The Denver Nuggets were down 13 in the fourth quarter against a Utah Jazz team that's lost 26 of its last 29 games. It shouldn't have been that close, but the Nuggets don't care about degree of difficulty. They rallied and won 135-129, and that's all that matters in a tight Western Conference playoff race.
Jokic finished with 33 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists for his fourth straight triple-double and 31st of the season. Jamal Murray added 31 points two nights after dropping a season-high 53. We all know that when those two are locked in together, the Nuggets are nearly impossible to put away.
The comeback started with a Jokic layup and kept building from there. Tim Hardaway Jr. hit a three and knocked down two free throws to cut the deficit to three, and then Cam Johnson took over.
Johnson tied the game with a three, and then put Denver ahead for good with another from deep with 46 seconds left. Murray sealed it with one more from behind the arc with 17 seconds remaining. That three also pushed Murray past the all-time Nuggets record for three-pointers made in a single season.
Mar 25, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesJokic Did Jokic Things
The fourth quarter comeback was vintage Nuggets, and Jokic was at the center of all of it. He kept the possession chains alive and delivered one of the more absurd moments of the night before it even got to crunch time. His 39-footer at the third quarter horn bounced on the rim twice before dropping in, because of course it did.
Denver trailed by as many as 14 late in the third quarter after Utah scored 43 points in the period, 15 of which came off eight Nuggets turnovers. The Jazz played inspired basketball for three quarters, but giving the Nuggets life with Jokic on the floor is a dangerous proposition, and Utah knows that.
Coach David Adelman addressed his team in the locker room postgame and didn't shy away from the fact that it took everything they had. "Jamal, 14 assists. Jok, 12 assists. Sharing the ball with your teammates. Tim, unbelievable game. We needed everything from everybody to come back and win it," he said.
Playoff Positioning
He acknowledged there's still plenty to clean up, but made clear he likes where this group is headed. "We're going toward something really special here. We're on a five-game winning streak, fellas."
This win mattered beyond the box score. The Nuggets sit fourth in the West, a game ahead of Minnesota and a half game behind the Los Angeles Lakers. Every game in this stretch has real implications, and dropping one to a rebuilding Jazz squad without several key players would've been a damaging result.
Denver now moves on and hosts Golden State on Sunday with momentum on its side and five straight wins to show for it.