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Tim BontempsESPN
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The first double-overtime game in the NBA bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort, a thrilling 134-132 victory for the Denver Nuggets over the Utah Jazz, was overshadowed by a few clockwork features at the end of the first overtime period.
The first came with 3.4 seconds left after Jazz star Donovan Mitchell hit a jumper to make it 119-117 Utah. After a Denver timeout, center Nikola Jokic took the incoming pass, dribbled to the hoop and scored.
There was only one problem: the clock never started.
Officials then checked the play, and after checking how long it took with a digital shot clock, determined that the play took 3.1 seconds – meaning that Jokic’s shot counted, and that Utah scored the ball with 0 , Would get 3 seconds back.
This time, however, the problem was not that the clock did not start – but rather that it started too fast.
When Joe Ingles hit the ball, the clock started ticking before anyone touched it. That meant Utah got a second chance to win the game, but Jordan Clarkson’s half at the buzzer missed long, and the game shifted to a second overtime.
For his part, Jokic said he was not afraid his shot would not count.
“I thought it should count because everyone played,” Jokic said. “Just because someone didn’t set the time … you could just calculate the difference. I felt good about that [about it]. “
Mitchell accused himself of having time on the clock for the Nuggets to score at the end of the first overtime.
“That’s actually the only reason I’m overwhelmed, because I need to know that. I need to know how to attack at four or three. [seconds remaining], “Said Mitchell.” That is a mental mistake on my part.
“I feel like if I do that and hit the same shot, they have no chance [to tie the score]. That’s up to me. I certainly had that mental error, but at the end of the day it’s a learning process and I’m glad we’re learning it now and not Game 4 or 5 in the playoffs. “
Finally, Denver – with Jamal Murray back on the court for the first time in the bubble after sitting with a hamstring injury – was able to win behind Jokic’s monster effort of 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes. Jokic’s achievements included going straight to Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert, the two reigning Defensive Player of the Year, several times late in regulation and overtime and success, including Gobert getting out of the game late in the first overtime .
The game only made it to overtime due to some riding heroics from Mitchell, who scored seven points in the final 10.8 seconds to clear the Jazz a six-point deficit and put up some free basketball.
Mitchell struck two free throws and struck then, after Michael Porter Jr. lost the ball outside bounds, a 3-pointer from a timeout to cut Denver’s lead to one. After the Nuggets split a few free throws ahead of Jerami Grant, Mitchell – who finished with 35 points, six rebounds and eight assists – went from coast-to-coast layup and, after snaking through the Denver defense, he found a clean path to the rim and put the ball inside to send the game to overtime.
In the second overtime, Denver managed to pull away thanks to Murray, who finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, scoring five straight points to give Denver the lead for good. Utah was hurt by the absence of Gobert, who had 22 points and 13 handballs in 41 minutes before falling out.
The Jazz had one last chance to escape with a win after Murray missed a couple of free throws with 4.2 seconds left, but Mitchells’ heave from half-court fell short, and the Nuggets escaped from a game they once kicked by as many as 18 points with a win.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder gave no immediate answer when asked about how the clock functions were handled, especially those on the Jokic box.
“It’s hard to point to one thing,” Snyder said. “The refs have their job to do, and we have our job to do.”
With the win, Denver is now two full games ahead of Houston for third place in the West. Utah, on the other hand, is percentage points ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder for fifth place – setting the very real possibility that these two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs when they face off on August 17. get started.
Information from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon was used in this report.
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