In a match that the Blazers seemed to have mastered, sailing with a ten-point lead in the third quarter thanks mainly to Damian Lillard, we will especially remember this unthinkable “money-time”.
Because while he had been very clumsy until then, Jamal Murray will chain the baskets to allow his team to pick up. The gap vanishes and the Blazers only lead by one point (112-111) at the start of the last two minutes. This is where things will get crazy. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope thus enters a 3-pointer to give the advantage to Portland, but Damian Lillard responds in turn behind the line at 7m25 (115-114).
Jusuf Nurkic against Nikola Jokic and Josh Hart has a perfect counterattack with Anfernee Simons, but his hands and then his feet slip, and Denver regains possession.
Jamal Murray is unable to set up the two-man game with Nikola Jokic, but he scores an extremely difficult shot from mid-range to restore the advantage to his team (115-116). Portland regains the advantage thanks to Anfernee Simons in the heart of the racket (117-116), despite the defense of Bruce Brown.
Ball for Nikola Jokic, who turns and returns against Jusuf Nurkic. His layup bounces off the circle but Aaron Gordon is present on tap, and Denver takes the lead again (117-118).
There are only about twenty seconds left and it is Damian Lillard who takes matters into his own hands. Facing Jamal Murray, he made his special by shifting his support to his right, for a killer 3-pointer. He taps on his wrist to clearly indicate that it is “Lady Time”, when he is at 40 points. 120-118 for the Blazers.
Except that there are still 8.8 seconds on the clock, and Jamal Murray has the match point. Faced with the long arms of Jerami Grant, the leader also triggers 3-pointers, and it’s in! 120-121 for Denver, while Portland has a last chance to win, with 0.9 seconds still on the clock. Except that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope deviates the discount and it is therefore the Nuggets who win this crazy victory on the field of the Blazers!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The talent in the last minutes. You have to watch the last minutes of this game. For the suspense and the drama, of course, but also for the level displayed by Damian Lillard and Jamal Murray. The two men answered each other when the tension was at its peak, and it made some real sparks!
– The Blazers failed to kill the game. Damian Lillard had given his team control of the game in the third quarter, but his exit at the start of the fourth quarter allowed Jamal Murray and the Nuggets to revive. And to afford this end of the match at loggerheads.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Damian Lillard. Impossible to blame the leader of Portland for something. He scored 40 points at 12/22 including 9/17 from afar, with 12 assists. He has the best +/- of his team at +11, he allows Portland to take control of the game in the third quarter and scores the decisive baskets at the end of the game to snatch the decision. He just ran into such a hot Jamal Murray at the end…
✅⛔️ Jamal Murray. He was 7 points at 3/10 after three quarters, and seemed set to experience another delicate evening. Except that he responded to 14 points from Damian Lillard in the last quarter with also 14 points, 5/11 including 3/5 from afar. Whose shot wins to fold the encounter!
⛔️ Anfernee Simons. We could mention the whole group present at the start of the fourth quarter which, without Damian Lillard, allowed the Nuggets to revive. But Anfernee Simons was the leader of this formation and it was his mistakes, and his clumsiness, that allowed Denver to get back in the game.
THE FOLLOWING
Portland (13-12): the Blazers receive the Wolves on Saturday evening (04:00) to bounce back
Denver (15-10): see you in Utah, also Saturday night (03:00) for the Nuggets
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