The Denver Nuggets brought their six-game losing skid to a halt with a resounding 120-111 win over the Miami Heat. Miami was without their tough guys in Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, while Denver was without JaMychal Green.
The final score does not emphasize how great of game this was for the Nuggets. Denver shot a blistering hot 51% from three and 58% from the field overall.
What could this be attributed to? Some new hairdos? A “hostile” crowd? Oh, that’s right. The best player in the world made his return to the Nuggets’ lineup!
Nikola Jokic proved his dominance during his 33 minutes of game time. He had 24 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and was a +17 in the plus/minus. A brilliant return for the reigning MVP after missing 4 games with a right wrist sprain. He has a current PER of 35.3, which is on pace for the greatest individual season ever.
Jokic started the game with an aggressive approach which benefited the rest of the team immensely. Not including Jokic, the starters combined for 57% shooting from the field. What makes Denver dangerous is when they score at all three levels- the paint, the midrange, and the perimeter. The Nuggets scored 44 points in the paint and 54 points from three. Overall, just a very solid performance and it came on a night where Denver was desperate for a win.
The bench deserves credit for their performance as well. Led by 19 points from rookie Bones Hyland, who also returned from injury, the bench unit scored 39 points. Malone went with a nine-man rotation for the majority of the game, with Rivers, Campazzo, Nnaji, and Hyland getting the majority of the minutes off the bench. These four players shot a combined 61% from the field and 64% from three. It was nice to see the second unit have a great game with the criticism they have received.
It’s important to note the impact that Jokic has on small aspects of the game, which Denver severely lacked during their four games without him. The Nuggets are a much better team in transition with Jokic being the driving force. After each defensive rebound, Jokic is constantly looking up to find his open teammates. Occasionally, this leads to easy fast break points for Denver. Even though Denver only scored 12 fast break points in this game, it was encouraging to see this back in the game plan because this is how Denver can have a high-powered offense when they are down Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets defense also looked much better with the Joker back as the anchor.
Denver continues their two week-long road trip with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. It will be nice to see Gary “Gary Harris” Harris and RJ Hampton again, but hopefully Denver continues their winning ways.
Stats Tell Stories 