The Denver Nuggets delivered a historic performance on February 20, 2026, overwhelming the Portland Trail Blazers 157–103 at the Moda Center.
Nikola Jokić set the tone early, pouring in 19 first-quarter points on his way to 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in under 30 minutes. Despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter, he dominated from the opening tip.
The Serbian center shared his feelings after the historic win over the Trail Blazers.
“Yeah, definitely. We had a really good game,” Jokic said. “Everybody was set up. Everybody played with a lot of energy. Defense was really on a high note, high level. Everybody were locking. We were making shots. We had a good start. Like it was a perfect game for us.”
The eight-time NBA All-Star also opened up about his performance in the game.
“I made like little mid-range shot and felt it good and I made couple threes and just felt it good. From that moment I just keep being aggressive.”
Jokic praised the teamwork as the Nuggets prepare themselves for a deep postseason push.
“We were creating open looks. The ball was going in that you feel confident and you were just going to make shots. We were playing for each other out there and everybody was making extra pass to make a perfect shot. Uh, and we were making it.”
Portland started off with an early but short-lived advantage thanks to two early three-pointers from rookie Donovan Clingan, but that momentum quickly vanished. Denver answered with a decisive 13–0 surge, ignited by a Cameron Johnson dunk in transition.
Nikola Jokic took control immediately, pouring in 19 points in the opening quarter alone and helping the Nuggets build a 14-point cushion by the end of the period.
While Jokic got a brief rest in the second quarter, Tim Hardaway Jr. kept the offense rolling with a pair of threes. Once the starters checked back in, Jamal Murray caught fire, drilling four triples in the quarter. The half closed in dramatic fashion when Murray drew a foul on a three-point attempt with 0.4 seconds remaining and calmly converted all three free throws, giving Denver 82 first-half points — the second-highest mark in franchise history.
The dominance continued after the break. Denver pushed past 90 points early in the third and stretched the lead beyond 30. Jokić showcased his playmaking brilliance, highlighted by a slick transition dime to Julian Strawther for an easy bucket.
The advantage ballooned to 40 before the starters were pulled. Even then, the reserves kept pouring it on, with Jonas Valančiūnas controlling the paint and KJ Simpson making the most of his minutes, as the lead peaked at 55 before finishing at 54.
List of Records Nuggets Broke in Win Over Portland
The 54-point win marked the largest regular-season margin in franchise history, eclipsing the previous 52-point record set against the Seattle SuperSonics on March 16, 2008.
Denver’s 157 points were the most ever scored by the franchise in a road game and the highest single-game total by any NBA team during the 2025–26 season. It also ranked sixth-highest in Nuggets history.
The team erupted for 82 points in the first half, the second-most in franchise history, and became the first team in NBA history to record at least 150 points, 60 rebounds, 40 assists, and 20 three-pointers in a single game.
