Discreetly, the Nuggets climb to the top of the Western Conference with a ninth victory in thirteen games. Last night, they mastered their subject from start to finish with great success (126-103) on the floor of the Bulls. A victory that did not take long to emerge since Mike Malone’s players were already leading by 12 points after twelve minutes, and it was Michael Porter Jr. who put his teammates on the right track.
The winger plants 8 points in five minutes, he defends, and Chicago is already suffocated. Only Zach LaVine floats. Denver side, Malone decides to leave Murray on the ground with the “second unit” and the leader can let go. The Bulls, who had not played for three games, still do not wake up, like a DeMar DeRozan who only scored his first basket in the middle of the second quarter. With a Nikola Jokic almost only passer (12 passes at the break!), Denver joins the locker room with 15 points ahead (62-47).
Michael Porter Jr. kills all suspense on returning from the locker room with 16 points, including 4 award-winning shots. The Nuggets stand out even more with a 21-point gap (97-76). Malone can then rotate his workforce, and the 4th quarter is a long “garbage time” which essentially allows the Nuggets to work on their defense.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Nuggets at the top. This morning, Nikola Jokic’s teammates posted the best record on the West Coast, tied with the Blazers: 9 wins for 4 losses. Portland is in first place due to a better record in their division, the Northwest.
– The address of the Nuggets. Jokic’s teammates end the game with 60% on shots and 48% from 3-pointers. Since the start of the season, the Nuggets are number 1 in shots with 50% from 2-pointers and 42% from 3-pointers.
TOPS & FLOPS
✅ Michael Porter Jr.. Twelve points at 4 out of 5 on shots in the first quarter, then 16 points in the 3rd quarter. The Nuggets winger signs his best game of the season in two stages, but what we will remember is his defense. Lively on rotations and well on his legs against DeMar DeRozan, he was exemplary in the first quarter.
✅ Nikola Jokic. More than ever, quiet strength… He only takes four shots, and he puts them all, and he distributes 14 assists in 28 minutes, including 12 in the first half. All with just two stray bullets.
⛔️ DeMar DeRozan. The Bulls hadn’t played in three days, and DeRozan struggled to get into his game. He wakes up in the second quarter but his suspicious defense weighs down the whole team. One figure does not lie: a +/- of -26 for him!
THE FOLLOWING
– Denver (9v-4d) : Knicks reception Wednesday night.
– Minnesota (6v-8d) : trip to New Orleans on Wednesday.
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