Will the Nuggets' defensive lapses be their downfall?
The Denver Nuggets trailed by 13 in the fourth quarter on Friday night against the Utah Jazz, and it looked like they were heading toward one of the more embarrassing losses of the season.
Then Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray flipped the switch, and Denver ripped off a 21-5 run in the final five and a half minutes to steal a 135-129 win at Ball Arena.
Jokic was brilliant once again, finishing with 33 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists while shooting 13-of-16 from the field.
It was his fourth straight triple-double and 31st of the season.
Murray matched that energy with 31 points and 14 assists, knocking down the dagger three with 17 seconds left to seal the comeback.
Jokic Wasn't Thrilled With the Defense
Even after the win, Jokic didn't sugarcoat how bad things looked on the defensive end.
The Jazz, who are 21-53 and have already been eliminated from playoff contention, had no business being up double digits on a team fighting for positioning.
"We didn't play any defense, and it's hard when the team feels that they can just drive and score," Jokic said postgame. "We definitely need to do a better job guarding and protecting the paint."
He's not wrong.
Utah poured in 43 points in the third quarter alone, fueled by eight Denver turnovers that led to 15 Jazz points.
But the fourth quarter comeback was the real story, and the way Jokic initiated it with a layup before Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cam Johnson started knocking down threes showed what this team is capable of when it locks in.
Why Jokic Still Belongs in the MVP Talk
The MVP conversation has shifted lately, with Victor Wembanyama surging to the top of the latest Kia MVP Ladder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still the betting favorite to win back-to-back awards.
Jokic sits third in the race, and some of that has to do with Denver's 47-28 record not matching what Oklahoma City and San Antonio have done in the standings.
But the numbers are impossible to ignore.
Jokic is averaging 27.9 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.8 assists on the season, leading the league in both rebounds and assists per game while sitting among the top eight in scoring.
He is on pace to become the first player to lead the NBA in both categories in the same season.
Nobody is putting together a more complete stat line, and the way he has carried the Nuggets through injuries and rough stretches all year makes a strong case that he's still the most valuable player in the sport, even if voters are leaning somewhere else.
And look, Murray is having a career year too, averaging 25.5 points and 7.2 assists while setting the franchise record for three-pointers in a season during Friday's game.
When those two are rolling together like they have been over this five-game winning streak, Denver looks like a team nobody in the West should want to face.
Looking Ahead
Jokic was asked about the playoff picture after the game and kept things low-key, saying he doesn't like to look too far ahead because anything can happen.
Denver sits fourth in the West with seven games left and hosts Golden State on Sunday.
For a team that has dealt with injuries and inconsistent defense all season, the fact that they're still in strong position heading into April says a lot about how good Jokic has been and how dangerous this group could be once the postseason arrives.