Entry 12: "4-0"
The Nuggets Defeat The Jazz And Remain Undefeated
By: Liz
October 30, 2023
“I am fully confident the Nuggets can be back-to-back champs with the way Jokić and Jamal consistently deliver night in and night out, as long as [there are also] the additional efforts of Aaron Gordon and MPJ. There isn’t a team in the league that can give the Nuggets a run for their money.” A quote by my dear friend, Tim, on X. He has a point here, as long as Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray are consistent, with the assistance of Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, there is really no stopping this squad in the long run. Tonight was proof of their consistency.
In an ‘ugly’ win over the Utah Jazz, the Denver Nuggets continue to be undefeated to begin this season. 4-0, the only team in the NBA to start off with that record. The final score was 110-102, Nuggets on top and they remain on top of the league. So, with that out of the way, let’s talk stats.
Utah had several players in double figures. Lauri Markkanen had 27 PTS on 10/24 shooting (41%; 5/13 from the 3) and 14 REB in 38 minutes, Walker Kessler had 22 PTS on 10/11 shooting (about 91%; 2/3 from the line) and 13 REB in 29 minutes, Talen Horten-Tucker had 16 PTS on 7/12 shooting (58%; 2/3 from the 3) and 8 AST in 30 minutes, John Collins had 15 PTS on 7/16 shooting (about 44%; 0/3 from the line) and 9 REB in 34 minutes, and Collin Sexton had 12 PTS on 5/10 shooting (50%; 2/5 from the 3) in 17 minutes. Utah trailed 58-45 at the half, but despite that, they were 6/11 from the line while Denver was 2/2.
Before I talk about the Nuggets, we have to discuss the major flaw that they faced in the second half, missing free throws. It was difficult enough for them to get the calls and shoot free throws as it was in this game, but when they did get them, they missed a majority of them. They went 7/17 from the line today, very disappointing for this team. But, they still pulled out the win, so the free throw shooting wasn’t a huge deal.
I know I’ve said this a lot, but Denver just can’t stop. They are so locked in right now, it’s incredible. Last season at this time, they were 2-2, and now they are 4-0. So much has changed, that's very obvious so far this season. Jamal Murray had 18 PTS on 7/19 shooting (about 37%; 3/7 from the 3) and 14 AST in 37 minutes, Aaron Gordon had 21 PTS on 10/12 shooting (83%) and 7 REB in 33 minutes, and, once again, a stunning performance from Nikola Jokić. He ended his night with 27 PTS on 12/16 shooting (75%), 11 AST, and 10 REB in 35 minutes, earning his 107th career triple-double, tying Lebron James and Jason Kidd for fourth on the all-time triple-double list.
The bench unit wasn’t quite as explosive as they were yesterday, but they still played decently. Christian Braun had 9 PTS on 4/8 shooting (50%; 1/2 from the 3), 8 REB, and 1 STL in 30 minutes, Zeke Nnaji had 6 PTS on 2/2 shooting (100%; 2/3 from the line) and 3 REB in 13 minutes, Peyton Watson had 5 PTS on 2/4 shooting (50%; 1/2 from the line), 2 REB, and 1 BLK in 15 minutes, and Julian Strawther had 4 PTS on 2/4 shooting (50%) and 2 REB in 6 minutes.
I was actually a little shocked to see Strawther in this game, but not disappointed. After watching the way he played in the preseason, I wouldn’t be shocked if we start seeing a lot more of him in the future. It’s nice to see Michael Malone giving him a chance to prove himself instead of just sitting him on the bench to start this season.
Now that Denver is 4-0 to begin this season, I believe it’s safe to assume that there’s hardly anything that is going to be able to stop this squad. Even on an off-night, they still pulled out a win. I don’t believe the Jazz had the lead one time in this game*, which means that (if that’s the case), the Nuggets have still only trailed by 4 minutes and 17 seconds this season. Just Incredible
*Correct me if I’m wrong.
As I’m writing this, I’m watching former Denver Nugget, Gary Harris, and the Orlando Magic play the Lakers. I’m praying the Magic win today so we can all go to sleep happy. Anyway, before I get sidetracked, I just have one last thing to say. GO NUGGETS!
References:
NBA.com (October 30, 2023) Nuggets Move to 4-0: Box Score NBA https://www.nba.com/game/uta-vs-den-0022300110/box-score
ESPN.com (October 30, 2023) Nikola Jokić Ties Lebron James and Jason Kidd With 107th Triple-Double ESPN https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/38783977