ATLANTA — After a rock-bottom defeat that bailed their opponent out of a 16-game losing streak, the only path to redemption for the Nuggets was to snap the next foe’s six-game win streak — 24 hours later, in a different city.
Nikola Jokic amassed another 48 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and three steals, but this time he had help as Denver salvaged its three-game Eastern Conference road swing with a 141-111 win over the Hawks on Sunday.
“It was the response that was needed,” coach Michael Malone said. “It’s not surprising. This is what I expected from a group that’s won a lot of games and that has set a bar that’s very high. So for us to come out there and win a first quarter, and win a first half, and not play behind and get defense into the game, that’s outstanding. … We needed a win and we got it.”
Michael Porter Jr. bounced back from an 0-for-5 outside shooting night in Washington by weaseling into the paint for an onslaught of dunks and layups. He contributed 26 points on 12 for 17 shooting. Christian Braun added 17 points, eight boards and two steals. Russell Westbrook went for 11 assists.
“When Russ is out there with Nikola, he’s just always looking for him,” Malone said. “He’s always trying to find him. And that makes complete sense to me. You’re playing with the best player in the world. You might want to give him the ball.”
On the receiving end of those dimes, with Jamal Murray sidelined (right hamstring inflammation) for the second consecutive game, Jokic had another monster scoring night. He finished the road back-to-back with 104 combined points between Washington and Atlanta, including a pull-up shot from half-court 0.2 seconds before the halftime buzzer. It was almost as if he was showing off; he released it with two seconds remaining still, forgoing an opportunity to step in closer to the 3-point line. No matter — the heave gave Denver a 71-48 lead and was emblematic of a trend that needed reversing.
The Nuggets (12-10) were outscored by 147 points from behind the 3-point line in their previous six games combined. In each of the last four, they attempted exactly 24 outside shots, well below their 30th-place average of 31 per game. Their lack of 3-point volume during that stretch was exacerbated by some of their worst perimeter defense of the season.
“We took 24 last night. Jordan Poole took 20 by himself,” Malone pointed out before the game at State Farm Arena. “And I think it’s: Are we generating the right shots? Are guys committing to their shot? I think there’s a number of factors offensively. But more to (the) point, it is defensively. How do we find a way to defend the 3-point line much better than we have? And they’ve been getting it in transition. They’re getting it off pick-and-rolls. They’re getting it off drive-and-kick. They’re getting a bunch of offensive rebounds. So that by far is my bigger concern, but not generating enough quality looks is definitely a concern as well.”
The defense delivered a satisfying response. Westbrook held Trae Young to 15 points on 13 shots, “making him do a little bit extra,” as Jokic put it. While Denver shot 12 of 27 from three, the Hawks were contained to a dismal 9 of 40. They briefly capitalized on lackadaisical rotations and close-outs in the fourth quarter when their deficit was oscillating between 19 and 25, but even so, 3-point territory was a refreshing net win for Denver.
Julian Strawther was a major part of that, scoring 13 points off the bench to complete an efficient back-to-back for himself as a scorer. Even fellow 2023 draft pick Jalen Pickett knocked one down. Operating out of pick-and-rolls with Jokic and DeAndre Jordan, he played arguably the best minutes of his short career, which has been spent mostly in the G League with the Grand Rapids Gold.
“It’s definitely the most exciting moment I’ve had here,” Pickett said. “Played a couple good games. To be able to help these guys win a game means a lot.”
“I think Pickett’s been great. … I thought his minutes in Washington last night, his minutes tonight were impactful,” Malone said. “They were efficient. He gets guys involved.”
The Nuggets have had two games added to their regular-season schedule after being eliminated in the group stage of the NBA Cup, but first they will rest for the next four days. The Clippers visit Ball Arena on Friday night for a third matchup between the teams this season.
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