DENVER — Nikola Jokic performed like an MVP.
However the Nets performed like a workforce.
Make {that a} successful one.
Of their greatest assertion victory since breaking and remolding their roster, Brooklyn pulled out a come-from-behind 122-120 over the Nuggets, beautiful the Western Convention-leaders and their sellout crowd of 19,739 at Ball Area.
Jokic was dominant, however when Brooklyn pressured him to overlook a tricky contested 15-foot fadeaway with 3.9 seconds left up 121-120, they may exhale.
Mikal Bridges — who led seven Nets in double-figures with 25 — made considered one of two free throws on the opposite finish, and Jokic missed a possible 3 on the buzzer.
The Nets (39-29) have received 5 of their final six, the “one” being a tricky loss at league-leading Milwaukee once they rested most of their beginning lineup.
“A lot of commas,” Jacque Vaughn stated. “So our group is studying methods to play collectively, comma. We’re studying methods to provoke and be dictators on the defensive finish of the ground, comma. We’re studying methods to play with tempo and spray the ball round and we all know we are able to shoot 3s, comma.
“So we’re gonna proceed on this sentence to create commas for this group, which is a superb place to be in as a result of we’re rising, studying one another, we’re going to save lots of the durations for afterward with this group.”
Jokic had 35 factors, 20 rebounds and 11 assists in a dominant triple-double for Denver (46-21).
However the Nets put seven in double figures, led by Bridges and Nic Claxton’s 20.
They overcame the West leaders, the MVP, a double-digit deficit and the mile-high altitude.
“For me I like when issues aren’t snug and this can be a nice problem for us. Play a high-level workforce, early recreation on the highway,” stated Vaughn. “Are you going to finish the duty or are you going to complain? So I’m large on I feel complaining kills tradition and we’re attempting to construct a tradition and develop collectively as a bunch so in the present day sort of discover your approach, present up, make your mark and don’t complain.”
They didn’t complain.
They only met the problem and made their mark.
Akin to how they performed the second half in opposition to Rudy Gobert on Friday, the Nets opened with transferring Claxton off Jokic and onto Aaron Gordon, letting Dorian Finney-Smith entrance and combat with the bruising 6-foot-11, 284 pound Serb.
Claxton and Spencer Dinwiddie (16 assists) ran the lob recreation properly off the latter’s dribble penetration, getting Jokic a number of instances.
The Nets had been down simply 33-32 after former Internet Jeff Inexperienced discovered Jamal Murray for a 3-pointer.
That’s once they mounted a 17-6 run.
Seth Curry drilled a step-back 3-pointer to offer the Nets a 49-39 edge with 7:23 left within the second.
It was nonetheless 53-45 with 5:49 remaining within the second quarter after Dinwiddie fed Claxton for a turnaround hook.
However that’s when Jokic grabbed the sport and took over.
Denver closed the half on an prolonged 24-8 run, taking pictures 9 of 12.
And most of that was Jokic, who had eight factors and three rebounds on 4 of 5 from the ground.
Jokic’s dunk sparked the run, and a Murray 34-footer to beat the buzzer left Brooklyn down 69-61 heading into the locker room.
However the guests didn’t keep down.
The Nets stormed out of the break with a superb third quarter for the second straight recreation.
After outscoring the Timberwolves 37-20 on Friday night time, they blitzed the Nuggets 37-18 on this one.
And so they did it with Jokic taking part in each single second of the interval, harassing him at each flip and daring others like Murray to shoot.
The gambit paid off.
Trailing 77-71 after a Jokic free throw with 8:59 left within the third, Brooklyn went on a 15-3 run.
Bridges drew a foul on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who received hit with a technical for his protestations.
Bridges sank all three free throws for an 86-80 edge with 4:27 left, which swelled to 98-87 to finish the interval.
The Nets’ padded that cushion to fifteen, after Claxton kicked out to Joe Harris for a 3-pointer and 109-94 lead with 8:11 to play.
Jokic reduce it to 6, and — after former Internet Bruce Brown’s 3-pointer sliced it to 116-113 — Jokic pulled Denver inside one with 2:46 in regulation.
However Dinwiddie’s 17-footer stemmed the tide.
Then he discovered Finney-Smith for a 3-pointer and 121-117 lead with 1:43 to play.
Jokic hit two free throws 11 seconds later, and after Finney-Smith had a layup blocked, Denver had an opportunity to tie.
However Jokic made simply considered one of two on the stripe, leaving Brooklyn with the lead and the ball with a half-minute remaining.
Dinwiddie penetrated and drew a foul on the MVP with 23.2n seconds left.
However the Nuggets challenged and the decision was overturned to an offensive foul.
However the Nets held on.
