The Denver Nuggets are getting used to the taste of success on the virtual hardwood, as they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 82-76 in the NBA 2K Game of the Week. In this simulated matchup between the two division foes that was played with six-minute quarters, the Nuggets used their homecourt advantage and dominant play from Nikola Jokić in the second half to pull away late.
The victory marks the third consecutive win for Denver in the virtual series of games and this win over Portland played out in similar fashion to the two previous victories over the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz.
Although the game was a back-and-forth battle throughout the first half as Jokić got off to a slow start, the Trail Blazers were never able to take a commanding lead. Denver held a 19-16 lead after the first quarter as both teams shot over 60 percent from the field.
Although Portland was able to briefly take a four-point lead late in the second quarter, the Nuggets recovered to reclaim a slight 37-35 advantage at the halftime break. Both offenses thrived in the first half, as the two teams shot over 65 percent and racked up at least eight assists.
Jamal Murray led the way in the first half with 10 points, while C.J. McCollum spearheaded Portland’s offense with eight points.
Although the game remained close throughout most of the third quarter, Denver used an 11-6 run in the final two minutes of the quarter to take a 60-54 lead into the final frame.
From there, it was time for Jokić to close the game for the Nuggets, just as he had done in the previous two 2K games.
Jokić took over in the post throughout most of the final quarter as the Nuggets maintained the lead. After Portland cut Denver’s lead to three with 26 seconds left, the Nuggets used nearly the entire shot clock on their ensuing possession before Jokić hit a 3-pointer with just over two seconds left to seal the game.
It was the same clutch play that the Nuggets and their fans have come to expect from Jokić over the past two seasons. In the end, the Serbian big man finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 10-of-17 shooting from the field.
However, the two-time All-Star received help from Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., who finished with 14 and 13 points respectively on the night. The two also combined for seven assists to help lead Denver’s ball movement on the offensive end.
The win pushed Denver to 3-0 in the NBA 2k Game of the Week series.