BROOKLYN, NY – To get their first win of the season, the Nuggets almost had to sacrifice their second.

Michael Malone knew the risk he was taking. It paid off with a narrow breakthrough in overtime on Monday night in Toronto. But the physical toll on his starters was visible 24 hours later, as they immediately struggled to defend the perimeter against a team believed to be the worst in the NBA.

The Nuggets allowed 40 points in the first quarter and fell behind by as many as 17 in the second quarter before recovering with a 144-139 victory over the Nets on Tuesday – again in overtime.

Nikola Jokic boosted his team with another masterpiece: 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists on 9 of 16 shots. In a déjà vu sequence, trailing by three at the end of regulation time, the Nuggets settled for two points with 33.8 seconds left. Malone called for a Jokic post-up, like Monday, which Jokic, like Monday, easily implemented. Then, like Monday, the Nuggets' opponent missed a free throw, giving them a chance to tie the game in the final seconds without the need for a three-pointer. Again, Denver chose a Jokic post-up.

“We’re trying to get there to see, are they going to double?” the center said.

Not Brooklyn. The three-time MVP hit an effortless baby hook with nine ticks to go.

“They doubled him big tonight,” Malone said. “That was more, they waited for him to dribble the ball and then the double came. I’m so glad I get to coach Nikola because I can’t imagine a game plan that’s designed to protect this guy.”

The only difference between their back-to-back spells: This time the Nuggets left enough time to give away a wide-open corner as time expired. Dorian Finney-Smith clinked.

And again the starting eleven had to work overtime in the office. Malone had already switched to an eight-man rotation in the second half of the Toronto game.

“Obviously last night we were in a game where we shortened our rotation a little bit in the second half because we felt the pressure to get our first win of the season,” he said before opening remarks at Barclays Center. “And when you look at the score after the game, especially before the second night of a back-to-back game in Brooklyn, you have all the starting players at or near 40 minutes. And that is not sustainable. We can't do that. Game three, it was cool, man. Let's get our first win and take a deep breath. But that’s not sustainable.”

His foresight was probably more immediate than he had hoped. The Nets shot 12 of 24 from distance in the first half. When they weren't starting, Denver's defenders still took the bait by allowing drivers to get behind them and catch up on rotations. After another difficult bench effort, Brooklyn led 47-30 with 9:42 left in the half.

The Nuggets' collective redemption came about an hour later in the form of a snarling, sharp-shooting Russell Westbrook. He was the best version of himself in the first half, playing brilliant passes to Jokic and pushing his way to the foul line with the second unit (and then converting the free throws). But on the final possession of the third quarter, with Denver trailing 99-93, he made just his second 3-pointer of the season. On the first possession of the fourth period, he drove to Peyton Watson and kicked it to the third corner. Drawn game.

His next pull-up 3-point attempt, ill-advised or not, gave him 22 points on 12 shots and capped a 13-2 run. It was 106-101, Denver.

Russ gives and Russ takes. During a quick 5-0 response from Brooklyn, he threw down an uncontested dunk with his left hand, setting the stage for Denver's second straight thrilling finish.