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In what was arguably the most important game of the year, the Denver Nuggets have shown both the continued flashes of brilliance since the trade deadline and the red flags plaguing the second unit. Leading by 18 at one point, the Nuggets let the Clippers get back into the game, but ultimately managed to hold onto a critical 101-94 win.
The Nuggets starters continue to look out of control and provide an incredibly balanced attack, double-digit five and a healthy distribution of 28 assists. Jamal Murray led the way with 23 and had a few daggers late in the game to seal the victory and Aaron Gordon continues to score with 14 points, 6 tables and 6 assists. Cutting him off as opposing teams double or triple Jokic is deadly. More impressive was his defense against Kawhi, who was 24 but had to work for each of those points.
Denver never lagged behind tonight, but that didn’t mean it was an easy win. Leonard had a very good third quarter with 11 points in the frame as the Clippers were able to take the lead from Denver. LA also really picked up the defensive intensity in the second half, showing multiple players on both Jokic and Murray, which really bogged down Denver’s offense. The Nuggets also made 9 turnovers in the second half against only 3 in the first.
The real problem came, once again, from the bench minutes. Murray + the reserve was pretty awful in the fourth quarter; the Clippers really focused on saving Jamal and no one else was able to score. Meanwhile, the Nuggets hemorrhaged points from the other end as Paul George, Terrance Mann and Ivica Zubac were able to score at will. Facu’s minutes were pretty bad and seem to be the common denominator of it all. The Denver bench was significantly outclassed by 30-11. Not great.
Nikola Jokic had a visibly frustrating game. The Clippers did a great job sending doubles and triples to bother him, but what bothered him the most could have been the lack of foul calls. It was the fifth game this season that Jokic failed to reach. For a center that spends so much time around the rim and has the scratches to show, this is unacceptable. It’s unreal how the main NBA MVP contender is blatantly denied the star treatment. In no way does that mean he had a bad game. Joker finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists and a +13 rating on the night. Denver was still a far better team when he was on the field, and his ground presence in the fourth calmed the storm. Is he the league’s MVP? He is sure.
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