Another magical night from Nikola Jokic helps Nuggets hold off Pacers

 

You can stop pinching yourself because Nikola Jokic is 100 percent real and not going anywhere anytime soon.

The latest act from the second-year center in Denver’s 125-1117 road win over Indiana, a 30-point, 17-rebound, 5-assist performance, was one for the scrapbook as the Bankers Life Fieldhouse crowd oohed aahed over every Jokic point and pass, two of which will go on his season-end and career highlight reels.

The first, a no-look one-handed over-the-head dime to a cutting Danilo Gallinari, one the swingman couldn’t convert, and the second, a two-handed, behind-the-head flick that set up a well-positioned Wilson Chandler.

All in all, it was another night to remember for Jokic.

However, things weren’t all rosy for Denver.

After holding a 23-point lead with 9:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, Indiana stormed back, cutting the Nuggets advantage to just five points with under two minutes remaining. But Jokic, who put a cap on his night with a dagger 25-foot three with 1:28 remaining to put Denver up eight, gave the Nuggets a bucket when they needed one most and lifted Denver to an enormous win over Indiana.

Not to be outdone by Jokic was Chandler, and in a year where Denver’s seen incredible efficiency up and down their roster because of their offensive prowess, the swingman delivered another incredible stat line tonight, finishing with 24 points on an efficient 10-16 shooting.

Elsewhere for the Nuggets, Gallinari scored 21 points in his return to the lineup, after missing four games with a left knee bone bruise, on just 2-12 shooting but did convert on 17-18 free-throws. Gary Harris and Will Barton each chipped in ten points off the bench.

As a team, Denver shot an incredible 38-41 from the line. The Pacers shot just 11 free-throws in the game, hitting eight of them.

For Indiana, Paul George led the way with 27 points. Jeff Teague totaled 20 and Myles Turner added 21 of his own.

With Gallinari (knee soreness) back in the lineup, Denver went back to their spread starting five in Jameer Nelson, Harris, Chandler, Gallinari and Jokic. It’s a lineup that’s lethal offensively and exactly the right combination to play to Jokic’s strengths.

A spread court combined with good movement and flow offensively throughout the first quarter saw Jokic record 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in the first frame, as the big man and Chandler combined for 21 of Denver’s 34 first-quarter points.

The Nuggets came out red-hot in the first quarter and shot 14-20 (70 percent) from the field as Denver led 34-26 after one.

Indiana’s bench came out and established themselves to start the second. Behind Al Jefferson, the Pacers got out to a quick 10-5 advantage in the quarter to trim Denver’s lead to three against Mason Plumlee and the Nuggets’ second unit.

But Denver responded. The Nuggets were in a sense buying time until Jokic and the starters returned. Denver’s starting unit absolutely cut the Pacers up in the first half as the Nuggets’ lead ballooned back up to 15 in just a few minutes time after a quick 12-0 run.

For as good as Jokic has been in his second season, this half was an exhibit of his offensive skill and prowess that has reached unimaginable levels in his second NBA season.

Jokic scored 12 points in the second to give him 21 in the half, on 9-11 shooting, to go with 12 rebounds and 4 assists to power Denver to an 11-point lead at the half.

A 21-12 Nuggets run out of halftime pushed Denver’s lead to an even 20 and it stood at 19 as the third quarter finished up. In the frame, it was a parade to the free-throw line for the Nuggets as Denver converted on 13 of their 15 free throws in the quarter.

It was the Nuggets’ third straight 30-point quarter as Chandler poured in ten more points to pace Denver.

A George three cut Denver’s lead to 19, at 107-88 at the 7:35 mark of the fourth and then 13 a minute-and-a-half later on another George three. It was a brief 11-2 George run to put some pressure on Denver.

Denver’s offense sputtered to a crawl as their 23-point lead with 9:06 remaining in the game was whittled down to just eight at the 3:17 mark of the quarter after Jeff Teague three from above the break. The Nuggets settled for contested three after contested three to no avail.

Then a long-range three from Jokic with Denver clinging to a five-point lead with under two minutes remaining put the Nuggets up seven. With the Nuggets 0-7 from three in the quarter prior to Jokic’s three, it was without a doubt the most important shot of the night for Denver.

A five-second call on Indiana’s next inbounds pass sealed things for Denver with the Nuggets up eight.

Magic Jokic

Okay. Shut it down. #MagicJokic alert – pic.twitter.com/xcLc4FUz8p

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) March 24, 2017

Can someone stand up and light a freaking match? He does it again #MagicJokic pic.twitter.com/VDIFM2C6cr

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) March 25, 2017

Footnotes

Gallinari (left knee bone bruise) returned to the lineup after missing Denver’s last four games and assumed his place at small forward in the Nuggets’ starting lineup.

What’s Next

Denver is back home Sunday against New Orleans, then gets set for a highly-anticipated showdown with the Trail Blazers in Portland Tuesday.