After the Nuggets’ poorest third quarter of the season, which was sandwiched between a blowout victory, Jamal Murray brushed it off.

“If you look at every game we’ve played, I feel like there’s been a stint where we haven’t played well,” he told reporters on Saturday.

48 hours later, the Nuggets demonstrated their argument in reverse.

They created their largest halftime hole of the season at Ball Arena, behind by as many as 22 points, as if to see whether they could claw their way back against an injured opponent. They could. Denver trounced Toronto 125-119 on Monday night, completing a remarkable 180.

Nikola Jokic recorded 35 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, six steals, and two blocks for his 126th career triple-double. Aaron Gordon scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting, outperforming everyone else. Murray totaled 11 assists.

“What gets tiresome is people criticizing Nikola’s defense because he doesn’t average three blocks per game,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “As a basketball purist, I believe he has the best hands in the NBA.” He will never out-athleticize anyone, but he will out-smart you. Great anticipation. Great hands. And I believe he is one of the NBA’s most underrated defenders.

Malone stated that nobody received a defensive player of the game chain since it was altered to a “defensive player of the half” award.

“My fault, Jok, my fault,” Murray exclaimed, realizing he had overlooked Jokic’s steals while reading the big man’s box score.

“He gets to see where the mistakes might happen, or where the open (man) is, or the cutter,” he said. “He just does a great job of anticipating, and I believe that playing the angles is definitely the greatest strategy. It’s less about being on the spot. He’s playing the angle, right in the pass line.”

Toronto All-Star Scottie Barnes and a few teammates were absent due to injuries, so Jontay Porter, a two-way forward, was among the first Raptors off the bench. He outperformed expectations with 14 points and five assists on 4-of-7 outside shooting in his first NBA game with his brother, Michael Porter Jr.

Bruce Brown recorded a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double in his second return to Denver this season against the same opponents. When he hit a 3-pointer in front of the Nuggets bench, he humorously looked down at his pal DeAndre Jordan, who had been “talking (bleep)” before and throughout the game.

“I looked right at DJ, because he said, ‘He’s with us,'” he claimed. “I’m not with them.”

Meanwhile, Malone adjusted his bench rotations. Jokic took a seat with three minutes left in the first quarter, and Gordon played the five for 60 seconds before Zeke Nnaji entered the game. But things began to unravel as the second unit gave up an 11-0 lead to begin the second frame. Jokic checked back in earlier than normal to coincide with his early departure. He then committed the Nuggets’ eighth and second turnovers with 9:34 remaining in the half.

After the Nuggets’ poorest third quarter of the season, which was sandwiched between a blowout victory, Jamal Murray brushed it off.

“If you look at every game we’ve played, I feel like there’s been a stint where we haven’t played well,” he told reporters on Saturday.

48 hours later, the Nuggets demonstrated their argument in reverse.

They created their largest halftime hole of the season at Ball Arena, behind by as many as 22 points, as if to see whether they could claw their way back against an injured opponent. They could. Denver trounced Toronto 125-119 on Monday night, completing a remarkable 180.

Nikola Jokic recorded 35 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, six steals, and two blocks for his 126th career triple-double. Aaron Gordon scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting, outperforming everyone else. Murray totaled 11 assists.

“What gets tiresome is people criticizing Nikola’s defense because he doesn’t average three blocks per game,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “As a basketball purist, I believe he has the best hands in the NBA.” He will never out-athleticize anyone, but he will out-smart you. Great anticipation. Great hands. And I believe he is one of the NBA’s most underrated defenders.

Malone stated that nobody received a defensive player of the game chain since it was altered to a “defensive player of the half” award.

“My fault, Jok, my fault,” Murray exclaimed, realizing he had overlooked Jokic’s steals while reading the big man’s box score.

“He gets to see where the mistakes might happen, or where the open (man) is, or the cutter,” he said. “He just does a great job of anticipating, and I believe that playing the angles is definitely the greatest strategy. It’s less about being on the spot. He’s playing the angle, right in the pass line.”

Toronto All-Star Scottie Barnes and a few teammates were absent due to injuries, so Jontay Porter, a two-way forward, was among the first Raptors off the bench. He outperformed expectations with 14 points and five assists on 4-of-7 outside shooting in his first NBA game with his brother, Michael Porter Jr.

Bruce Brown recorded a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double in his second return to Denver this season against the same opponents. When he hit a 3-pointer in front of the Nuggets bench, he humorously looked down at his pal DeAndre Jordan, who had been “talking (bleep)” before and throughout the game.

“I looked right at DJ, because he said, ‘He’s with us,'” he claimed. “I’m not with them.”

Meanwhile, Malone adjusted his bench rotations. Jokic took a seat with three minutes left in the first quarter, and Gordon played the five for 60 seconds before Zeke Nnaji entered the game. But things began to unravel as the second unit gave up an 11-0 lead to begin the second frame. Jokic checked back in earlier than normal to coincide with his early departure. He then committed the Nuggets’ eighth and second turnovers with 9:34 remaining in the half.

The Nuggets only turned it over once for the rest of the game.

“Do I enjoy how we didn’t play at all in the first half? “No,” Malone replied.

Defensive activity increased considerably. Jokic anticipated and stole a pocket pass, resulting in a fast break as Denver chipped away in the third quarter. Murray hit a three, bringing the Nuggets back into single digits for the first time.

Their second unit improved significantly on its second try. Reggie Jackson, who had missed four of his first five shots, scored a 3-pointer and a driving layup in the final 35 seconds of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 98-93. With Jokic on the bench in the fourth quarter, Toronto failed to recreate its second-quarter surge. Murray was a different man. He didn’t score his first point until 1:06 left in the first half, but he finished with 26, using acrobatic scoop shots and silky turnaround jumpers to spark the comeback.

“Yes, (Murray) is having a game, but that’s really important when you can have a game scoring; next thing you know you’ve got two guys on you, to have the courage to give up the ball and trust your teammates,” Malone went on to say. “That’s such an important part of his game.”