The Denver Nuggets had a defeat last night, but hoped to turn the tables on the Washington Wizards tonight. It looked like things were going well with Nikola Jokic dominating early. Unfortunately, they conceded forty-six points in the second quarter and were unable to recover. Jamal Murray almost took them back in the final minutes, but a great night by Davis Bertans, Bradley Beal and referee Dannica Mosher was enough to seal the deal. Nuggets take down another incredibly frustrating game, lose 130-128
The Nuggets had an impulse to start the game with Gary Harris and Monte Morris returning to the team. Their defense was strong in the beginning and they built an initial advantage. The starters really worked on the defense and Jokic dominated everything the Wizards played on him from the start. By the middle of the quarter, Nuggets had gone up double digits. The bank maintained high energy as the quarter progressed and the Nuggets’ leadership continued to grow. When it was over, the Nuggets’ lead had increased to seventeen.
The Nuggets’ offensive stopped the bank to start the second, which allowed the Wizards to run. Denver scored just five points in the first three and a half minutes of the fourth, while Bertans drained three after three. Michael Porter Jr managed to get some buckets to bring some life to the Nuggets’ attack, but the Wizards were still attacking. Bertans hit three more just after the half. Denver was able to stop the bleeding, but suddenly found himself in a game of ball exchanging ball for chance with Washington. To close the room, the Nuggets simply collapsed and gave up on a 9-0 run, including a terrible defensive lapse to close the interval. Washington stepped back and led 70-64 after two.
After coach Michael Malone angrily threw an exercise bike away at halftime, the Nuggets went back. Their attack was trying to keep pace, but the defense was still suspect to say the least. Finally, both teams reached a kind of groove near the middle of the quarter, but the Nuggets failed to close the gap. Jokic and Facundo Campazzo took the offensive for a while, while Westbrook kept things going for Washington. The game was again turning into a painful case of Jokić doing everything and not getting support (outside of Murray and Campazzo). The Denver bench held on to close the room while the Joker rested, but after three the Nuggets still lost by seven.
The Nuggets were redirected to the fourth and opened with a 5-0 streak. They would get as close as a point back before Bertans hit three more. He led a race alongside Washington and they advanced nine. This prompted Malone to bring the starters back to stop the bleeding, which they did, but it also didn’t close the gap. You could say that the team was tired. Bertans remained on fire, reached a new career record in ninth three and air was coming out of Denver’s tires. The fact that they were getting a terrible whistle, including a striking missed call about Westbrook being off-limits, which ended up in a three Bertans, also didn’t help. Denver had a last breath on them with Porter and JaMychal Green hitting three to pull the Nuggets within six with just under three minutes to go. They kept up the pressure to make it extremely tight in the final minutes. Murray continued to be left inexplicably open and tied with a three with thirty seconds remaining. On the other side, Bertans kicked and received a free kick and three free throws. He hit them all, but Murray responded with a three of his own with two seconds to go. Beal received a foul a tenth of a second from the left and hit both free throws. Nuggets lose.