic’s floater with 4:41 remaining. Denver made it 121-120 on a pair of free throws by Jokic with 41.6 seconds left. The Nuggets won a challenge with 23.2 seconds left to reverse a foul call on Jokic and gain possession, but Jokic then missed the potential go-ahead shot. The Nuggets fouled Bridges with 1.8 seconds remaining and he made one of two free throws.
