Nikola Jokic on Saturday had another triple-double and Jamal Murray hit a clutch floater with 36.8 seconds remaining as the Denver Nuggets held off the San Antonio Spurs 90-86 in game 7 to advance in the post-season for the first time in a decade.
“I love the grit, the resiliency, the toughness we played with tonight,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Even late when they made their run ... we never lost our composure.”
In a matchup between a Denver team with the youngest playoff roster in the Western Conference and the savvy Spurs, the second-seeded Nuggets built a 17-point lead in the third quarter only to see it whittled down to two with 52 seconds remaining.
Photo: AFP
Jokic finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, with no pass bigger than the one to set up Murray’s floater. DeMar DeRozan had a chance to slice into the deficit, but was blocked by Torrey Craig.
With time running out, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich yelled for someone to commit a foul, just to prolong the game.
However, the roar from the crowd was too loud. The Nuggets essentially ran out the time and began their celebrations.
“After the game, you’re thinking: ‘Why didn’t they foul?’” Craig said.
Easy: It was just too loud.
Denver went an NBA-best 34-7 at home in the regular season and rode the energy of the packed house all the way to the end.
“I missed it,” LaMarcus Aldridge said of Popovich calling a foul. “That’s it.”
Since making the Western Conference finals in 2009, the Nuggets have bowed out in the first round on four occasions. This was their first playoff appearance in six seasons.
Denver are to host the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in a second-round series to begin today.
In Toronto, Kawhi Leonard said he was not interested in putting up a career-high points total against the Philadelphia 76ers. Even as history beckoned, Toronto’s understated star was hoping he could take a seat on the bench.
Leonard scored a career playoff-high 45 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Pascal Siakam added 29 points as the Raptors beat the 76ers 108-95 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semi-final series.
Leonard’s previous post-season high was 43, with San Antonio against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 22, 2017. He matched that by making a pair of free throws with 4 minutes, 45 seconds remaining, then topped it by draining a jump shot on Toronto’s next possession.
Although he appeared focused on reaching the mark, the opposite was actually true.
“I was trying to get out of the game before it got to that point,” Leonard said. “We were up 20 points with probably, like, 5 minutes left and I was already looking at the bench, trying to get them to take me out of the game.”
Leonard matched his career-best scoring total for any game, set on Jan. 1 against the Utah Jazz. He made 16 of 22 shots, going three from six from three-point range, and went 10 from 11 at the free-throw line.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Leonard was “fun to watch.”
“A big-time performance at both ends,” Nurse said. “I just like the force he’s playing with at both ends.”
Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said Leonard is “leaps and bounds” ahead of the player he once coached as an assistant with San Antonio.
“The variety of ways that he scored, and could get his shot off on some pretty good defensive players and big athletes was incredibly impressive,” Brown said.
Leonard received a standing ovation when he checked out with 3:14 to play and the Raptors up 107-88.
Game 2 is to be played today.
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