Nuggets slide past hot-shooting Magic in OT to win seventh straight

A little less than two weeks ago, the Nuggets smacked the Magic by 25 points. Denver breezed to victory on the strength of its defense, holding Orlando to 40.5 percent shooting from the floor.

The Nuggets had a tougher time stopping the Magic in their rematch Wednesday, but they completed the season sweep anyway. Denver survived a hot shooting night from Orlando to win 124-118 in overtime to pick up a seventh consecutive win.

The Magic drilled 20 of 49 3s they jacked up. They made eight 3s in the third quarter alone. Denver’s bench helped it withstand that barrage. Monte Morris bounced back from an off game in Toronto with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Trey Lyles (12 points) and Mason Plumlee scored in double figures as well.

The Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic two-man game was an effective weapon for Denver, which was without Gary Harris (hip) and Will Barton (hip/groin). Murray scored a team-high 31 points but needed 25 shots to get there. Jokic narrowly missed a second straight triple-double as he finished with 12 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds.

The Nuggets had a chance to close the game in regulation. They led by three with nine seconds remaining. A mixup between Torrey Craig and Beasley allowed Terrence Ross to get a wide-open 3 to tie the game, and Murray’s ensuing game-winning attempt lipped out. Murray made a clutch 3 and a pair of free throws in overtime, though, that helped seal the game.

The Nuggets are 8-4 on the road and 17-7 overall. Their five-game road trip wraps up this weekend with a back-to-back at Charlotte and Atlanta.