In their first game at the brand-new Intuit Dome, the Nuggets lost 126-122 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, falling to 10-8 this season with the Golden State Warriors coming to Denver on Tuesday to wrap up NBA Cup play.
Aaron Gordon returns as backup center
Cleared to play for the first time since Nov. 4, when he walked off the court with a right calf strain, Aaron Gordon played 23 minutes off the bench. More interesting than his participation, though, was how the Nuggets used him. They went to an eight-man rotation in their first game back from a three-day holiday weekend, and as usual, that meant Gordon was Michael Malone’s backup center.
And as usual when Gordon is backup center, Jokic’s rest minutes were much more under control. Defensive rebounding and perimeter defense became a problem in the fourth quarter, but overall, Denver was plus-three when the three-time MVP was on the bench.
The second unit has struggled with Dario Saric at center. It has struggled with Zeke Nnaji at center. It has struggled with DeAndre Jordan at center. It showed signs of life with Vlatko Cancar, only for Cancar to injure his knee. Gordon seemingly remains the best solution, but he’s also the least sustainable option for an 82-game regular season.
Round number milestones galore
The Nuggets are turning into the NBA’s Forrest Gump of statistical milestone moments and special occasions. In the last nine months, they have been in attendance for LeBron James becoming the first player to score 40,000 career points, Russell Westbrook becoming the first player with 200 triple-doubles and now James Harden becoming the second player with 3,000 made 3-pointers. That’s not to mention other coincidences such as the unveiling of a Kobe Bryant statue corresponding with a visit from Denver.
Harden joined Steph Curry in the exclusive 3,000 club with 2:29 remaining in the first half, giving the Clippers a 54-53 lead. He finished the night at 3,004 after leading all scorers with 39 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists. He and Norm Powell were a two-man show for long stretches, combining for 25 of their team’s 33 points in the third quarter to erase a 10-point lead Denver had briefly built. They both drew crucial three-shot fouls against Denver’s young guards in the fourth.
In other Los Angeles-themed NBA history notes, Nikola Jokic tied Lakers great Magic Johnson at No. 3 on the all-time triple-doubles list with the 138th of his career. Jokic had this one wrapped up by the end of the third quarter despite not recording a single assist in the first frame. His scoring was desperately needed to carry the Nuggets early as they went almost five minutes with just two points to start the game. Jokic had 15 of Denver’s 23 in the quarter while his teammates shot 3 for 12.
Fundamentals sting Denver in clutch time
The Nuggets shot a brutal 10 of 19 at the foul line, including six misses in the fourth quarter. They also allowed 13 offensive rebounds that always seemed to pop up at the worst times. Down 120-116, they had an opportunity to grab a Harden miss with 1:20 left. But Terance Mann, sandwiched between two Nuggets including Jokic, won the battle for the rebound instead. He ended up draining a second-chance three 10 seconds later. (The Nuggets were outscored by 24 from the perimeter.)
It gave the Clippers a seven-point lead that proved barely enough to withstand a quick 5-0 push from Denver. Thanks to a friendly missed free throw from Ivica Zubac, the Nuggets had one more chance in a one-score game. But Los Angeles made the smart play, intentionally putting Jokic on the stripe with a three-point lead and eight seconds to go. Jokic missed the first, effectively ending the game before he even had a chance to intentionally miss the second.
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