The Denver Nuggets were late to their own game on Wednesday, but they still played well against the Sacramento Kings, winning by 117-96.

Jamal Murray led the way with 32 points, going 13 for 15 from the field. He was definitely cooking.

De’Aaron Fox sat out this game, so the Kings were not fully prepared, and the Nuggets took advantage of that, particularly with their starters. The Kings struggled to score while the Nuggets were locked in, even though it took a little longer than anticipated.

“We were definitely a late-arriving team tonight that first quarter, not really ready to play,” Michael Malone said afterward. “They jumped us a little bit, but after the first quarter, I thought the defense was terrific. I believe we limited them to 61 points in quarters two, three, and four.

The Nuggets opened the game slowly and poorly in the first quarter, falling behind by up to 15 points in the middle of the second quarter as the Kings poured it on. The Kings, headed by Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, were continuously making excellent shots. Denver failed to cover the perimeter, and even when they forced misses, the Kings collected numerous offensive rebounds for second chance points.

The Nuggets then turned on the jets in the second quarter, going 33-8.

“It feels wonderful. “The game is fun, and everyone is having a good time,” Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “How we play, moving the ball, sharing it helps everybody out and keeps everybody happy.”

Denver turned the game around with defense, hustle, and excellent shot making both at the basket and beyond the arc. Aaron Gordon was the engine on both ends of the court, consistently putting pressure on the rim against a Kings frontcourt that struggled to compete with him on the interior. The Nuggets repeatedly found Gordon, who had several And-1s and transition dunks to shift the momentum.

“I thought Aaron was the guy that, his aggression, his attack mindset, just playing through people and to the rim was a huge part of that second quarter run,” Malone told the media after the game. “When he plays at that level with that attack mindset, man, he becomes such a difference maker for our group.”

“Look at the plus-minus, Aaron was +40 tonight in 24 minutes. “That is incredible.”

In addition to Gordon, Jamal Murray had several huge moments. Murray was the only Nugget who could score while Denver struggled, keeping the team in the game. Then he made some big transition threes to close out the second quarter and extend Denver’s lead. It was one of Murray’s more spectacular shooting efforts of the season, adding to his recent sense of focus.

Denver carried their momentum into the third quarter in a big way. Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope got their shooting going. Nikola Jokic finished with a triple-double late in the quarter, while Murray continued to cook. The Nuggets rolled on both ends of the court, demonstrating their abilities against a Kings squad that had no answers for them.

Murray finished with 32 points, going 13 of 15 from the field and 5-of-6 from three. He was hitting from everywhere and executed some fantastic stepbacks, fallaways, layups, and more.

“I was just playing my game,” Murray explained postgame. “The entire team played exceptionally well. Got out and ran. “We had a bad first quarter as a team but improved.”

“When Jamal is engaged the way he was tonight and has been, and he’s aggressive and assertive, he’s a phenomenal player,” he said. “We’ve all seen what he’s capable of doing when he plays with that mindset.”

The Nuggets are currently 40-19 on the season, thanks to some amazing play from their starting lineup. Murray’s stats came with the bench to help support that unit, but the rest of the starters had plus-minuses ranging from +35 to +40. The squad turned defense into offense, rushing in transition frequently and exploiting Sacramento’s porous defense.

That’s exactly what great teams do. Even if they don’t start out well, they will undoubtedly finish strong.

“Just understanding what time of the year it is,” Malone said. “This isn’t the halfway point. This is a stretch run, and I believe our players are locked in.”

But, have the Nuggets found their championship gear?

“Yes,” Caldwell-Pope stated. “For us, this is crunch time. We want to be the top seed, and we don’t want any of these games to slip past us.”