The Denver Nuggets took fans on a wild ride Wednesday night, but in the end, they stayed in control just long enough to close out a 126-115 win over the Orlando Magic. It wasn’t always clean, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but when you’ve got Nikola Jokic orchestrating the offense like a maestro and Jamal Murray catching fire, you can afford a few bumps along the way.
Let’s start with the obvious: Jokic logged yet another triple-double. It’s almost routine at this point, but don’t let the frequency fool you-what he’s doing night in and night out is nothing short of historic.
In fact, this one came with a milestone: Jokic officially passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time assist leader among centers. That’s not just a footnote-it’s a testament to how Jokic has redefined the position.
He’s not just the engine of the Nuggets’ offense; he’s the architect, the conductor, and often the closer.
But this one didn’t start off like a highlight reel for Denver. The Magic came out hot, knocking down threes and jumping to an early lead.
The Nuggets, on the other hand, looked out of sync-sloppy with the ball and slow to rotate defensively. Orlando’s early momentum had them up 8-2 before Denver settled in.
Spencer Jones helped flip the energy with a steal and dunk that tied the game at 12, but the Magic kept coming. It wasn’t until Julian Strawther-making his first appearance in a while-got into the action with an aggressive drive to the rim that Denver started to find its footing.
Still, the first quarter ended with the Nuggets trailing 33-27, and it was clear they needed a spark. That came in the form of a "twin towers" look with Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas sharing the floor. It gave Denver a physical edge, especially on the glass, and helped them keep things close despite a shaky offensive rhythm.
The second quarter? That’s when things turned.
Early on, Denver’s bench couldn’t find any traction, and the Magic ballooned the lead back to double digits. Head coach David Adelman tried mixing and matching lineups, but eventually he went back to the heavy hitters-Jokic, Murray, and Cam Johnson-and that trio flipped the script.
Johnson knocked down a three, then another. Murray started heating up.
Jokic kept the ball moving. And just like that, Denver was back in it.
Once the offense found its groove, it was a full-on avalanche. Murray dropped 20 in the second quarter alone, including a barrage of threes that left the Magic scrambling.
Jokic added an and-one and drew a technical foul on Goga Bitadze for good measure. The Nuggets closed the half on a 22-3 run, flipping a close game into a 68-54 lead at the break.
Coming out of halftime, Denver picked up right where it left off. The lead stretched to eighteen, and it looked like they might run away with it.
But give the Magic credit-they didn’t fold. Paolo Banchero led a push that trimmed the lead back to eleven.
Denver needed to steady the ship, and once again, Jokic answered the call. He went to work in the post, spinning past Bitadze for a smooth finish and helping the Nuggets push the lead back to sixteen heading into the fourth.
The final frame was a microcosm of the night-spurts of dominance mixed with stretches of sloppiness. Valanciunas was a force early in the quarter, punishing the Magic inside and giving Denver a cushion.
But just when it seemed like the Nuggets were pulling away, the turnovers and defensive lapses returned. Orlando clawed back again, cutting the lead to twelve and forcing Denver to bring the starters back in.
Murray responded with more shot-making, pushing the lead back toward twenty, but the Magic weren’t done. They caught fire from deep, and suddenly the Nuggets were on their heels.
A 15-3 Orlando run had the game hanging in the balance with two minutes to play. Momentum had clearly shifted.
But this is where Jokic reminded everyone why he’s the reigning MVP. With the game slipping, he calmly took control-securing his triple-double, knocking down clutch shots, and putting the game on ice. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough.
Final score: Nuggets 126, Magic 115.
On a night when Denver had to weather multiple storms, Jokic’s steady brilliance and Murray’s scoring outbursts proved too much for Orlando to overcome. The Nuggets showed flashes of their championship-caliber ceiling-and just enough grit to survive the valleys in between.