Nuggets defeat Blazers with a late surge

Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 112-103 thanks to a strong fourth-quarter comeback led by Nikola Jokic, who scored 29 points, and Jamal Murray, who also had 10 assists. Three players scored twelve points apiece: Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr.; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had eleven points but left the game late due to a right hamstring injury. For Portland, who was outmatched, Deandre Ayton ended with a career-high 27 points and nine rebounds, Anfernee Simons had 26 points and nine assists, Scoot Henderson had 14 points, and Toumani Camara had 10 points.

With 2:44 remaining, Caldwell-Pope made his largest 3-pointer of the game to give Denver a 15-point advantage. With his right hamstring in a squeeze, he departed after 29 seconds. Portland led by as many as 14 points in the first half after going 10 for 18 from outside the arc, but the Nuggets came back to make the halftime deficit 63-60.