TORONTO — When the Nuggets visited Canada in March, it was the nadir of an eventual championship season.
They allowed a season-worst 49 points in the first quarter and never recovered in a fourth consecutive loss — part of a lull late in the regular season that briefly made Denver look like a wobbly No. 1 seed.
That meltdown was still on Michael Malone’s mind before tipping off against the Raptors on Wednesday night. But what followed at Scotiabank Center this time was more indicative of what the Nuggets went on to accomplish after that losing streak. Playing championship-caliber team basketball (and allowing only 20 in the first quarter this time), Denver opened a three-game road trip with a convincing-until-it-wasn’t 113-104 win over the Raptors.
A 21-point margin in the third quarter got as close as five with five minutes remaining, but Denver’s three best scorers went on a conclusive surge, scoring from all three levels to re-establish a 12-point lead with 3:24 left. Nikola Jokic potted a pair of baskets near the rim, hometown kid Jamal Murray coolly drained a midrange jumper, and Michael Porter Jr. hit a three.
Jokic, coming off a rare “triple-single” game Monday in which he didn’t touch 10 in any of the three main stat categories, recorded his 400th career double-double in the win: 31 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. He has now registered a 30-point game against every team in the NBA during his career, Toronto being the final step.
“No. That’s nice,” Jokic said when asked if the 30-point milestone means anything to him. “I bet there are some players who’ve scored more than 30 against every team.”
His most impressive play, though, might have been a behind-the-back pass underneath the basket to find Aaron Gordon for an easy layup.
“The passes that he makes are always just, ‘How did you see that guy?’” Malone said.
Murray amassed 20 points and six assists. All five Denver starters scored in double figures.
“I appreciate Toronto for having me on the screen and all that,” Murray said of his latest homecoming. “Just little stuff like that means a lot. … It’s good to come here and try to put on a show in front of my friends and family.”
The Nuggets shot 54.9% from the field in the first half while holding Toronto to 42.2%. They turned seven steals throughout the second quarter into 10 transition points, with the young second unit building on its recent run of productive games. Peyton Watson, Christian Braun and Julian Strawther all had steals. Zeke Nnaji blocked a pair of shots, playing the second time in three nights after a stretch of DeAndre Jordan games at backup center.
Watson continued to be the most encouraging bench player at both ends. He shot 5 of 6 from the field, made a 3-pointer for the fourth consecutive game, assisted a Jokic three and added four rebounds. He also handled the Pascal Siakam defensive assignment when their minutes overlapped.
The Nuggets outscored the Raptors 62-56 in the paint (though 40 of those 64 were in the first half), 22-12 on fast breaks and 18-10 on second chances. They controlled the glass with a 57-46 advantage.
“I thought we made it really hard for them, and we were forcing turnovers,” Malone said. “… I felt to start the game, we were great (defensively). But we just didn’t carry through in the second half, and that game got more interesting than it should have. So that’s our challenge, to play as close to 48 minutes as possible, on both ends.”
The one confounding area of an almost-complete performance was the foul line. Denver didn’t attempt a free throw until a Jokic and-one with 2:27 left in the third quarter. The bonus point gave the Nuggets their largest lead of the night before Toronto made its push.
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