Portland Trail Blazers 118, Denver Nuggets 110: Portland wins the glass 53-37
Denver led by 14 early, but Portland's 53-37 rebounding edge and a 33-point fourth quarter turned a home game into an eight-point loss.
The Nuggets shot 47 percent, made 29 free throws and got 35 points from Jamal Murray. They still lost by eight at Ball Arena on Monday, because the Trail Blazers took 92 shots to Denver's 77 and owned the boards 53-37.
Donovan Clingan was the centre of it. His 17 points and 18 rebounds gave Portland the extra possessions that a 15-for-41 night from three needed, and the visitors finished with 54 points in the paint to Denver's 44. Full numbers are on the game page.
How it was won
Denver opened as well as it has all season. A 31-19 first quarter built a lead that reached 14, and the offence looked settled with Murray and Nikola Jokic working off each other.
Portland answered with a 39-point second quarter. Denver scored 35 of its own in that period, so the lead only shrank to 66-58 at halftime, but the pace and the shot volume had shifted.
The third quarter is where it turned. Portland won it 27-21 to cut the gap to 87-85 going into the fourth, and Denver's scoring dried up after that. The Blazers took the last quarter 33-23, built a lead that topped out at 9, and closed it out.
The box score tells the story in two lines. Portland made 43 field goals to Denver's 36 at the same 47 percent, and it made six more threes, 15 to 9. Denver's edge at the line, 29-34 against Portland's 17-21, was worth 12 points and did not cover the gap. The Nuggets did protect the ball better, with 12 turnovers to Portland's 16, but the rebounding margin more than offset that.
Deni Avdija led Portland with 28 points and 5 assists despite going 2-for-9 from three. Damian Lillard added 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Portland had 30 assists to Denver's 24.
For Denver, Murray's 35 came with 4-for-9 shooting from deep and 6 assists. Jokic finished with 26 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and Christian Braun scored 14. Beyond those three, the Nuggets did not get enough to match Portland's depth of scoring.
Against the number
Denver closed as a 4.5-point favourite, at -174 on the moneyline against Portland's +146. The Blazers won outright, so they covered comfortably and the underdog price paid.
The total closed at 231.5. The teams combined for 228, so it went under. With 66 points scored by halftime by Denver alone, the over looked live early, but a 48-point combined third quarter and Denver's 23-point fourth brought it back under the number.
What's next
Portland left Denver at 5-1.
The Nuggets fell to 3-3 with this loss and have since responded, beating the Toronto Raptors 128-109 to move to 4-3. Their next game is Saturday, November 7, at home against the Indiana Pacers, on NBA TV and DAZN IND. The lesson from Monday is plain enough: a fast start and a strong night from Murray are not enough if Denver gives up 15 more shots and 16 more rebounds.
