Between January 8 and 23, the Nuggets recorded 8 victories in 9 matches, with a solid defense: 109 points collected on average and five matches completed with 105 points or less for their opponents. Then, with 133 points in the teeth against Minnesota, then 129 facing the Bulls, this beautiful defensive sequence is now over. And it translates into two defeats …
“We let a team play and, between the end of the third and the start of the fourth quarter, the Bulls have sunk our ball into our throat”,, regrets Michael Malone. “They took rebounds, penetrated and found shots at 3-PTS, all because we did not defend or did not come back. »»
The Bulls notably spent a 12-0 in the third quarter while the Nuggets were in the hardness. “We have to defend in one-of-one. We were overwhelmed and they were able to find spaces. We have to do better “also notes Christian Braun. “It was not our style that, but for two matches, we have been really bad in all areas in defense. »»
Watch out for the next match against New York …
Michael Malone does not say anything else, lamenting that “When the Bulls missed shoots, we had five players who watched and did not fight at all. This team played much harder than us ”.
Having a defense in difficulty while the Knicks, which remain on two major attacks in attack (143 points scored each time) and had cut the Nuggets in November 2024, arrive, it is not the right timing.
This is why Jamal Murray also hopes that the attack will come back. “We lacked good shots. They found a little rhythm and it was hard for us to find ours. One thing brings another one ”concludes the leader.
| Shots | Rebound | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | Lf | Off | Def | Early | PD | COP | Int | Ct | Fte | Pts |
| Nikola Jokic | 39 | 36.3 | 56.6 | 47.9 | 81.0 | 3.4 | 9.8 | 13.1 | 10.1 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 29.9 |
| Jamal Murray | 39 | 35.8 | 45.6 | 37.6 | 86.3 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 19.9 |
| Michael Porter, Jr. | 45 | 33.3 | 51.2 | 41.5 | 71.9 | 1.6 | 4.8 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 18.1 |
| Christian Braun | 44 | 32.4 | 57.0 | 37.3 | 81.7 | 1.3 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 14.0 |
| Russell Westbrook | 45 | 27.3 | 47.3 | 34.0 | 63.4 | 1.3 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 6.5 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 13.1 |
| Aaron Gordon | 24 | 26.3 | 52.4 | 42.9 | 78.6 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 13.1 |
| Julian Strawther | 45 | 21.9 | 43.7 | 37.4 | 83.6 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 9.5 |
| Peyton Watson | 45 | 24.2 | 47.0 | 34.8 | 74.7 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 8.3 |
| Dario Saric | 13 | 14.7 | 33.3 | 25.0 | 70.0 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 3.8 |
| Deandre Jordan | 33 | 11.8 | 65.0 | 0.0 | 41.4 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 4.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 3.5 |
| JALEN PICKETT | 18 | 7.6 | 50.0 | 42.9 | 100.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 2.7 |
| Vlatko Cancar | 4 | 8.6 | 57.1 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.3 |
| Hunter Tyson | 33 | 7.5 | 37.3 | 30.6 | 73.7 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 2.1 |
| Zeke Nnaji | 27 | 4.5 | 44.1 | 0.0 | 42.9 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.2 |
| Pj hall | 10 | 2.8 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 75.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Trey Alexander | 14 | 4.5 | 22.2 | 22.2 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| Spencer Jones | 5 | 2.6 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
