The Denver Nuggets got blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first game of the season. This was not cause for immediate concern as the Thunder have one of the best offenses in the NBA. The team had a chance to rebound on Saturday evening against the Los Angeles Clippers. Unfortunately, the Nuggets had the same issues from the first game. Going into the season, many analysts had questions about the offense. They have too many players who are inconsistent scorers on a night-to-night basis. Those issues were evident on Saturday as the team lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 despite 41 points from Jokic.
Denver Nuggets Struggle To Find Offense
Nikola Jokic was fantastic for the Denver Nuggets. He had 41 points and a career-high seven three-pointers. This was just another game for the three-time MVP of the league. Outside of Jokic, the rest of the team struggled to find their rhythm. Jamal Murray was the next-highest scorer with 22 points, but the third-highest was Christian Braun with 11. What is even more concerning is the shooting percentage for key players on the team. The trio of Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon went a combined 14-37 from the field and an abysmal 4-16 from three.
We’ve seen Jokic improve the players around him, but if the shots do not fall, it doesn’t matter how brilliant he is. This has been the issue for the Denver Nuggets in the past. Porter Jr. has always been a streaky scorer. When he is on his game, this team is unstoppable. However, more often than not, he has shooting nights like tonight. The real disappointment is Murray. They signed him to a massive extension in the offseason and are counting on him to be the second star on the team. If the Denver Nuggets are going to make a championship run, he has to play better.
Norm Powell Goes Off Against The Denver Nuggets
The Los Angeles Clippers got a big performance out of Norm Powell. With Kawhi Leonard sidelined for an indefinite amount of time, someone had to help James Harden on the scoring front. Powell scored 37 points on 14-21 shooting and 7-11 from three. In the fourth quarter, he hit some huge shots to keep pace with the Denver Nuggets and ultimately help the team pull away. Harden was also brilliant again, dishing out 16 assists on top of his 23 points.
Ivica Zubac quietly had a dominant game as well. While he struggled to stop Jokic offensively, he helped clean up the glass on all the missed shots. The veteran grabbed 15 rebounds and added 24 points on 11-17 shooting. Overall, the Clippers look like the more complete team. They got production out of their key players and were able to hold off the Nuggets at the end.
Late Game Drama
With the score tied at 103, James Harden drove down the middle of the court and was fouled by Aaron Gordon. The Denver Nuggets heavily protested the call, saying Harden grabbed Gordon’s arm and forced the foul. It went to review, and the referees looked at it for a long time. However, they ultimately decided to stick with the original call. Harden drained both free throws, and the Los Angeles Clippers never gave up the lead. The Denver Nuggets had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds, but Jokic missed an awkward three.
The Denver Nuggets are now 0-2 to start the season and begin a three-game road trip on Monday. They kick it off against the Toronto Raptors, followed by the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The first two are very winnable games, even though they are on the road. In the NBA, this type of slow start isn’t a death sentence on the season. However, the Denver Nuggets need to figure out the offense soon, or they could find themselves behind teams in a stacked Western Conference.
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