Game 41: Denver Nuggets (28-12) @ Phoenix Suns (10-33) - 9:00 PM ET

[ducler]

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[NuggetsWY]

2016-2017 Denver won all four games.
2017-2018 Denver won 2 of 3 - losing one of two in Phoenix.
This year we have won two, one at home, one in Phoenix.

Another should win - maybe a must win? As we know well, young teams need to win early in the game (usually). That means the first quarter is important.

[skywalker33]

Is Booker out ?? ducler's lineup says Jackson to start at SG, could look really bad if we don't. Joker needs to go back to schooling Ayton, he caused some damage last game. Even as a rod game we should win this one. Go Nuggets !!

[THE J0KER]

Is Booker out ?? ducler's lineup says Jackson to start at SG, could look really bad if we don't. Joker needs to go back to schooling Ayton, he caused some damage last game. Even as a rod game we should win this one. Go Nuggets !!

Booker is out, but Gary Harris is also out. But most interesting injury update is potential Will Barton comeback.

This is must win game.

[Richard Miller]

Except Jokic and Beasley others have been terrible so far, Murray getting stuck in traffic and desperation shots, 3-13. :/

[NuggetsWY]

Two years in a row, the Nuggets missed the playoffs by one game. How much will taking this game for granted hurt?

Did Craig forget where the basket is? 3 shots for a starter, even if he only played 24 minutes, he's got to take more shots than that.

Seemed like the bench just wasn't taking shots, especially in the first half.

Jokic only had 4 assists - that is a strong indicator that we didn't have enough movement.

On the other hand, Barton looked fairly healthy.
Beasley had a rather nice game.

[skywalker33]

Jamal didn’t have a great game, seems he has a slow start in games where he should dominate, then fails to locate that 5th gear

[Richard Miller]

Damn what a terrible loss, they missed a ton of shots, after 3rd they were still under 70 pts. Good to see Barton back on court, but he looked no where near his old self, hope it's just rust.

[Richard Miller]

Jokic only had 4 assists - that is a strong indicator that we didn't have enough movement.

Not quite, there was movement, but to get an assist someone has to score, and they were bricking way too many shots, even wide open ones.

[THE J0KER]

Only two good players on the court with almost half of the roster literally have a negative impact on game, and we lose vs worst team playing without their best player. This game is so 2017 when we struggled to beat tanking level teams on the road. This and also unnecessary loss vs Atlanta will probably cost Malone all-star game.

[eathb_au]

Holy hell, that is embarassing.

I don't think any #1 seed in the history of the NBA has lost to a team as bad as this Phoenix Suns. Wow.

[FilNugsFan]

Holy hell, that is embarassing.

I don't think any #1 seed in the history of the NBA has lost to a team as bad as this Phoenix Suns. Wow.

Embarrassing indeed. This isn't even considered a trap game, and yet we lost.

These type of losses are among the reasons why the Nugs isn't getting enough respect and is not being considered among the elite despite being the top seed in the West.

[hollywood6964]

Suns fan here. Suns are garbage, but actually play better without Booker. He's a swine with a huge ego and has caused chemistry issues. Think John Wall effect.

I think you guys just missed shots and underestimated the homeless suns, thinking without Booker we'd be swept up thrown away. With him we would've. I just hope everyone in the phx organization see the play n so does he, and he changes his poor habits when he gets back.

[Manolito]

Nobody else worried about ballhog Barton? OK, it was his first game, he needs his legs back....but exactly the same feelings as last season, he completely blocks the offense.

10fga in 15minutes, -16 +/-....it does not look promising

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[THE J0KER]

Nobody else worried about ballhog Barton? OK, it was his first game, he needs his legs back....but exactly the same feelings as last season, he completely blocks the offense.

10fga in 15minutes, -16 +/-....it does not look promising

Barton is very good role player. In 2016-17 and 2017-18 he was close to status of TOP5 6th man in the league. This is normal for someone who just missed 35 games, the couple others Nuggets players played really bad last night without any excuse.

The real and only reason I put Barton on trade table already since he signed new contract this summer is that contract himself which is too big and too long for a role player in already deep team. And Barton is going to be finally available for trades very soon, since January 15. His salary is about the same like united salary of Juancho, Lyles, Beasley, Morris, IT, MPJ, Lydon and the reason why next summer we can't hunt some $30M big name star on FA market, but $15M guy only (which may be spend to hold Millsap, so no any FA improvement).

[Richard Miller]

Holy hell, that is embarassing.

I don't think any #1 seed in the history of the NBA has lost to a team as bad as this Phoenix Suns. Wow.

Btw, the Suns played a good game, there was nothing bad about them this time, they hit their shots, even the three at the buzzer, they were holding the lead, didn't turn over the ball much... if they played every game like this, they are easily a 20 win team now.

[Manolito]

It is clear that Barton is a good player, but he does not bode well with Nuggets offense, ballhog hero style does not fit with Jokic and off the ball system.

But the real problem is his salary, as you said he and Plumlee are preventing the Franchise from signing a max deal.

First priority is finding a starting PF, therefore Barton should be gone sooner or later. Murray, Morris, Harris, MPj, Beasley & Juancho is quite a deep backcourt

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[The Rebel]

It was bound to happen sooner or later, they have been getting sloppy overall and taking some opponents lightly tonight will tell me if this team is real or a fake. If they come out and play right and play hard than last night is just a blip if they come out and play as bad as they did last night than this team is not ready.

Jokic lost a lot of assists by guys fumbling the ball and bricking shots, he was not the problem, not by a long shot.

Barton came out with something to prove last night, to bad he proved that when he plays selfishly like he did last night he is no more than a bench player. At the end of last season he was playing and moving well off the ball, he needs to remember that and try it tonight.

Even with Murray missing wide open shots and Craig forgetting that you have to shoot occasionally our starters were not the problem last night. Our biggest problem was the bench. Part of it is on Barton coming back and playing selfishly but part of it was that everybody else seemed to be following suit, our team works better with off the ball movement as we do not have the iso players to play one on one.

[NuggetsWY]

Spoiler:

It was bound to happen sooner or later, they have been getting sloppy overall and taking some opponents lightly tonight will tell me if this team is real or a fake. If they come out and play right and play hard than last night is just a blip if they come out and play as bad as they did last night than this team is not ready.

Jokic lost a lot of assists by guys fumbling the ball and bricking shots, he was not the problem, not by a long shot.

Barton came out with something to prove last night, to bad he proved that when he plays selfishly like he did last night he is no more than a bench player. At the end of last season he was playing and moving well off the ball, he needs to remember that and try it tonight.

Even with Murray missing wide open shots and Craig forgetting that you have to shoot occasionally our starters were not the problem last night. Our biggest problem was the bench. Part of it is on Barton coming back and playing selfishly but part of it was that everybody else seemed to be following suit, our team works better with off the ball movement as we do not have the iso players to play one on one.

We have been playing more and more ISO ball and that is clearly not the Nuggets' strength. Murray could develop into an ISO player, Beasley as well but Jokic, Plumlee, Millsap, Lyles, Lydon, Hernangomez, Harris, and Morris are definitely not ISO players.

If we want to play ISO ball than we need to focus on Thomas, Barton, Beasley, and Murray --- I seriously doubt that leads us to anywhere we want to be.

[Mickey8]

Every time Millsap is fed on the block , one child dies of hunger . Instead of continuing playing through Jokic Denver decided to run away from that . Jokic should have started second quarter , that's when Suns made separation, bad coaching by Malone in this one.