DENVER — Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Denver Nuggets rallied from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 137-132 in overtime on Monday night.
Denver (51-28) moved into third place in the Western Conference with its season-high ninth straight win. Jokic recorded his 33rd triple-double and Jamal Murray scored seven of his 20 points in overtime to move the Nuggets a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers (50-28).
The nine-game winning streak ties the longest for Denver in the Jokic era, according to ESPN Research.
Portland (40-39) had its three-game winning streak snapped and dropped into ninth in the West, a half-game behind the LA Clippers.
Denver overcame 30 points from Toumani Camara, who hit eight of the Blazers’ franchise-record 25 3-pointers. Deni Avdija added 26 points and was 13-of-14 from the line to help Portland build a 115-99 lead with 8:13 left in the fourth.
The Nuggets, as they did in an overtime win against San Antonio on Saturday, rallied behind Jokic’s big night. He scored 10 points in the fourth and sparked a 21-5 run to close to within one. Avdija hit two free throws to make it 123-120 but Aaron Gordon’s corner 3-pointer tied it with 1:12 left in regulation.
Avdija missed a 3-pointer, Gordon, who finished with 23 points, hit a baseline 20-footer to give the Nuggets a 125-123 lead and Avdija’s layup tied it with 20 seconds left. Jokic missed at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
Gordon and Murray each hit a 3-pointer to open the extra period to give Denver a six-point lead. Murray’s two free throws and a dunk made it 135-128, and he fed Jokic for a layup to seal it.
The win put Denver in a good position in the standings, although they do not own the tiebreaker with the Lakers. The Nuggets — who have the Grizzles, Thunder and Spurs remaining on their schedule — would need to finish one game up from L.A. to clinch the No. 3 seed. The Lakers, meanwhile, finish the season vs. the Thunder, Warriors, Suns and Jazz.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
