Nikola Jokic had 25 points and nine rebounds, Michael Porter Jr. scored 17 points, and the visiting Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 106-105 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win.
Will Barton scored 14 points and Aaron Gordon and Facundo Campazzo had 12 each for Denver (38-20). Austin Rivers, signed to a 10-day contract on Tuesday, had five points in his Nuggets debut
Damian Lillard scored 22 points in his return from a three-game absence, and Norman Powell had 17 points but missed a shot at the buzzer that would have won it for the Trail Blazers.
CJ McCollum added 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists; Robert Covington and Carmelo Anthony scored 12 apiece and Enes Kanter finished with 11 for Portland. Covington added eight rebounds.
The Trail Blazers (32-26) have lost three straight and seven of their last nine.
Jokic made one of two free throws to put the Nuggets up 104-103 with 1:15 remaining. After Lillard misfired on a 3-pointer, Jokic was fouled and hit both free throws with 40 seconds left.
Lillard made a driving layup, and Denver missed on the other end.
Powell was tied up with Gordon for a jump ball with 4.5 seconds left, and the tip went to the Trail Blazers. Covington passed it to Powell, who missed a 9-foot floater at the buzzer.
It was the second straight night Portland missed a game winner at the buzzer.
The Trail Blazers led 89-84 early in the fourth, but Denver came back.
Paul Millsap hit a 3-pointer, Rivers tied it with two free throws, and after a Portland layup, P.J. Dozier put the Nuggets ahead with a corner 3-pointer.
Rivers hit a 3-pointer from the top of the circle to make it 97-93, but a four-point play and a jumper by McCollum tied it at 99 with 4:57 left.
Denver led 60-57 at half and stretched it to 65-59 early in the third, but the Trail Blazers went on an 18-2 run to lead 77-67. Two three-point plays by the Nuggets got them within four, and they cut it to 84-82 heading into the fourth.
–Field Level Media