The Portland Trail Blazers finally played the kids, and guess what? It wasn’t a disaster. They pushed the Denver Nuggets down to the final seconds, but Reggie Jackson and Aaron Gordon did enough to beat the Blazers, 114-111.
Denver was short-handed as well, missing reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, as well as Jamal Murray. The Nuggets’ makeshift lineups looked differing levels of discombobulated, especially against Portland’s energetic D.
Anfernee Simons was ruled out of the game, and coach Chauncey Billups announced that an MRI is being performed on Simons’ left knee. Results are not yet known.