Victory! Jokic with 20+14+10, Banchero 17 for 4, Westbrook Makes a Big Contribution, Western Conference Landscape Changes
Beijing time January 20, 2025, the 23-20 Magic hosted the 25-16 Nuggets. The Magic were missing the Wagner brothers, Suggs, and Bitadze, suffering a significant loss in combat power. On paper, they were not considered strong opponents for the Nuggets. However, the Magic are an iron-blooded team known for their tenacity and strong defense. Could the Magic pull off an upset against the Nuggets today? The Magic's starting lineup featured Anthony, Pope, Silva, Banchero, and Carter, while the Nuggets started with Murray, Westbrook, Braun, Porter, and Jokic.
In the first quarter, Carter and Pope opened with a 4-0 lead. Westbrook hit a three-pointer, followed by Carter and Pope scoring another four points, putting the Magic ahead 8-3. After a timeout, Jokic and Murray scored, to which Silva and Carter responded, maintaining the Magic's lead at 13-7. Braun scored four consecutive points, Banchero made a putback, and the Magic led by four. Jokic made a layup, Silva responded with a three-pointer, and the lead was five. Porter hit a three-pointer, Pope responded in kind, and the lead remained at five. Jokic and Westbrook scored again, while Quinn and Xiustan hit three-pointers, extending the lead to seven. Jokic and Strasser narrowed the gap to one point, and the first quarter ended with the Magic leading 29-28.
In the second quarter, Quinn made a layup, giving the Magic a three-point lead. Gordon also made a layup. Banchero, Quinn, and Xiustan combined for seven points, extending the Magic's lead to eight. Watson made a layup, Isaac hit a three-pointer plus Black made one of two free throws, and the Magic led by ten. Murray scored four straight points, and Jordan had a frontcourt rebound slam, narrowing the gap to four. Isaac hit another three-pointer, keeping the lead at seven. Braun and Jokic scored consecutively, to which Black and Anthony responded, maintaining a four-point lead. Watson and Westbrook tied the score, Pope made two of three free throws, Porter and Jokic made five of three free throws, and the Nuggets took a one-point lead. Banchero made one of two free throws, Westbrook hit a mid-range shot, and the half ended with the Nuggets leading 54-52. Jokic had 15 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals at halftime, while Carter had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.
In the third quarter, Porter hit a three-pointer, giving the Nuggets a five-point lead. Anthony scored four straight points, narrowing the gap to one. Braun made both free throws, keeping the lead at three. Pope and Carter combined for five points, giving the Magic a two-point lead. Westbrook made one of two free throws, Silva hit a three-pointer, and the Magic led by three. Westbrook, Braun, and Porter went on a 7-0 run to take a four-point lead. Carter made a hook shot, but Porter and Braun responded strongly, giving the Nuggets a nine-point lead. Silva and Quinn scored, but Porter, Strasser, and Jokic responded, extending the lead to ten. After a timeout, Isaac dunked, Jokic made a 2+1 play, and the lead was eleven. Isaac and Banchero narrowed the gap to six, but Murray scored ten straight points, extending the lead to sixteen. The third quarter ended with the Nuggets leading 93-77.
In the fourth quarter, Murray and Gordon scored four points, giving the Nuggets a twenty-point lead. Anthony hit a three-pointer, but Gordon responded with a 2+1 play, keeping the lead at twenty. Black scored four straight points, but Strasser, Jordan, and Braun responded, extending the lead to twenty-four. Black narrowed the gap to nineteen, Gordon made both free throws, and Banchero, Silva, and Carter tried to close the gap to fifteen with two minutes left. The Magic then withdrew their starters, and the Nuggets ultimately won 113-100. The Nuggets achieved a remarkable comeback victory after trailing by ten points.
Jokic only played three quarters, shooting 7 for 9 for 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. This was his 18th triple-double of the season, setting a new league record. Additionally, this was the 19th time in his career that he achieved a triple-double with a shooting percentage above 75%, breaking Chamberlain's record of 18 times and becoming the all-time leader.
Murray shot 8 for 16 for 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists. Braun shot 6 for 10 for 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists, performing outstandingly. Porter contributed 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Westbrook shot 5 for 9 for 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. He played a significant role in this game, often defending Banchero, who found it difficult to score against him. When Westbrook starts, the Nuggets have a 16-5 record, a win rate of 76%. As a minimum-salary player, Westbrook has had a tremendous impact, creating miracles.
Banchero shot 4 for 17 for 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Carter shot 6 for 15 for 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists. Black contributed 14 points and 5 assists. Pope added 12 points and 4 assists, and Silva had 12 points and 4 rebounds.
Since the Nuggets started Westbrook, their win rate in games where Jokic could participate has been extremely high. After this victory, the Nuggets are only one game behind the third-place Grizzlies in the West. With a relatively easy remaining schedule, the Nuggets have a chance to climb to the top three or even second place in the West, changing the landscape of the Western Conference once again.