The Denver Nuggets came to Philadelphia to play the 76ers and trying to get off of a three game losing streak. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. all brought their “A” game and that ended up being just enough to overcome and onslaught of threes from the sixers and big games from Tyrese Maxey and Guerschon Yabusele. It took all forty-eight minutes, but the Nuggets, and Jokic, performed in the clutch and leave Philly with a 137-134 win.

Murray was active to start the game and helped the Nuggets get a small lead. Denver’s offense stayed clicking as the quarter progressed while the Sixers struggled to get shots to fall. Jokic was diming up his teammates, particularly Murray, but Philadelphia was finally starting to convert on offense so the lead stayed around a half dozen. The Nuggets started getting sloppy on offense and turning the ball over. The Sixers took advantage and started knocking down threes on a 13-3 run to get back into the game. The two teams went back and forth down the stretch, Julian Strawther hit a jumper at the buzzer and that gave the Nuggets a 38-36 lead after one.

Denver’s bench got some early three pointers but Philadelphia kept pace. They just kept bombing outside shots early in the shot clock and they kept falling. Christian Braun led the reserve group and they were able to hold off the Sixers with enough buckets until Jokic came back in. He helped get the Nuggets back out in front by a couple buckets midway through the quarter. Philadelphia just kept hitting threes though and the Nuggets couldn’t pull away. Their big three carried them through the second half of the quarter while Maxey and Yabusele did most of the damage for the Sixers. Denver closed the quarter with points while Philly closed with an eight second violation and that gave the Nuggets a 73-69 lead at the half.

Denver’s offense kept flowing to open the second half. They scored ten points in two minutes and got an eight point lead. Maxey responded with threes and forced a Michael Malone timeout. Murray provided the offense for the Nuggets after that but Yabusele got hot again for Philadelphia. The Nuggets offense cooled off midway through the quarter. The Sixers climbed back within a point of Denver but then their offense stalled out as well. The Nuggets got a little bit going in the final minutes of the quarter, but a Philly three at the buzzer kept Denver’s lead to just 103-100.

The Sixers went on a 7-0 run early in the fourth to take the lead. Denver responded by dialing up the defensive pressure to get back in front. The bench group got a four point lead before Jokic checked back in. Word also came down that Russell Westbrook was questionable to return with hamstring tightness. Like they had all night, Philadelphia responded with three pointers and kept Denver from pulling away. As the quarter passed the halfway point the Sixers went on a run behind Maxey to grab the lead. They were still in front in the final two minutes but Jokic started to take over and put Denver in front by two with a minute to go. Maxey got a foul, Jokic responded with a floater and then after a timeout Philadelphia took a long time to get a two despite being down three. Murray knocked down a pair of free throws and Yabusele got off a heave that never had a chance to seal a hard fought Denver victory. The Nuggets get a much needed 137-134 win.