Michael Porter Jr. got some much-needed rest Friday afternoon as the Nuggets took on the Toronto Raptors in their final seeding game.
Jamal Murray carried the load offensively to start the game, scoring nine of Denver’s first 12 points, while the rest of the starters shot just 2-7 from the field.
Out of Denver’s first timeout, Paul Millsap scored eight straight points for the Nuggets and Denver took a 21-19 lead with 4:56 remaining in the first. Without their starters to end the quarter though, the Nuggets failed to generate offense and trailed the Raptors 31-23 at the end of one.
P.J. Dozier scored the first points of the second quarter for the Nuggets, and on the ensuing possession, a flagrant foul was called on Toronto’s Stanley Johnson for elbowing Monte Morris in the neck. Dozier then scored or assisted on 13 straight points for the Nuggets to bring Denver within five (46-41) with 6:43 remaining in the first half.
Morris led the charge on a 8-0 Nuggets’ run at the end of the quarter to bring Denver within four, but Toronto closed the quarter on a 4-0 run and the Nuggets went into halftime down eight (58-50).
Toronto’s Terence Davis led all scorers with 12 points at the half, Dozier and Murray both had 11 points and Millsap chipped in ten points and three rebounds.
Denver’s Keita Bates-Diop had a productive third quarter, scoring eight points while playing stout defense throughout the period. But following a Johnson fast break score, Toronto took a nine-point lead (72-63) and a timeout with 5:55 remaining.
Denver brought the game within five points three times during the third, but two Toronto threes to end the quarter pushed the Raptors’ lead to nine (85-76) heading into the fourth.
Three free throws from Bol Bol brought Denver within four with 8:04 remaining in the fourth, but a Malcolm Miller trey-ball pushed Toronto’s lead back to seven (96-89) with 7:58 remaining and Denver took another timeout.
A Dozier three brought Denver within seven (109-102) with 2:26 remaining, but the Nuggets never got any closer than that, and Denver lost their final seeding game 117-109 to the Raptors.
The Nuggets had already locked themselves into a first round playoff series with the Utah Jazz, so the loss seemingly means nothing. Denver finished their NBA restart schedule with a 3-5 record and a 46-27 regular season record.
Dozier had a career-high 20 points and eight assists in the loss and Morris totaled 16 points and six rebounds.
Bol also had eight points and three blocks and Bates-Diop had 11 points and six rebounds in the contest.
The Nuggets next outing is the first game of the 2020 NBA Playoffs, as they tip-off on Monday, Aug. 17 at 1:30 p.m. EST.against the Jazz.