The 10-piece breaks down 10 things to know from each of the Nuggets’ 82 regular season games. Today’s edition discusses the Nuggets’ 126-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
1. Bounce back: The Nuggets have always been fairly good about avoiding a spiral. They are especially good at it on back-to-backs. The Nuggets are 2-6 on the FRONT END of back-to-backs so far this year. They are an incredible 8-0 on the second night.
2. Murray Flurry: Jamal Murray led the way with 21 points on 13 shots, dishing nine assists in the process. He hit two three-pointers in the second quarter and nearly broke out the Blue Arrow celebration. Having fun in basketball is important.
3. MPJ’s shotmaking: The first three made shots of the night for Michael Porter Jr. were incredibly difficult. A spinning mid-range jumper and two pull-up threes. All were contested, and none of it mattered. Porter had 19 points on 8-of-12 from the field.
4. Russ Working: Westbrook told Ivica Zubac and the Clippers that he was getting an offensive rebound in the first quarter on a free throw attempt. He grabbed it over Zubac, made the putback layup, and gave a primal scream in the general direction of the Clippers bench.
5. Dynamic Guard play: Murray had his effective night. Westbrook had 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Julian Strawther got in on the action with 16 efficient points off the bench. It was a good night for Denver’s guard rotation, the only players to play backcourt spots until garbage time.
6. “Go DJ, that’s my DJ": DeAndre Jordan outplayed Ivica Zubac tonight. It can happen, and it’s funny that it’s happened multiple times in the last two seasons. Jordan was fantastic, bringing great energy, defense, and dunks. The team cherishes him.
7. Dario Positivity: Seven points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal for Dario Saric in 20 minutes. The Nuggets won Saric’s minutes tonight. The Clippers backup center was either Nicolas Batum or Mo Bamba, so it’s not a big deal. Still, progress.
8. P-Swat locking down: A big reason for Saric’s success was the help given defensively by Peyton Watson. He was dynamic on that end, matching up with James Harden, Norman Powell, and Kevin Porter Jr. as a defensive ace. Watson’s defensive numbers are starting to creep up there with elite players.
9. Playoff Implications: The Nuggets tied the Clippers 2-2 in head-to-head matchups. That could become a big deal for playoff seeding. The more tiebreakers the Nuggets own against the West, the better.
10. Up Next: The Nuggets play Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets to complete a three-game homestand. Perhaps Jokic will be back healthy by then.
