Watch: Monte Morris hits 4th-quarter buzzer-beater as Denver Nuggets down Steph Curry and co. by 1 point
Monte Morris hit the game-winning buzzer-beater as the Denver Nuggets downed the Golden State Warriors by a point at the Chase Center on Wednesday.
Despite being in the ascendancy, the Dubs were undone by a clutch shot from Morris, who finished with 13 points. The 26-year old received a stunning no-look pass from Nikola Jokic. With barely any time left, Morris released a quick shot that went into the basket as the Nuggets won 117-116 on the night.
Big. Game. Tae. 🔒
BUZZER BEATER W. https://t.co/DUZpx8ZRvL
Morris and the Nuggets were ecstatic to see that shot go in, as the Warriors have not been an easy team to beat at the Chase Center this season.
The Warriors came into the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead. However, the Nuggets kept the scores close before edging ahead only to be pegged back. Before making the decisive three, Morris scored a vital layup to give the Nuggets a two-point lead. However, Steph Curry shot a terrific mid-range jumper and made a free throw to give the Warriors a one-point lead with 5.9 seconds left to play.
The Nuggets were not done on the night, though. Morris inbounded the ball to Nikola Jokic. The former MVP was defended by Kevon Looney, who did a fabulous job of not letting the Joker make the bucket. However, Morris found a spot to drain a three to seal a thrilling win.
When asked about the final game-sealing play in the post-game walk-off, Monte Morris said:
"The play was obviously for Nikola, but he told me in the timeout to just be shot ready, just in case. I saw Steph; I was open initially on the cut, but I knew Steph was going to just try and go make Nikola clock confuse."
"I was just shot ready; Nikola trusted me, and that meant a lot, especially an MVP like that, to give me that ball right there, and I just knocked it down, you know, a shot that I practice a lot."
Monte Morris takes us through the play on his #TissotBuzzerBeater to lift the @nuggets to victory! https://t.co/z1XZGiJ8DO
Monte Morris, Nikola Jokic star in Denver Nuggets' win against Golden State Warriors
The Denver Nuggets came into the game on the back of an impressive win over the Orlando Magic.
However, the team knew they were up against it at the Chase Center. The Warriors started the game well, scoring 33 first-quarter points and restricting the Nuggets to 25.
GARY PAYTON II BLOCKED JOKIC AND DID SOME PUSH-UPS 😤 https://t.co/XQZwnJm3C0
As the game progressed, the Warriors kept racking buckets, but the away team was not too far behind as they disrupted the Dubs' momentum. The Nuggets got their lead late in the fourth quarter, but they couldn't hold it for too long.
However, Monte Morris took things under control and won the game at the death for the Nuggets. Although it was Morris' shot that sealed the game for his team, Nikola Jokic was the one who made the decisive pass.
Let's not forget about the MVP...
BACK. TO. BACK.
CASE CLOSED. https://t.co/aZ8xwjUdnN
He ended the game with 35 points and 17 rebounds to lead the way from the front. Another standout player for the Nuggets on the night was Bryn Forbes, who scored 22 points on 66.7% shooting from the field.
He came off the bench to give his team a much-needed boost, which eventually helped them grab a win on the night. This was the Nuggets' last game before the All-Star break.
Their campaign will now resume on February 24 against the Sacramento Kings. They will hope to keep up the good work for the remainder of the season as they look to make the playoffs.