The longest road trip of the season just got a little longer.

The Nuggets will have a 17-point blown lead to think about as they head to Miami for the second contest of a seven-game trip. Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 127-126 loss to the Magic on Saturday at Kia Center.

The clutch remains the Nuggets’ biggest concern. Despite blowing big lead, Denver regained a three-point lead in the final two minutes. From there, Orlando scored on its final five possessions, while Denver had two empty possessions – a Nikola Jokic turnover that led to an Anthony Black layup with a little more than a minute left and Jamal Murray’s buzzer-beater that rimmed out. Denver has lost 13 of the 18 games they’ve played that have been five-point games in the final five minutes, including their last two road games. Denver survived a blown defensive possession at the end of regulation on Thursday but didn’t have the same luck on Saturday. David Adelman had to use both of his challenges in the minutes before to get fouls originally called on Nikola Jokic turned into free throws for Denver, so Denver’s coach was helpless when Bruce Brown was called for a foul on Desmond Bane with 7 seconds left. Bane made both, and Denver’s final offensive possession wasn’t executed very well, despite Murray getting a shot he’s more than capable of making. There will be gripes about the officiating, but the Nuggets could’ve prevented it from getting to that point.

Some of the turnovers are excusable, what’s more alarming is the points Denver’s allowed off the giveaways. That game is not close in the clutch without Orlando’s 27-4 advantage in points off turnovers. There are going to be miscues while new rotations find their flow, but limiting the opponent’s opportunities after the turnover is about heart and hustle. Sure, Denver played an overtime game late on Christmas, but Orlando played last night. It’s hard to fault Nikola Jokic, who offset his four turnovers with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists. Jamal Murray wasn’t as efficient of a playmaker as he’s been for much of the season with three assists against two turnovers in 37 minutes, but he scored 24 points to help carry the offense. The biggest issue was Denver’s bench being responsible for seven of the turnovers. Jonas Valanciunas had three in 10 minutes, while Jalen Pickett had a couple in the same amount of playing time.

Spencer Jones remains productive enough to prevent the front office from panicking. Denver’s starting five might not be whole again until after the All-Star break after Cam Johnson hyperextended his right knee late in Tuesday’s loss at Dallas, and Denver has an open roster spot if things manage to get even worse, but for Jones, his play has continued to be reason for the executives to be patient. After being active for Denver’s first 31 games, Jones has 19 games left before the Nuggets will have to make a decision about giving him a standard contract that would allow him to help for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs. Jones helped his case with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks against Orlando.

MAGIC 127, NUGGETS 126

What happened: Denver turned an eight-point advantage after the first quarter into a 62-48 lead at halftime. Orlando closed within nine to start the fourth and took a lead early in the fourth and held off Denver late to drop the Nuggets to 22-9 on the season.

What went right: Julian Strawther had his highest-scoring game of the season. After missing a stretch with a back issue, Strawther scored 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting against the Magic. His only miss came from 3, and he threw down a transition alley-oop from Tim Hardaway Jr.

What went wrong: After holding the Magic to fewer than 50 points in the first half, Denver’s defense gave up 36 points in the third quarter and 43 in the fourth. Anthony Black torched the Nuggets from 3 where he went 7 of 11 and in transition to score a career-high 38 points.

Highlight of the night: Spencer Jones showcased all that he can do in a three-possession sequence early in the third quarter. He hit a corner 3-pointer, blocked Anthony Black’s driving layup and a had a putback that turned into a three-point play that extended Denver’s lead to 17.

Up next: The Nuggets stay in Florida for Monday’s game against the Heat in Miami.