How the Nuggets unlocked their “best overall basketball” when it mattered most

LOS ANGELES — The Nuggets are peaking and playing their best basketball of the season at just the right time. Denver’s 134-115 win over the Los Angeles Clippers was the Nuggets’ fifth-straight victory — their longest winning streak of the season.

After two defensive-minded victories over the Timberwolves and Pacers where the Nuggets’ high-powered offense struggled at times, Denver got back to its core identity against the Clippers. The Nuggets shot 62 percent from the field and 41 percent from distance. Denver finished with more assists (36) than rebounds (33) — a stat which flummoxed Nuggets coach Michael Malone after the win.

But that’s exactly what playoff teams do: Win games in every way shape and form.

“I think we’re playing our best overall basketball,” Paul Millsap said. “Not necessarily the best offense that we’ve played all year, not necessarily the best defense, but to be a really good team you’ve got to have good balance. Now especially coming down the stretch, we have a good balance. Offense and defense. That’s what we need. We can’t just be one-sided.”

Millsap is at the center of a Nuggets’ defense that is playing better as of late. The Nuggets are holding opponents to 45.3 percent shooting in their last five games — a noticeable improvement from the league-worst 47.8 percent that Denver is allowing opponents to shoot this season.

Denver is communicating more on the defensive end of the floor and getting key fourth-quarter stops. Thursday against the Timberwolves, the Nuggets held Minnesota to just three points over the final 2:47 of regulation.

“Paul Millsap certainly helps,” Malone said.

The Nuggets’ defense quelled a brief Clippers’ rally in the third quarter where Los Angeles trimmed Denver’s 19-point lead to 13 and then 14 points later in the period. Then the Nuggets’ offense took over.

Nikola Jokic’s ninth triple-double of the season paced Denver. Will Barton, who said postgame that this is the best his shot has felt over his entire career, scored a game-high 31 points and hit five of his nine three-pointers. Jamal Murray finished with 19 points on a clean 8-10 shooting to go with seven rebounds to just one turnover. Murray was also a team-high plus-24.

“The ball was really flying tonight,” Barton said.

Another sign of a balanced team: Winning on the road. After struggling away from Pepsi Center all season, the Nuggets have won four of their past seven games on the road. It’s something they’ll have to do if they plan to qualify and make noise in the first round of the playoffs, which begin in just eight days.

“I think it’s just the mental mindset and the makeup of our team,” Malone said about his team’s road success. “The belief that we have. I think we’re all in. We believe in each other fully, 100 percent. And even when teams go on runs and even when guys make mistakes, guys on our bench are encouraging each other and making sure guys are keeping their heads up and not getting down on themselves.

“To win on the road, you’ve got to play defense, you’ve got to take care of it, and that’s why to me the best stat was the assists and the turnovers because we did not beat ourselves.”

Denver’s self-belief is at an all-time high. This version of the Nuggets is confident against any opponent at any venue.

The Nuggets are now tied with the Timberwolves for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Minnesota is technically ahead of Denver by way of the head-to-head tiebreaker, which the Timberwolves lead 2-1. The Nuggets can even that record up on the final day of the regular season.

While Denver’s high-flying offense carried the Nuggets when Millsap missed 44 games earlier this season, most players agree that the final two ingredients to a well-balanced team — defense and winning on the road — will determine if Denver breaks its four-year playoff drought.

“We’re playing get-it-done basketball,” Malone said. “We’re getting it done.”