The Serbian ace had a double-double performance with 18 points and 10 rebounds, along with seven assists in just under 28 minutes on the court. Nikola Jokic didn’t take many shots, only 13 attempts, of which he succeeded eight times. An indication that this wasn’t his night is the fact that he missed three free throws out of five attempts.
Michael Porter kept Denver in the game in the first half, but in the second half, especially in the first minutes of the third quarter, the Cavaliers stepped up, and in the end, they had no trouble against the defending champions. In the absence of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland shined, and there were excellent performances from Craig Porter, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley.
In the final 12 minutes, there was a +17 lead, and it became evident that the visitors lacked the strength for a comeback. With their fourth loss in the championship, they surrendered the top spot in the Western Conference to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The player of the game was Garland with 26 points, boasting an excellent shooting percentage of over 60% (10/16). He also contributed six assists. Several players reached double-digit scoring, including Craig Porter with 21 points, Mobley with 16, Allen with 15, Georges Niang with 12, and Max Strus with 11 points.
The most efficient for the Nuggets was Michael Porter with 21 points. Apart from him and Jokic, only Christian Braun with 13 points and Aaron Gordon with 11 scored more than 10 points.
A positive note for Denver and coach Mike Malone is that Jamal Murray has recovered from his injury and could contribute to the champion in the upcoming games.