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First shift:
The Nuggets came out like they were in Game 4 of a six-day road trip, running out of energy and returning the ball. Zeke Nnaji finally opened the scoring for Denver with a three-point jump. The Hawks also started off cold, going 2/8 to start the game. About 3 minutes later, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. started trading baskets and the hoop appeared to be getting bigger for both teams. Hawks took the first timeout with 6:58 left in the quarter; Nuggets led 12-9.
Out of the time out, the pace started to pick up and both teams struggled to secure saves. Finally, Michael Porter Jr. of All People stopped the bleeding with a nice low side block on Trae Young’s layup attempt; this led to a transition three for Will Barton. The next possession was a quick steal from Denver leading to an MPJ layup that saw the Nuggets’ lead jump to 7.
The substitutes started to take the short and in his first few minutes of rotation in a while, Bol Bol immediately pulled off an easy layup with a simple cut to the basket and Campazzo’s sweet dish. A few minutes later, he also hit a corner three. Jokic struggled to score the entire quarter and he called when he finally hit the free throw line, missing the first and making the second. Atlanta did most of its damage to the hoop and if more of their jumpers started falling they could quickly recover the lead. For now, the Nuggets are leading 33-27 to finish first.
Second quarter:
Our old friend Danilo Gallinari hit a three from a late defensive rotation on the Hawks’ first possession and Malone took a raging timeout 16 seconds into the quarter. The bench gave up the remainder of its lead as Atlanta started the quarter on a 10-0 run.
The Nuggets offense has gotten too high, as we see so often when Jokic leaves court. The Hawks started to manage a zone defense and Denver couldn’t figure it out. On the defensive end, 52 percent three-point shooter Tony Snell was left open multiple times at the three-point line and he predictedly made Denver pay.
Then Monte Morris got hot and scored six times to put the Nuggets back in place by 2. Jokic came back but continued his form in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Hawks were hitting the basket at will and running an 8-0 run to come back 51-47.
Jamal hit a tough three, but the Hawks’ run continued to a point where they had their biggest lead of the game at 10 points. That long 21-9 run seemed to be fueled largely by the Nuggets’ tired legs and lazy turnovers. The Hawks were pushing them on both sides. Denver scored the last bucket of the half and went into the 56-64 breakout.
Third quarter:
Trae Young had to be pulled again from the technique he was called up at the end of the half as he came out on fire. The Nuggets actually started the half-time well, but once Trae really got off the ground, Atlanta started building on that lead. Nikola did not come out of his shooting fall at half time and was 3/12 off the pitch. No one else stepped in to take some of Nikola’s scoring burden and just like that the Hawks were up 17. Timeout Nuggets with 4:37 left in the quarter.
The Hawks continued to tear Denver apart with pick and rolls, dribbling penetration and Trae Young’s heroism. Their lead climbed to 23 before a Campazzo three and a Hampton dunk triggered a 5-0 mini run for Denver. The deficit was reduced to 17 at the end of a difficult second consecutive quarter. 93-76 Hawks.
It is going to take a huge effort to get back into this game and you have to ask yourself if the road trip fatigue can be overcome. Maybe Jokic was just saving his marks for the last quarter.
Fourth trimester:
The jumpers were still late to start the quarter, but Denver’s aggression and energy had at least picked up on both sides. It didn’t work immediately as they played too much on the defense and Atlanta made them pay. Still, you got a feeling the Nuggets weren’t going to let a lack of effort in the fourth be the reason they lost. Three back to backs from Jamal and Monte and the lead was reduced to 13, Hawks timeout.
When we returned, the two teams started trading baskets and the Nuggets couldn’t build on their run. With 4:07 to go in the game, the Hawks were now 15 and time was running out for the Nuggets’ return prospects.
With just under two minutes to go, Facundo hit a pair of threes to bring the deficit down to 8 with a miraculous chance. It was as close as the Nuggets would come, however, as they racked up a few extra points but couldn’t force turnovers. Instead, they sent the Atlanta players to the free throw line where they put Denver on the sidelines.
In the end, Denver dug too deep a hole in the second and third quarters to come out. Trae Young’s 35 points and 15 assists and Clint Capela’s defense and his super-efficient 22 points and 10 rebounds led the Hawks to pass the Nuggets in a somewhat competitive affair. The Nuggets lack key contributors and were allowed to be fatigued, but an Atlanta-caliber team is still vulnerable enough to be beaten.
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