A fast two-game street journey to renew the common season served as a tour of the NBA’s finest defenses for the Denver Nuggets.
The Cavaliers had the NBA’s finest defensive ranking till the Nuggets scored 115 factors in Friday’s win in Cleveland. The Nuggets didn’t have the identical success Saturday in Memphis, house of the NBA’s second-best protection, in a 112-94 loss. An 11-for-37 displaying from 3-point vary paired with 15 turnovers produced the Nuggets’ lowest-scoring recreation of the season.
The Grizzlies created their huge lead by forcing the Nuggets into 11 turnovers within the first half, whereas Denver began simply 3 of 16 from 3. Nikola Jokic’s 15 factors have been a team-high, whereas Jeff Inexperienced (12), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (11) and Christian Braun (11) have been the one different Nuggets to attain greater than 10 factors.
Memphis’s bodily model of protection appeared notably bothersome to Jamal Murray (3-13) and Michael Porter Jr. (2-10), who mixed to go 5 of 23 from the sphere. The Grizzlies completed with a 20-10 benefit in factors off turnovers.
The Nuggets will match up in opposition to one other above-average protection Sunday in Denver. At 12, the Clippers have been one spot forward of the Nuggets in defensive ranking on Saturday night time.
Whose bench is it anyway?
The pattern measurement remains to be too small to make sweeping assessments in relation to Denver’s second unit, however there may be an id that must be developed.
Reggie Jackson performed his second recreation as second-unit level guard Saturday. He spent most of his minutes alongside Bruce Brown, Christian Braun, Jeff Inexperienced and Thomas Bryant as he did Thursday in Cleveland. That group might embrace Vlatko Cancar as an alternative of Inexperienced when Aaron Gordon returns from an injured rib, however the identical query will stay – what can this second unit rely on?
Decide-and-roll units with Jackson and Bryant could be the very best guess within the half courtroom, whereas Brown, Braun and Inexperienced appear to be at their finest in transition. The unit’s success might come right down to creating sufficient straightforward offense off protection till there’s sufficient chemistry to do among the extra superior stuff.
Brown led the reserves with 12 shot makes an attempt, making three. Jackson took 9 pictures, whereas each Inexperienced (7) and Braun (6) took greater than Bryant’s 4. With 4 makes, Braun was the one one to shoot higher than 45% from the sphere.
Standings watch
Saturday was one thing of a missed alternative for the Nuggets, however it’s not the final one.
The Nuggets would’ve moved seven video games away from the Grizzlies with a win in Memphis. As an alternative, they’ll begin Sunday with a five-game cushion, the identical margin Denver took into the All-Star break.
Friday’s house recreation in opposition to the Grizzlies is now doubly necessary, because the season-long tie breaker might be up for grabs. Denver gained the primary assembly this season, a house recreation on Dec. 20, by 14 factors. Memphis evened issues with an emphatic win Saturday. Now, subsequent Friday’s recreation will decide who will get the highest billing if the groups end with equivalent data.
GRIZZLIES 112, NUGGETS 94
What occurred: What ought to have been a marquee matchup between the highest two groups within the Western Convention was the other.
Memphis closed the primary quarter on a 12-3 run, main by eight after one, and began the second on a 14-2 run to get the result in 20. After main by as many as 29 within the second, the Grizzlies took a 66-42 benefit at halftime. Memphis prolonged the result in 35 and put the sport out of attain within the third quarter. Denver gained the fourth quarter 32-18 to make the ultimate rating extra palatable.
The Nuggets are 42-19, whereas Memphis improved to 36-23.
What went proper: The Grizzlies’ huge lead allowed the new-look bench unit to work by means of some issues within the fourth quarter. Rookies Peyton Watson and Jack White hit some 3s within the closing minutes.
What went flawed: The Nuggets didn’t even get to spend Saturday night time in Memphis. After a recreation the place every little thing went flawed, it was proper to the crew airplane headed again to Denver.
Spotlight of the night time: Thomas Bryant flashed some defensive potential, getting up for a block early within the fourth quarter, however that was about it for the Nuggets. Ja Morant offered many of the highlights on the night time.
Up subsequent: The Nuggets host the Clippers on Sunday.
