The Nuggets 10-piece is the 10 things you need to know from every Denver Nuggets game from Locked On Nuggets. Here are the 10 things you need to know from the Nuggets’ second overtime win in a row on Tuesday night, this time against the Brooklyn Nets...
Stuck in the mud: The Nuggets lost the first quarter 40-27 and put themselves in a hole for the entire game. On the second night of a back-to-back, that isn’t surprising, but the entire team had to work hard to get the comeback victory.
Joker’s Wild: Nikola Jokic went crazy with 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists. He’s now averaging 31.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.1 assists on the season. Is it possible he’s better than he’s ever been? The Nets had no answers for him tonight. Double him, and he gets an assist. Single coverage, and he walks you down in the paint like he’s bored.
Russ says hello: This was the first truly impact game for Russell Westbrook in a Nuggets uniform so far. 22 points, including 10/10 from the free throw and two pull-up three-pointers! Russ was feeling himself tonight. He turned the tide in the second half.
Dead Legs on the Perimeter: Dennis Schroder, Cam Johnson, and Ziaire Williams combined to shoot an absurd 15/26 from three last night. The Nuggets perimeter defenders were a step slow to contest the outside jumpers. Denver’s fortunate that the rest of the Nets shot just 5/26 from three on the night.
Except for Christian Braun: The Nuggets main perimeter stopper chased around Cam Thomas all game and limited the flame-throwing shooting guard to 26 points on just 22 shots. Braun’s defense continues to stand out as essential in the Nuggets starting unit.
Signs of life: Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. didn’t have great games, but they were solid. Murray had 24 points and shot eight free throws. His defense was also solid. Porter had 16 points and shot 4-of-7 from three. His defense was not solid.
Unsung Hero: Aaron Gordon’s 24 points will go under the radar, but he shot 8/11 from the field and 7/7 from the line. That efficiency saved the Nuggets.
Bench Plus-Minus: As important as the non-Jokic minutes always are, they didn’t lose the Nuggets this game. Dario Saric was -3 in 12 minutes. Jokic played the other 41, including the five in overtime.
Youth Movement: On a back-to-back, it’s good to see Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson play consistent minutes. Both played at least 20 tonight, which will help their development in the long run.
A Win Is A Win: The Nuggets found a way to win in Brooklyn despite being on tired legs. It wasn’t pretty, but these are wins good teams get no matter what. The Nuggets needed to get it done, and they did.
