The madness of March descended about the Pepsi Center on Sunday with All intensity between the Nuggets and Toronto Raptors.

After Nikola Jokic delivered a pass to help a Gary Harris layup late in the fourth quarter, the stadium erupted. Jokic earned his of the season and Denver took the defending NBA champions 133-118. Eight Nuggets players scored in double figures, along with the group combined to get 73 first-half points and a season-high 38 aids.

The Raptors, without injured centers Marc Gasol (hamstring) and Serge Ibaka (knee), were forced to play little ball, pitting undersized defenders from Jokic. The Nuggets all-star flourished with 23 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists. Jokic is connected with LeBron James for the from the NBA this season.

The match featured two teams desperate. Denver entered following a 29-point drubbing at the Clippers on Friday. Toronto had fallen two straight home matches against the Bucks and Hornets. Each franchise is fighting to maintain playoff seeding close to its respective conference’s top.

“There wasn’t any panic,” Nuggets trainer Michael Malone said. “We were all disappointed at the match in L.A.. Unfortunately it happened, although we also understood that ’ s not that we’ve been in a period of time. You need to learn from it. ”

Jamal Murray dominated the opening 12 minutes. The Nuggets’ starting point guard made his first six shots from the field, including five away from 3-point variety, to record 17 points. The Nuggets caught fire hitting on nine shots and they began the second with a 40 points.

Rookie Michael Porter Jr. checked in with just under four minutes left in the first quarter. He transformed the prospect and finished a slam through contact from the third quarter. Porter’stat line that is s: 5 rebounds, 11 points and 3 assists in 19 minutes performed. Three ancient fouls around Mason Plumlee additionally directed book forward Vlatko Cancar to earn shock moments (his 13th match appearance this season).

Despite the Nuggets’ first-quarter scoring outburst, the Raptors stayed from the second, along with also a Kyle Lowry triple at the 4:36 mark tied the match at 60 . However, Murray exchanged his hand to book small forward Torrey Craig, who poured in 12 points, also Denver entered halftime major 73-69 behind amazing chunk motion: 26 assists on 27 created shots.

“Everyone else on the team wants us to perform like this when we re at our best, and this ’ s,” Craig said. “The more people play together as a group, the more entertaining it’s, the more it looks and the better it seems. ”

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Matters got chippy from the third quarter with speed of play slowed with a set of trainers ’ challenges, 13 combined foul calls, along with fans at a sold-out stadium letting their displeasure be understood (loudly) into the officiating team. Denver cracked 100 points to begin the fourth quarter was ahead by only four points.

However, the Nuggets did not relinquish their lead in an hard-fought Sunday victory.

“We created a lot of good shots,” ” Jokic said. “That’s why we won the match. ”

Denver did it without starting power forward Paul Millsap, who suffered an arm injury at Friday’s no loss to the Clippers. Grant made his 22nd start of the season instead of Millsap and finished with 16 points, six assists and three rebounds.

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