The reigning champion has spoken! For this absolute shock at the top of the Western Conference, the Nuggets relied on their main assets to win against the Wolves (116-107): their experience, their room and of course their inevitable playing master, Nikola Jokic. Embarked in the race for the MVP title with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, the Serbian also marked his territory with one of his best offensive performances of the year. What's more, against the favorite for the title of best defender of the year, Rudy Gobert.
This clash between the two teams (both “back-to-back”), and these two men, kept its promises. We had to wait until the last quarter to see things settle down. Before that, Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley and the others showed no sign of excitement to play eye to eye with the locals. So much so that at the break, on the basis of a 10-0 inflicted in the middle of the second quarter, the visitors took the lead (49-52).
The Nuggets, masters of tempo
A very short delay for the Nuggets who saw Jamal Murray heat up just after entering the locker room, in support of Nikola Jokic clearly determined to attack the pivot opposite. The physical battle between them took on another dimension at the end of the third quarter. And the Serb, who barely used the 3-point shot to bring out the Frenchman, took advantage of it to give his team the advantage (83-80).
In the following minutes, Denver took a second possession lead, then a third. The game having slowed down, Edwards and the Wolves no longer had the possibility of moving in transition, as earlier in the match (see: see the pass behind the back from Jaden McDaniels to Rudy Gobert). And on this play placed in half-court, a good overview of what awaits the two teams in a few days, the Nuggets were the best.
The good relationship on the pick-and-roll between Jokic and Murray caused too much damage and Denver took a more than ten-point lead four minutes from the end (104-92). The Wolves no longer had a game to come back from.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– A final “dunkorama”. Mike Malone decided to finish the game with Christian Braun and Peyton Watson, rather than Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The last minutes made it possible to understand why, as both men shone with their athletic qualities. The first allowed himself to dunk with his left hand in transition on Gobert, before continuing with the finish of an alley-oop to bury the Wolves three minutes from the end (108-94). The second imitated him by signing his… 6th block of the evening, on a distant attempt from Naz Reid, before also flying towards the circle. It was show time in Denver in the finale.
– Surprising clumsiness on free throws. Brilliant in his skill in the game, the Joker let five shots slip away on the penalty line. Which weighed down the level of skill of his team in this register, with only 57% success. But the Wolves did not do better due to the cumulative 2/8 of the pair Rudy Gobert – Naz Reid.
– Big option for first place. Jokic's Nuggets, which put the scope of this match into perspective beforehand, are now alone in the lead in the West with 56 victories for 24 defeats, one victory more than their two pursuers, the Wolves and the Thunder (55v-25d). And the least we can say is that the Nuggets have their destiny in hand by ending their season on the floor of the Spurs, then the Grizzlies. Without an expected accident, this first place extends its arms to them.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
