DENVER — Nikola Jokic scored 37 points and the Denver Nuggets withstood Damian Lillard’s 39-point effort and Enes Kanter’s strong return to Portland’s lineup in a 121-113 win over the well-rested Trail Blazers in the opener of their second-round playoff series Monday night.
Lillard, who struck for 50 points, including a 37-footer at the buzzer to oust Oklahoma City in five games, missed 8 of 12 3-point attempts and Gary Harris blocked his 3 from behind in the closing minute to keep the Trail Blazers from closing in.
Jamal Murray added 23 points for Denver, which was making its first appearance in the second round in a decade, and Paul Millsap scored 19.
“Saturday night, an emotional high, winning a Game 7, that was part of my biggest concern about tonight,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Obviously you’re worried about guarding them but how would we react from that emotional hangover? I thought our guys did a pretty good job.”
Game 2 is Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center.
Back-to-back layups by Lillard pulled Portland to within five points with nine minutes left, but Jokic sank a pair of free throws off CJ McCollum’s flagrant foul sandwiched by a pair of dunks by Mason Plumlee as Denver pushed its lead back to double digits at 107-96.
Portland never got much closer.
Denver was coming off a 90-86 win over San Antonio 48 hours earlier, their first Game 7 victory since May 3, 1978, against Milwaukee. The Trail Blazers, who are in the playoffs for the sixth straight season, had nearly a week off after dispatching Oklahoma City in five games to advance for the first time in three years.
Yet, the Nuggets had the energy at altitude and won the fourth time in five games.
The Trail Blazers did get a boost from Kanter, who separated his left shoulder in Game 5 against the Thunder. He had 14 points by halftime when Portland trailed 58-55.
“Enes was terrific, very efficient, finished around the basket playing through the shoulder injury,” Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “I couldn’t have asked any more of him. He was terrific.”
The Nuggets scored 23 points off Portland’s 18 turnovers.
“It was a good offensive game but I thought the turnovers really made the difference,” Stotts said.
Kanter, who signed with Portland after being waived by the Knicks following the trade deadline, was originally a backup to starter Jusuf Nurkic, but his role was magnified when Nurkic broke a leg March 25. Kanter averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 23 games down the stretch, then put up 13.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in the first round.
Malone said before tip-off he was hopeful that gave his young team some mettle.
“Knowing we can be down 2-1 and a lot of people had written us off as a bunch of frauds and to come back win the last three out of four, that’s got to give you confidence,” Malone said. “Game 2 at home was a must-win; Game 4 on the road was a must-win, and obviously Game 7, we know what those are all about. I take so much pride and joy in thinking about all the young guys that grew up in that first round. So now we have to do it all over again.”
Jokic, who averaged 23.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists in the first round against San Antonio, made all 12 of his free throws and added nine rebounds and six assists.
76ERS 94, RAPTORS 89
TORONTO — Jimmy Butler had 30 points and 11 rebounds, James Ennis scored 13 points and the 76ers held on to beat the Raptors, evening their Eastern Conference semifinal series 1-1.
Game 3 is Thursday night in Philadelphia.
Down 19 in the first half, Toronto cut the deficit to one late in the third, then went cold to start the fourth, missing six of its first seven shots.
The Raptors kept coming, however. Lowry made 3-pointers on both sides of a pair of foul shots by Butler cutting it to 90-87 with 1:36 to go. Toronto got the ball back, and Pascal Siakam scored on a layup to make it a one-point game, but Joel Embiid answered with a driving shot at the other end, restoring the three-point advantage with 24 seconds left.
After Lowry nearly turned the ball over, Danny Green missed a potential tying 3, and Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris came up with the rebound, his 11th. Harris was fouled and sealed it by making a pair with 3.9 seconds left.