Nikola Joic struggled with his shot all Thursday. But when the Nuggets needed a security basket in the waning seconds, he was there to tip the ball in.
The Nuggets used a late surge to gut out a 100-96 win Thursday night at the Pepsi Center against a division opponent and move closer to that coveted eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff race.
Denver, which played its 10th consecutive game without second-leading scorer Gary Harris, and Minnesota now have the same record at 44-35 — but the Timberwolves hold the tiebreaker because of their 2-1 series lead with one game remaining in Minneapolis on April 11.