Denver Nuggets comeback from 22-point deficit to defeat Toronto Raptors: Nikola Jokic records monster triple-double

The reigning defending champs got off to a rough start in this game, as they trailed by as much as 22 points. However, the 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic began to dominate and carried the Denver Nuggets to a 125-119 comeback victory over the Toronto Raptors at Ball Arena.

The Joker is truly one of the most dominant big men in NBA history, as he can control the game with his scoring or his playmaking. He is playing amazing basketball this season and is making his case to win a 3rd MVP, which is something that only 8 NBA players in history have done.

In this game, Jokic put up a ridiculous stat line, finishing with 35 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, 6 steals, and 2 blocks. Jamal Murray joined in on the fun, ending with 26 points and 12 assists. Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon each scored 19 points on better than 55% shooting.

RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 26 points, 7 boards, and 9 assists. Kelly Olynyk also had a big night, scoring 24 points on 69% shooting. Gradey Dick recorded 17 points and 7 assists while Bruce Brown finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds against his former team.

Denver improves to 45-20 with this win and have jumped up to the 2nd seed in the West. They now sit just 0.5 games behind the OKC Thunder for the top spot in the conference. The Nuggets are rolling right now, going 9-1 over their last 10 games and they’ll look to keep this momentum up on Wednesday against the Miami Heat in another NBA Finals rematch.

Toronto drops to 23-42 with this loss and sit at 12th in the East. The Raptors draft pick would land at 7 if the season ended today, but they will only keep their 2024 first round pick if it lands in the top 6 (because of the Jakob Poeltl trade) so they need to make a decision if they want to keep tanking so they can keep their pick. They are on a 4-game losing streak and will face off against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.