The Denver Nuggets were looking to finish out their five game road trip on a high note tonight. After getting a victory last night, the Nuggets backed it up with another “W” against the Charlotte Hornets. Denver made it more interesting than it needed to be after they squandered a big lead in the second half to fall behind by four points with less than a minute to play. Nikola Jokic willed them to victory once again to cap off another big night for him and another triple double. It wasn’t exactly pretty, but the Nuggets win another one on a back to back, final score 107-104.

Neither team could make many shots to open the game. The score was still 2-2 at the nine and a half minute mark. Jokic got some easy buckets and also buried a three to build a Denver lead. There wasn’t much offense outside of Nikola though which kept the lead from growing a ton. Charlotte was still shooting a horrid percentage from the floor so Denver stayed in front. Zeke Nnaji made an early appearance as one of the first guys off the bench and Jalen Pickett followed shortly after. Denver went cold from the floor while Charlotte remained cold. Both teams started working for free throws and the Nuggets had more success to close the quarter. After one they led 27-20.

The Nuggets bench unit had to battle for points with Christian Braun doing most of the battling. They also kept the Hornets off the scoreboard and pushed the lead into double digits. The reserve group kept playing hard and kept growing their advantage. That led to an extended 20-8 run for Denver and a double digit lead when Jokic came back in. Charlotte responded and the Nuggets suddenly couldn’t buy a basket. The Hornets went on a 9-0 run and got back within three before Denver finally got a couple buckets in the final moments of the half. They went to the locker room leading 54-46.

The Nuggets exerted their will to open the second half and easily pushed the lead back above a dozen. Jamal Murray had a quiet first half but led the Nuggets offense early in the third quarter. They slowed down after that but Charlotte continued to miss shots, other than Nick Smith Jr. He was hitting threes but it seemed like every time he got one the Nuggets had an answer. Still, the Hornets weren’t going to just go away. They went on a run down the stretch of the third to get back within eight. Denver was able to stop Charlotte there but a sloppy final minute let the Hornets cut into the lead again and the third ended with the Nuggets up 90-81.

The bench unit struggled to score to start the fourth quarter and the Hornets closed in. Nnaji had some solid minutes getting a couple easy baskets and piling up blocks. Charlotte wouldn’t give in and other than Nnaji no one could score, literally. Eventually the compelte lack of offense allowed the Hornets to push all the way back and tie the game at 94. Jokic settled Denver down and helped get a couple buckets but Miles Bridges was attacking on the other end. The game stayed tied going into the final two minutes of the game. Bridges got a bucket to give Charlotte their first lead since 2-0 and then hit another to put the Hornets up four. Jokic responded with an and-one and then the Hornets inexplicably fouled him in the back court with 18 seconds left. He sunk them both and then fed Murray for a fastbreak layup off a miss to put Denver up 107-104. The Hornets couldn’t get a buzzer beater three and Denver survives to win.