Less than per week in the past, Denver Nuggets was cruising together with the highest seed within the Western Conference just about there for the taking.
Denver appeared primed to solidify its standing with two video games towards groups with a dropping document, earlier than just a little humility arrived for the perfect staff within the West.
After dropping to Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night time that snapped an eight-game house successful streak, the Nuggets fell to San Antonio Spurs that’s 32 video games underneath .500.
Denver takes a two-game skid into a house matchup towards Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
“I think we have faith in what we can do,” Jamal Murray stated.
Maybe essentially the most shocking side of the 128-120 loss to the Spurs was that it got here when Nikola Jokic had one other triple-double. Denver had been 25-0 this season when the two-time MVP will get a triple-double however couldn’t pull it out regardless of his 37 factors, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
The Nuggets’ bench was inefficient towards the Spurs. The addition of Bruce Brown within the offseason and the signing of Reggie Jackson a number of weeks in the past had been supposed to assist that unit however it stays a piece in progress.
On Friday, Denver’s bench was outscored 58-25 and it stays a unit that’s unsettled. The group was pushed into an even bigger position when Michael Porter Jr. was ejected within the third quarter of Friday’s loss.
Brooklyn Nets is attempting to remain out of the play-in match within the Eastern Conference after beginning the season as a contender to succeed in the NBA Finals. But Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the celebs anticipated to steer the staff, have been shipped out West because the roster has been reworked.
The early returns have been combined however the Nets have received 4 of their final 5 video games, together with an additional time thriller at Minnesota on Friday night time. Fittingly, one of many gamers acquired within the Durant commerce, Mikal Bridges, has been a catalyst for the current surge.
Bridges has 30 factors in 4 of the final 5 video games, together with 34 within the 124-123 win over the Timberwolves.
“I don’t think anybody knew that Mikal was this amazing offensively, just being completely real,” Spencer Dinwiddie stated. “It’s our job to make sure that he can get to his spots and get his shots and continue to shoot, stack up these 30s as much as he possibly can.”
Dinwiddie, who got here from Dallas within the Irving deal, has performed effectively too. He is averaging 20.8 factors a recreation in March and has scored in double figures in every of the final seven video games.
He is also an efficient defender protection, along with his block of Mike Conley’s jumper preserving Friday’s win. Sunday’s recreation is the primary of two between the groups. The second one will happen at Brooklyn on March 19.
