If the Nuggets need a backup plan to win tough games without Jamal Murray, look no further than Sunday.

Simply make every 3-pointer, open or contested.

Denver made 21 of 33 shots on Sunday, a season record 63.6%, in route to a 130-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Ball Arena. With seven regular-season games remaining, the Nuggets (52-23), Timberwolves, and Thunder are all within half a game of each other for the Western Conference’s top spot.

With the win, Denver clinched a postseason position as a top-six seed. The franchise will make its sixth consecutive playoff trip, the longest active streak in the West.

“That’s sustained success, which is what you all strive for,” said coach Michael Malone. “But, as I told our players, it’s great to have made the playoffs six years in a row, but that wasn’t our goal this year. We have a bullseye on our back. We’re the reigning global champions. So our goal is to repeat. It’s going to be a huge challenge, but we’re all up for it.”

Nikola Jokic scored 26 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists in a tough postmatch versus Jarrett Allen of Cleveland. He had his 128th career triple-double at the end of the third quarter, bringing him within 10 points of Magic Johnson for third place in NBA history.

However, in order to break a two-game losing streak without Murray (different leg injuries), the Nuggets needed role players to capitalize on Jokic’s facilitating after going 8-for-28 from three-point range against Minnesota on Friday. Cleveland has a similarly smothering half-court defense with several intimidating bigs, but the difference this time came from the Nuggets’ outside shooting.

Reggie Jackson shot 5 of 5 for 19 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished 6 of 9 for 22. Michael Porter Jr., Denver’s second-best scorer when Murray is out, went 3 for 5 from beyond the arc for 19 points.

Caldwell-Pope is making 45.6% of his three-point shots in Denver this season, which is significantly higher than his 34.6% pace on the road.

“I honestly haven’t observed that. “I don’t look at statistics like that,” Caldwell-Pope said. “But for me, it’s simple: I’m a rhythm guy. Just trying to find a good rhythm, whether at home or away. I scored zero points in our last game against Minnesota. “I missed every shot.”

The defending champs, who were 40-14 this season when Murray played, improved to 12-9 without him.

“I just want Jamal back,” Jackson said following his fifth consecutive game with a double-digit score.

Jokic was also questionable to play after Malone expressed concern about the two-time MVP’s right wrist on Friday night. Malone claimed to be surprised Jokic played at all against Minnesota, yet Jokic’s wrist was no longer bandaged when he hit the court for the Easter matinee.

Christian Braun (0) of the Denver Nuggets drives on Cleveland Cavaliers’ Marcus Morris Sr. (24) during the second quarter at Ball Arena in Denver on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (Photo by Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post.)

“There’s always times when you have to protect players from themselves,” Malone said Sunday when asked about the interplay between himself and Jokic on whether to play through minor injuries. “He’s proud, fierce, and, due to his Serbian heritage, he refuses to sit down. He never wants to rest. And if you look back nine years, how many games Nikola Jokic has missed in comparison to other star players is simply astounding, as is his availability.”

The Nuggets’ only worrisome stretch was Jokic’s six minutes of rest at the start of the second quarter. Cleveland defeated them 19-11, a margin that could have been higher if not for Jackson’s shooting. Then Jokic returned, and a lineup without a point guard transformed a four-point deficit into a 65-56 halftime advantage, aided by a seven-point surge from Christian Braun. The starters opened the third quarter with a 15-2 run.

“I thought he was outstanding tonight, Reggie Jackson,” Malone said in a statement. “He has a lot of energy. We just had a number of guys take shots. That should assist you out. That boosts your confidence. That gave us a little more energy. But what are you going to do if you don’t make shots at times during the season? Do you feel sorry for yourself?

Evan Mobley led the Cavs with 23 efficient points, but the Nuggets provided a more comprehensive defensive effort than on Friday, with the exception of the slow first three minutes, which prompted a fast Malone timeout. Cleveland guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland were restricted to a combined 18 points on 5-of-20 shooting.