Just like the movie, the Nuggets’ “Gladiator” came out a winner in the final scenes.

With the Denver Nuggets and Magic tied with 14.9 seconds left Sunday at Ball Arena, Nuggets coach Michael Malone went a predictable route – the two-man game with Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic playing off each other.

When the Magic sent a second defender Murray’s way, the Nuggets’ point guard passed to Jokic a step inside the free throw line. Orlando forward Franz Wagner came over to guard Jokic, but the two-time Most Valuable Player came up with another heroic moment, sinking a step-back 3 over Wagner with 0.2 seconds left. The Magic didn’t have enough time to get a shot off, and the Nuggets claimed a 119-116 win just before the buzzer.

“Nikola doing what he does at the end,” Malone said.

“I don’t know how many game-winners he’s had this year. We’ve seen him make a lot in his eight years in Denver, but that was a hell of a way to finish a game out.”

Jokic said he was trying to find the right angle – one that would allow Murray to attack downhill and put the back-to-back MVP in front of the basket – to set a screen. The Magic double team came before Jokic found the right angle, but the ball still came his way.

“I looked up, and it was like three seconds (left), so I had time to do something,” Jokic said. “I just stepped back. It felt good when I was shooting.”

In classic Jokic fashion, there was no celebration after his triumph.

“I don’t know,” Jokic said when asked why he didn’t celebrate. “That’s how I react, with no reaction. … It was, of course, a good feeling just because we won the game basically.”

He was just about the only one not reacting. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope jumped on Jokic’s back. Murray raised his hand, signaling the made 3-pointer, and the Ball Arena crowd showed their appreciation after Jokic played nearly 35 of the 48 minutes. The performance almost left Aaron Gordon, who led all scorers with 25 points, speechless.

“That’s greatness, and Joker’s a great player,” Gordon said. “There’s not enough words to describe how great he is.”

The game-winner was the only shot Jokic attempted in the fourth quarter. He had a good look at a 3 after a pick-and-pop play with Murray and worked himself into advantageous position in the post a couple of times earlier in the fourth, but opted not to shoot.

“It’s just that kind of game,” Jokic said. “I didn’t want to force it. Let’s say it like that.”

He made 8 of 11 shots and finished with 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.

“Are you not entertained?” Malone said, doing his best Maximus impression from the movie Gladiator.

“I was on the edge of my seat the whole night. That was a good movie.”

NUGGETS 119, MAGIC 116

What happened: Nikola Jokic stepped up and extended the streaks.

Jokic splashed a 3-pointer with .2 seconds left to break a tie and secure Denver’s sixth straight win. The Nuggets have won 13 straight at Ball Arena.

An 8-0 Nuggets run in the middle of the first quarter made up for a sluggish start and helped the hosts lead by six to start the second. The Nuggets extended the lead to 12 late in the second quarter and took a 69-54 advantage at halftime.

Denver’s lackluster start to the second half allowed the Magic to close within eight in the first three minutes of the third. A late turnover, Denver’s eighth of the quarter, allowed the Magic to trim the Nuggets’ lead to six to start the fourth. Five straight points from former Nugget Bol Bol gave the Magic the lead with eight minutes to play. The Magic led by three with a minute left. A series of trips to the line tied the game with 14.9 seconds left.

What went right: The ball was popping with Nikola Jokic back in the mix. The Nuggets recorded 21 of their 32 assists in the first half. After committing eight of their 15 turnovers in the third quarter, the Nuggets did not turn it over in the fourth.

What went wrong: The Nuggets struggled to keep the Magic off the free throw line. Orlando scored nearly a third of its 54 first-half points at the line, going 17 for 19. Orlando finished with 34 free throw attempts, making 27. Denver attempted 19, making just 10.

Highlight of the night: Other than the buzzer beater, it was Jamal Murray, not Jokic, threading a pass from the high post. With his back to the basket a step inside the free throw line, Murray saw a cutting Zeke Nnaji in his periphery. The bounce pass found Nnaji between a couple of Orlando defenders, and the Nuggets forward dunked over both of them, putting the Nuggets up seven late in the first.

On deck: The Nuggets play the first leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against Portland.