The Denver Nuggets suffered perhaps their worst loss of the season and their second against the Washington Wizards, aka the worst team in the league. Denver had multiple chances to put the game away behind a big night from Nikola Jokic but Alex Sarr kept Washington in it and Jordan Poole played hero at the end. Denver loses 126-123.
Both teams started the game scoring with ease. The Nuggets cooled off shortly thereafter but Washington was sloppy with the ball which got Denver easy buckets in the paint. The Wizards hung right with Denver while defense remained optional for both sides. The Nuggets ran their offense through Jokic while Russell Westbrook also got the ball in his hands often and that got them a lead. They kept building it as the quarter winded down. Jokic made several baskets to push the lead into double digits. Denver pushed it all the way up to sixteen behind Nikola’s huge quarter but a buzzer beating bank shot by Washington cut the lead to 44-30 after one.

The Nuggets bench was a less effective scoring the basketball to start the second and Washington was able to get the lead back down under double digits. When it got down to seven Michael Malone called a timeout and then the team was re-energized by Peyton Watson and Zeke Nnaji blocking Alex Sarr three times in about thirty seconds. Washington responded by knocking down threes and quickly had the lead back down four. The Nuggets kept turning the ball over and the Wizards kept missing shots so the offenses stalled out in the second half of the quarter. In the final minutes the offense was better for Denver. They started hitting threes again and played solid defense. The only person on Washington who was scoring was Sarr. The teams went to half with Denver up 72-63.

Washington was knocking down threes coming out of the half and cut into the lead. Denver meanwhile was ice cold. They scored just five points in the first four minutes. Washington kept chipping away and eventually tied the game at 77. After a Denver timeout the Wizards started turning the ball over and Jokic started taking control on offense. The Nuggets went on an 8-0 run to reassert themselves in the game and regain control. Now it was the Wizards offense that went completely anemic for a stretch but some sloppy play from Denver kept them from opening a big lead. Washington woke up and went on a run at the end of the quarter. After three quarters the game was tied at 95.

Westbrook scored some points for Denver to open the fourth but they still were struggling to get offense and Washington took a small lead. The Nuggets continued to look discombobulated without Jokic but the Wizards cooled off as well. When Nikola checked back into the game it was neck and neck. Shortly after that Denver went on a run and got an eight point lead but it came at the cost of a Jamal Murray turned ankle. Both teams struggled to hold onto the ball after that. Poole knocked in a couple threes and Murray returned to the game with the Nuggets clinging to a lead in the final minutes. A Sarr three tied it at 116 at the two minute mark. Denver trailed by one with thirty seconds to go. Westbrook out Denver up by one but they left Keyshawn George wide open in the corner which set up a final possession for the Nuggets trailing by two. They tied it very quickly on a Russ layup but left five seconds on the clock. Jordan Poole hit a logo three with under two seconds to seal it. Nuggets lose to the Wizards 126-123.