Raptors' bench unit rolls Nuggets in fourth quarter

On the second night of a back to back in Toronto against the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors, the Denver Nuggets could have packed it in and looked ahead to the final game of their seven-game road trip Friday in Oklahoma City. Its been a tireless East Coast schlep that’s seen Denver play six games in the last 10 days.

The Nuggets battled and held an 83-79 lead through three quarters in Toronto — a place where the Raptors have lost just seven times all season. But a 25-9 fourth-quarter run from the Raptors’ bench against a fatigued Nuggets’ team ended Denver’s night. Toronto pulled away for a 114-110 win dropping the Nuggets to 2-4 on the road trip.

The Raptors, whose bench is regarded as one of the premier second units in the league, used a lineup of backup guards Fred VanVleet, and Delon Brown, backup big men Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam and swingman C.J. Miles to outscore Denver 32-25 in the fourth. A night after a third-quarter collapse doomed the Nuggets in Philadelphia, Toronto outmuscled and outclassed Denver in the final period.

Denver made it close in the final minute. The Nuggets trailed 111-101 with 63 seconds remaining in regulation but pulled to within four on a Wilson Chandler three with 18.9 seconds to go. After two VanVleet free-throws, a Nikola Jokic desperation three off the glass made the score 113-110 with 11 seconds remaining. Jonas Valanciunas hit one of two free-throws to give the Raptors’ a four-point lead which was enough for a Toronto victory.

Jokic led the Nuggets with 29 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. His best stretch of the night came in the second quarter when he poured in 13 points in nine minutes. Paul Millsap had a strong night on the offensive end of the floor as well and finished with 20 points on 9-12 shooting.

In his Toronto homecoming, Jamal Murray struggled and finished with 15 points on 6-18 shooting. A night after scoring a team-high 25 points against the 76ers, Will Barton finished with just 10 points on 4-15 shooting tonight.

Denver’s bench as a whole faired better against Toronto than it did 24 hours earlier in Philadelphia. Trey Lyles, who’s struggled over the past few games, scored 13 points on 5-6 shooting in 14 minutes. Devin Harris chipped in seven points off the bench. Mason Plumlee added six.

Toronto’s All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan scored 11 and 15 points respectively. The Raptors registered 16 blocked shots on the night. Toronto also scored 60 of its 114 points in the paint.

The Nuggets wrap up their seven-game road trip Friday in Oklahoma City.