Forty-eight hours after dispatching the Spurs in their first Game 7 triumph in 41 years, the Nuggets rode a 37-point performance from Nikola Jokic to a 121-113 win over the well-rested Portland Trail Blazers in the opener of their second-round series.

Despite logging 41 1/2 minutes after playing 43 1/2 two nights earlier, Jokic continued his playoff coming-out party by dominating once more. He made 11 of 18 shots and all 12 of his free throws to go with nine boards and a half dozen assists.

„He’s a sponge,“ Paul Millsap said. „He picks it up. He sees how people are playing him and guarding him and he makes the right play every time. That’s what’s great about him — he doesn’t force anything. Everything is going to be the right play. He’s going to make the right reads. He’s like a quarterback out there.

„I consider him like a Tom Brady — he’s always going to pick you apart and make the right reads. Commend him for doing that at this stage in his career. It’s unbelievable.“

SLOPPY PLAY

The game was marred by 30 turnovers, but the Blazers turned 12 takeaways to just six points while the Nuggets turned Portland’s 18 turnovers into 23 points.

„I think today’s game was really sloppy,“ Jokic said. „There wasn’t much defense.“

The Nuggets are 4-1 at the Pepsi Center in the playoffs after going an NBA-best 37-4 at home during the regular season. … Denver was 27 of 31 from the free throw line. … Back-to-back layups by Lillard pulled Portland to within five points with nine minutes left, but Jokic sank a pair of free throws off CJ McCollum’s flagrant foul sandwiched by a pair of dunks by Mason Plumlee as Denver pushed its lead back to double digits at 107-96.

ESPN