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The Denver Nuggets got the job done against the Portland Trail Blazers despite the absence of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The Nuggets escaped the Moda Center with a 114-111 win and kept pace with the OKC Thunder for the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference.
Aaron Gordon led the way for the defending champions with an overall solid game. He ended with 22 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Reggie Jackson filled in admirably for Murray, contributing 23 points, five dimes and three steals.
Denver will be back at home on Monday to welcome the Memphis Grizzlies. It's the start of a five-game homestand for the Nuggets that will culminate on Apr. 2. They will need to get as many wins as possible to earn the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage until the Western Conference finals.
Top five viral moments from Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers game
#5 Aaron Gordon turns defense into offense
Aaron Gordon showed his full repertoire in the Denver Nuggets' win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Gordon rejected Toumani Camara's shot with around seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The ball fell to Gordon's hands, and he initiated the fast break. He brought the ball down fast and made the right pass to the wide-open Michael Porter Jr., who sank the 3-point shot to give the Nuggets a five-point lead.
#4 Scoot Henderson with the sublime dime
Scoot Henderson hasn't had the best rookie seasons in recent memory. He has failed to adjust to the speed of the league, and injuries also played a part in his slow development.
However, the third overall pick from last year's draft showed off his passing ability in the fourth quarter. He thread the needle with a bounce pass to Kris Murray for an easy finish at the rim.
#3 KCP swats Scoot Henderson's shot
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. KCP is also a proven 3-and-D player, who made the game-changing steal in Game 5 of the NBA Finals last year.
The streaky shooter showed off his hops and timing by chasing down Scoot Henderson in the fastbreak. KCP caught up with Henderson and swatted his layup with authority.
Also Read: NBA fans lose it after James Harden attempts to block Kawhi Leonard in Clippers' win over Blazers
#2 AG slams it home with authority
As mentioned above, Aaron Gordon showed off his entire repertoire against the Blazers. He was touted as being one of the best prospects from his draft class but never panned out as a star.
However, he showed in the fourth quarter that he still has all the qualities. Gordon even put Moses Brown on skates with a nifty crossover move before dunking it home.
Also Read: Gregg Popovich reveals why he doesn't show Denver Nuggets superstar's game to Victor Wembanyama
#1 Reggie Jackson alley-oop to Aaron Gordon caps 4th quarter run
The main reason why the Denver Nuggets got the win was their impressive 18-4 run in the fourth quarter. The run put the Blazers down before they attempted a late comeback, but it was already over.
The play of the night was Reggie Jackson's alley-oop to Aaron Gordon with around three minutes remaining in the game. Jackson drove to the basket to attract multiple defenders. It opened up Gordon, who slammed the ball into the hoop to give the Nuggets a double-digit lead.
Guess the Lakers players!
