Denver Nuggets, NBA playoffs (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Denver Nuggets rode the Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic two-man game to a hard-fought 135-125 overtime win over the Utah Jazz in the NBA playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz were slated for Monday’s 1:30 PM ET start time, which is widely considered the NBA playoffs’ “boring game.” It appears no one informed the teams of this.
The opening game of the Nuggets-Jazz series included a 57-point performance, multiple clutch moments in the fourth quarter, and the electric two-man game of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, as the Nuggets outlasted the Utah Jazz 135-125 in overtime and took a 1-0 series lead.
While the thrill-factor of this neck-and-neck affair stole the storyline, several notable stats point to adjustments for Game 2, as each team will assess its situation and prepare for the next contest.
Let’s examine the trends that quietly shaped Game 1 amidst the chaos, and break down the numbers upon which each team will form their respective Game 2 adjustments:
Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic two-man game:
Most fans are aware of the effectiveness found in the Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic two-man game, but this impact reached a new peak Monday, as Murray and Jokic finished with 36 and 29 points, respectively.
Once Murray checked into the game with 5:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Jokic-Murray tandem combined for 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting in the final 11 minutes of play, erasing a small deficit before helping the Nuggets pull away in overtime.
There was little debate regarding shots down the stretch, as 16 of Denver’s final 18 field goal attempts came from either Murray or Jokic. Denver knew where its offense must flow and placed the ball in the hands of its stars late in the game.
Nuggets fans should be encouraged to see the Jokic-Murray two-man game rise to meet the challenges Game 1 presented, as there’s little more the duo could have accomplished offensively down the stretch. Meanwhile, Utah will likely focus its attention on pick-and-roll defense in preparation for Game 2, as they had no answer for Denver’s superstar tandem.
Denver Nuggets</a> and Utah Jazz were slated for Monday’s 1:30 PM ET start time, which is widely considered the NBA playoffs’ “boring game.” It appears no one informed the teams of this.</p>
<p>The opening game of the Nuggets-Jazz series included a 57-point performance, multiple clutch moments in the fourth quarter, and the electric two-man game of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, as the Nuggets outlasted the Utah Jazz 135-125 in overtime and took a 1-0 series lead.</p>
<p>While the thrill-factor of this neck-and-neck affair stole the storyline, several notable stats point to adjustments for Game 2, as each team will assess its situation and prepare for the next contest.</p>
<p>Let’s examine the trends that quietly shaped Game 1 amidst the chaos, and break down the numbers upon which each team will form their respective Game 2 adjustments:</p>
<h2>Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic two-man game:</h2>
<p>Most fans are aware of the effectiveness found in the Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic two-man game, but this impact reached a new peak Monday, as Murray and Jokic finished with 36 and 29 points, respectively.</p>
<p>Once Murray checked into the game with 5:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Jokic-Murray tandem combined for 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting in the final 11 minutes of play, erasing a small deficit before helping the Nuggets pull away in overtime.</p>
<p>There was little debate regarding shots down the stretch, as 16 of Denver’s final 18 field goal attempts came from either Murray or Jokic. Denver knew where its offense must flow and placed the ball in the hands of its stars late in the game.</p>
<p>Nuggets fans should be encouraged to see the Jokic-Murray two-man game rise to meet the challenges Game 1 presented, as there’s little more the duo could have accomplished offensively down the stretch. Meanwhile, Utah will likely focus its attention on pick-and-roll defense in preparation for Game 2, as they had no answer for Denver’s superstar tandem.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/18/denver-nuggets-4-trends-nba-playoffs/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Donovan Mitchell flipped the switch </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-406810" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/18/denver-nuggets-4-trends-nba-playoffs/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1183,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1264721161.jpeg" alt="Denver Nuggets, NBA playoffs" width="1600" height="1183" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1264721161.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1264721161-768x568.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Denver Nuggets, NBA playoffs (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Donovan Mitchell flipped the switch:</h2>
<p>The Nuggets most likely absorbed the heaviest haymaker in Donovan Mitchell’s arsenal, winning a contest in which Utah’s guard poured in a career-high 57 points on 19-of-33 shooting. Mitchell’s performance was a significant storyline, as he was phenomenal throughout this game, even though he likely won’t repeat this level of stardom in the series.</p>
<p>Hidden behind the fanfare, however, was Mitchell’s rough first quarter, in which he scored just two points on 1-of-5 shooting. He appeared rattled by Torrey Craig and the Nuggets’ defensive schemes early in the contest, which helped Denver jump out to a nine-point lead.</p>
<p>Was Denver doing something correctly in the first quarter? And how did the wheels fall off? These questions will be top of mind as the Nuggets examine ways to make life less comfortable for Utah’s All-Star guard.</p>
<p>Mitchell had his A-game for the majority of Monday’s contest, and Denver must hone its defensive schemes to better contain him. Nonetheless, the Nuggets should feel good about overcoming Mitchell’s scoring outburst to win the game.</p>
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<h2>Michael Porter Jr.’s performance:</h2>
<p>It was an interesting outing for Michael Porter Jr., as his performance was effective in many regards, but didn’t pack the punch most have come to expect from him.</p>
<p>Porter served as a strong floor-spacer, shooting 3-of-7 from beyond the arc and pacing a Nuggets team that had four players drain three or more 3-point shots. Distance shooting has been problematic for Denver at times, but this wasn’t the case Monday, as the Nuggets nailed 22-of-41 from 3-point range (53.7 percent), thanks in part to Porter.</p>
<p>The paint tells a different story, however. Porter shot just 2-of-6 inside the arc, finishing with only one offensive rebound and zero free-throw attempts – just the second time in his past eight appearances he’s failed to visit the charity stripe.</p>
<p>Porter needs to work with coaches to determine his interior-exterior balance leading up to Game 2. He also must perform better defensively, as he was pulled late in the fourth quarter after Utah burned him on multiple pick-and-roll switches.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/18/denver-nuggets-4-trends-nba-playoffs/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Small lineup </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-408020" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/18/denver-nuggets-4-trends-nba-playoffs/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1228084792.jpeg" alt="Denver Nuggets, NBA playoffs" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1228084792.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1228084792-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Denver Nuggets, NBA playoffs (Photo by Ashley Landis – Pool/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Small lineup:</h2>
<p>While Denver’s recent storylines have featured gigantic lineups and big men playing out of position, Monday’s game included a much smaller group that proved highly-successful down the stretch.</p>
<p>From the 1:32 mark of the fourth quarter until the end of the game, Denver utilized its smallest lineup in weeks, featuring Morris, Murray, Craig/Dozier, Grant, and Jokic. This group (Dozier filled in after Craig fouled out) was a plus-13 +/- in six and a half minutes down the stretch and served as Malone’s crunch-time lineup throughout the game’s most crucial moments.</p>
<p>Contrarily, the Denver Nuggets played a big lineup (Murray, Porter, Grant, Millsap, Jokic) in the third quarter, and this bunch finished a minus-10 +/- in four and a half minutes, a stretch that allowed the Utah Jazz back into the game.</p>
<p>After Monday’s contest, Denver will likely curb the big-man lineups, as these groups simply haven’t produced. Denver played with size for much of the game, yet was outrebounded 52-41 by Utah, which isn’t a good omen for the jumbo lineups.</p>
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