It was a close one, but the Denver Nuggets pulled out another win on Tuesday night. Michael Porter Jr. led the way with 30 points, and Jamal Murray added 25 as the Nuggets beat the Sacramento Kings 113-106. This was the Nuggets’ fifth straight win, and it keeps them at the top of the Western Conference standings. They also covered the 3.5 spread from the FanDuel sportsbook.
Nuggets With a 20-point Comeback
It was a sluggish start to the game for both teams as the Nuggets and Kings were finding it difficult to get into an offensive rhythm. After four minutes, Denver had only scored six points on nine attempts, with two from Jamal Murray representing the entirety of their made shots. For Sacramento, they weren’t off to a much better start as De’Aaron Fox orchestrated plays but ultimately had just two makes from eight tries.
It appeared that the Nuggets’ non-star players had not turned up for tonight, scoring only four points outside of Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Nikola Jokic. This combined with some luckless shooting found them 20-32 in a deficit after one quarter, outplayed and outworked by the hosts.
Things were looking grim for the Denver Nuggets at one point during the game. They had gone down by a whopping twenty points, and both their second unit and offense seemed completely ineffective. Coach Malone desperately put forward substitutes Christian Braun and Ish Smith in an attempt to spark something in the team, but it was Michael Porter Jr. who eventually turned the tide.
This happened when he caught fire with a pair of bold three-pointers, followed by a smart steal that allowed Braun to finish off with a layup on the fastbreak. Little did anyone expect such an unexpected savior from a barely noticed player! Thanks to Porter Jr., Malone’s gamble paid off as they were eventually able to turn things back in their favor.
The Nuggets eventually caught up and take the lead at 95-92. MPJ had a game that most of the fans are waiting and get the job done for the team.
Kings Need Sabonis ASAP
Tuesday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets at Golden 1 Center for the Sacramento Kings further emphasized just how important Domantas Sabonis’s presence is for the team. The All-Star caliber void left in his absence was impossible to fill, even with players stepping up like Alex Len and Richaun Holmes.
Len got the start but was limited to two points, four rebounds, and a minus-4 in plus-minus in only 14 minutes of play. Of course, Holmes made quite an impact as well, with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field, seven rebounds, and two assists, as well their best plus/minus of the night at plus-3. But it proved to be too little too late as they endured defeat without their star center.
Up Next
The Denver Nuggets open as 3-point favorites on FanDuel online sportsbook as they stay at Sacramento for another game against the Kings. You may easily access updated NBA betting odds by visiting Colorado online sportsbooks.
Their third meeting will take place at Ball Arena in April next year.