Tonight, the Denver Nuggets went into the Moda Center and lost to the Portland Trailblazers by a final score of 119-100. Portland was bolstered by guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, who combined for 57 points on 22/32 shooting. McCollum was +28 in the plus/minus, while Lillard was a +13.
The stat which encapsulates tonight’s game was the 17 turnovers Denver committed. Not only did this lead to easy buckets for the Blazers, but the Nuggets cannot afford to have this many lapses, especially when they are shorthanded. Also, it did not help Portland had an efficient night in this aspect of the game, only having 9 turnovers, with 2 turnovers coming in garbage time. Prior to tonight, Denver has averaged 13.8* turnovers per game.
One bright spot for the Nuggets, was the return of Zeke Nnaji to the rotation. Nnaji, coming off an ankle sprain which sidelined him for a few nights, played 15 minutes while scoring 8 points and pulling down 7 rebounds. Nnaji was also a -3 in the plus/minus. It has been a small sample size, but Nnaji’s impact can be a promising takeaway from tonight’s loss for Denver. During the beginning stretch of the season, the Nuggets bench has lacked play of an athletic, rim-running big man and Nnaji can fill that role. Nnaji can also stretch the floor and he proved that tonight shooting 2/4 from the perimeter. Let’s all hope he continues to be a big piece of the Nuggets bench.
A couple of other notes from tonight’s loss was a great game for Jeff Green. He scored 24 points while shooting 56% from the field and tacked on 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Unfortunately the injury bug continued tonight after PJ Dozier left fell awkwardly on his left knee. He exited the game in the 1st quarter and did not return. Hopefully, the injury is not as bad as it appeared and the Nuggets will not lose another player on this already decimated roster.
Denver takes on the reigning NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night at Ball Arena. With Nikola Jokic potentially returning from his sprained right wrist, the Nuggets could steer the ship in the right direction with a win and give fans another reason to be thankful after the holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving and I am thankful for the Denver Nuggets. I hope you have a great time with your friends, family, and amazing food. Or however you choose to spend it 🙂
*I initially said Denver averaged 12.3 turnovers/game. I was way off.*
Stats Tell Stories 