Peyton Watson poured in a career-high 24 points, and Jamal Murray added 21 as the Denver Nuggets edged the Toronto Raptors 106-103 on Wednesday night, earning their first victory without injured star center Nikola Jokic.
Denver, which had struggled in recent seasons when Jokic was sidelined, managed to close out a tight finish to snap a two-game losing streak. The Nuggets survived a late scare when Brandon Ingram appeared to force overtime with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, only for replay to show the ball was still in his hand as time expired.
Toronto’s final opportunity came after Bruce Brown missed two free throws with three seconds left, but the Raptors couldn’t capitalize.
Jokic exited Monday’s loss at Miami with a hyperextended left knee and is expected to be reevaluated in four weeks. Denver was already short-handed, playing without Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson.
The injury list grew when backup center Jonas Valanciunas left in the third quarter with a strained right calf. Facing his former team, Valanciunas finished with 17 points and nine rebounds in just 23 minutes.
DaRon Holmes chipped in 11 points, and Jalen Pickett added 10 as Denver won its fifth straight matchup against Toronto.
For the Raptors, Ingram led all scorers with 30 points, while Immanuel Quickley scored 22. Scottie Barnes recorded his eighth career triple-double — and second in three games — with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. RJ Barrett added 17 points but missed a late 3-pointer that could have tied the game.
Up Next
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Nuggets: Visit Cleveland on Friday night.
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Raptors: Host Atlanta on Saturday night.
