Nuggets Suffer Heartbreaking Loss to Blazers in NBA Cup Thriller

On November 1st, 2025, the Denver Nuggets faced off against the Portland Trail Blazers in a crucial NBA Cup group stage matchup. The Nuggets, who were just a couple of plays away from being 5-0, found themselves on the wrong end of a 109-107 result, falling to 3-2 on the season.

The game came down to the wire, with the Nuggets holding a slim lead late. However, a series of controversial calls and non-calls in the final seconds ultimately decided the outcome. Christian Braun missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Nuggets a five-point lead, and he was then called for a foul while trying to defend Jerami Grant's missed layup, allowing the former Nugget to tie the game at the free-throw line.

In the final seconds, Cam Johnson's potential game-winning layup attempt was blocked, but a second defender crashed into him as he tried to land. The officials did not call a foul, and the Nuggets were unable to set up a final play, leading to a 24-second violation and a buzzer-beater opportunity for the Blazers. Jerami Grant then drew a late foul and sank the game-winning free throws.

Despite Nikola Jokic's impressive performance, which included 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists, his historic streak of consecutive triple-doubles to start the season came to an end. The Nuggets' defense was solid, but their offense struggled against the Blazers' stifling defense, particularly in the second half.