Jamal Murray’s 31 Points Propel Nuggets to 121-115 Victory Over Raptors

Jamal Murray scored 31 points and Denver held off Toronto for a 121-115 victory on Friday night in Denver. Nikola Jokic hit the go-ahead jumper with 45 seconds remaining. The win improved the Nuggets to 8-8 since the All-Star break.

Key performances

Murray led Denver with 31 points. Nikola Jokic added 22 points and nine rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points and made 7 of 10 three-point attempts.

Aaron Gordon contributed 16 points for the Nuggets. On the Raptors, Jakob Poeltl produced 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Brandon Ingram had 19 points and R.J. Barrett finished with 18.

Late-game sequence

The Nuggets fell behind 101-98 before Hardaway tied the score with a three with 7:27 left. Denver later led 115-110 with 1:43 remaining. Scottie Barnes answered with a layup at 1:32, and Poeltl completed a three-point play to knot the game at 115 with 60 seconds left.

Denver closed the game on a 6-0 run. Jokic hit a turnaround jumper to reclaim the lead. Murray then made three free throws and Gordon added a free throw to seal the 121-115 outcome.

Impact and next steps

The loss ended Toronto’s three-game winning streak. Scottie Barnes finished with 15 points for the Raptors. The result kept Denver steady after a mixed stretch since the break.

Toronto will play at Phoenix on Sunday night. The Nuggets will host Portland that same night. Reported by Filmogaz.com.