Tim Hardaway Jr. has never let a cold stretch define his career. If he did, he wouldn’t be the invaluable 13-year veteran that he is for a Nuggets team that needs everything he’s got right now. Thursday was another one of those nights as Denver hung on for a down-to-the-wire, 107-103 win over Michael Porter Jr. and the Nets thanks in large part to Hardaway’s 25 points on 7-for-11 shooting from 3-point range, matching a season high in makes from beyond the arc. “We needed it, too,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “I thought he got us going. Just the power of confidence is amazing, man. If you believe you are something and you put the work in, you should have the right to go ahead and do it. That’s what Tim is. He’s professional. Just an outstanding night for, in my opinion, someone who should be up for Sixth Man of the Year.” From the end of the win over the Wizards in Washington until the second half of the win over the Bucks in Milwaukee, Hardaway was just 1-for-24 on threes. Since? He’s 14-for-24. “It helps when you get a wide open look (for) your first shot attempt,” Hardaway said. “When I see one go in, it feels good from there.” Especially in the first half, Hardaway was going shot-for-shot with Porter, who received a nice warm welcome from the Mile High City in his first game back since his trade to Brooklyn last summer.  “He’s just been super consistent,” Jamal Murray said. “Plays with the same energy and intensity. He’s just been a consistent source of offense for us all throughout the year, especially with all the guys out. It’s been great to have him on the floor. We’re gonna need more of that. Every time he’s out there, he’s making an impact.” Hardaway also grabbed a season-high eight rebounds as he and the rest of the bench unit carried the Nuggets to the win.  “That bench unit was so impactful,” Adelman said. “They were the reason we won the game tonight with Jamal closing it out.” Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown (11) goes up for a shot during the 4th quarter of a game at Ball Arena on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett) Unlike Tuesday against the Pistons, Murray did what he needed to seal this win. After missing multiple free throws that would’ve forced overtime against Detroit, the likely soon-to-be-announced first-time All-Star delivered in the clutch with multiple baskets and multiple free throws in the final minutes. Murray finished with a team-high 27 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the field to go with six assists.  The Nuggets are now 10-6 since Nikola Jokic’s injury, continuing to find ways to survive and even keep pace in an ultra-competitive Western Conference without the three-time MVP. “This has been an interesting however many weeks,” Adelman said. “We’ve won a lot of close games. The other night against Detroit we had a chance. A lot of it has been sitting down and guarding and trusting Jamal Murray that he’s gonna make the right play and win it. I think belief plays a big part in that. There’s a real belief in the locker room. That just says that you’re trying to do the right thing for your teammate.” GAME RECAP Nuggets 107, Nets 103 What happened: Denver (32-16) hung on late for its 10th win in 16 games without Nikola Jokic, staving off a feisty Brooklyn team (12-34) that rallied from 19 down to tie the game midway through the third quarter and push the Nuggets until the final whistle. What went right: Tim Hardaway made six of his first seven 3-pointers as he tied his season high with seven makes from beyond the arc on the way to his fourth game with 25 or more points since joining the Nuggets. He was a game-high +21 in over 27 minutes of action. What went wrong: The Nuggets didn’t have much of an answer early for old friend Michael Porter Jr. as he went off for a season-high 38 points, coming up one point shy of his career high. The 2023 NBA champion with Denver took a career-high 28 shots in his first game back at Ball Arena.  Up next: Denver welcomes the Los Angeles Clippers to town for the first time since Game 7 of last year’s first-round playoff matchup. The second half of the Nuggets’ latest back-to-back tips off at 7 p.m. (Altitude). ...read more read less