PLAYOFF-2020 (Game#3, R1): [3]Denver Nuggets vs [6]Utah Jazz (1-1), FRI/Aug21, 16:00ET

[THE J0KER]

The Series is tied, and not funny anymore.

Mike Conley is back in the bubble and if the results of his COVID19 test are negative, he will play tomorrow.

But Jazz not needed Conley in opening two games thanks to the awful defense which Nuggets put on other two Utah guards, Mitchell and Clarkson which scored combined shocking 131 points with monstrous shooting efficiency.

I don't want to panic after that well-deserved loss in Game-2. I think Denver little bit underestimated Jazz after 4th consecutive win in 2020 (despite two are after OT), and Snyder outcoached Malone, and also no way Jazz is going to repeat these 19-33 for 3pt numbers (after 3rd Quarter) anytime soon, despite they are well known 3p% shooting team. Our Big-3 should make a difference, and I hope someone else than Grant and Morris will also make some notable efforts (for example Craig to justify his starter role or Millsap his $30M salary).

This is a critical game, with Conley back to Utah unlike Harris for Denver, and if Utah win it, Denver will lose the status of being favorite to win this series.

[skywalker33]

Heard Scott Hasting saying he saw Harris warming up recently, perhaps he may be back for this series. However, I'd rather him be at least 95% ready before returning even if it means us losing this series. His presence would be strongly appreciated against Mitchell and the Jazz but if it leads him to re-injurying himself, what good would that be ?

[skywalker33]

I'm also thinking (I believe it was Manolito ??) who said Millsap should be coming off the bench, I thought Grant would be better off the bench but I think he was right. PM has been terrible since the Bubble began, he too might be playing himself off the Nuggets. Grant has easily played better and we might as continue to develop this chemistry with this starting unit.

[THE J0KER]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/259263/Mike-Conley-Jr-Clears-Quarantine-Will-Play-In-Game-3

Conley's COVID-19 test is negative, so as expected, he will play today.

We need this win so much.

[Manolito]

And today the shots are not falling, which was totally predictable after our 3p% in the first two games.

Also Malone's rotations are crazy. This is not RS anymore. You can't play Dozier Craig and Plumlee simultaneously

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[Manolito]

Dozier can't play regularly this series, his confidence is gone.

That Beasley trade is killing us

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[skywalker33]

Bet Malone’s seat is getting hot right about now

[The Rebel]

Did they tell the guys that these games **** count? It looks like a preseason game where our team doesn't care.

[Manolito]

Bet Malone’s seat is getting hot right about now

I wish that were true....but he was renewed during RS until 2022/2023 season.

The guy has no ideas or alternatives at all, his gameplan is sitting first raw and watch the masacre

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[skywalker33]

Pathetic 1st half, looks like they're over the Bubble experience. Can't see how Malone survives an offseason if this continues,

And I am SICK of our posters BITCHIN' about the Beasley trade, get over it already !!!

[THE J0KER]

So inspiring performance from Nuggets this playoff so far. We make Mitchell look like Michael Jordan in game #1, the whole Jazz team looked like Curry-Durant era GSW in game #2, and in 1st half of game #3 Gobert looked like Wilt Chamberlain!?

Jokic is a mess in 1st half. Denver can survive everything but not anemic Jokic being badly outplayed by the opponent's center.

Murray showed much better energy than two days ago, but he must shoot better than 4-12.

MPJ is already our most efficient shooter but seems that only Malone not see it. 2nd game in the row MPJ is 0-0 FG in the 1st quarter because we obviously starting games with him like plan-C!? Why? The guy has better 3p% so far than rest of the team FG%.

The bench is 1-8 in 1st half.

But result is still active -17 on halftime, at one point it is -25, but blowout loss didn't come already in 1st half.

[The Rebel]

At least Malone made an adjustment at half.

[THE J0KER]

What a humiliation, just two points away from the biggest playoff loss in franchise history. And all that on the neutral court without spectators against the worse seeded team.

Last season Nikola Jokic is 2nd best player in entire NBA 2019 playoff after Kawhi Leonard. But so far against Utah, he is not that good, and today he played his by far worst playoff game on both ends. Rudy Gobert playoff career-high was 22p before today's game, but already on halftime, he has 20-10 double-double!?

After bubble breakthrough, MPJ is already our most efficient scorer, but the only role Malone tried to use him today was scapegoat, so he played just 15 minutes.

Malone should order Jokic and Porter both to take 20+ shots every game. They are TS%60%+ players. Murray was 5-16 today, but I actually liked his attitude, he at least trying to do something, unlike two days ago. This blowout game was over after 3 quarters and after 3/4 Nuggets have just 2 FTA and just 1 steal. I can't remember any team with such stats even at Summer League games. It is zero energy and zombie mentality game, and of course, it is a coach to be blamed.

Conley scored 27 points (6-7 threes) in less than 25 minutes and proved once again that he is clearly better player than Harris or Barton, and we are so lucky he didn't play game #1, otherwise, it would be 0-3 already.

There are zero positive things today, except maybe Bol Bol efforts during garbage time, or Grant defense at the moments.

It is not over yet, we are WC 2nd seed last season and 3rd seed this season with a reason, but the team needs to regroup, if we lose next game 1-3 against a team with such momentum will be mission impossible, so next game is must-win for Nuggets.

[skywalker33]

Well, it's times like this that I know exactly what to say......


Go AV's

[skywalker33]

Conley scored 27 points (6-7 threes) in less than 25 minutes and proved once again that he is clearly better player than Harris or Barton, and we are so lucky he didn't play game #1, otherwise, it would be 0-3 already.

Clearly another stupid comparison, neither Harris nor Barton played and you claim it's clear to see Conley is better than either....

Conley had a very nice game...but it was ONE GAME.

[skywalker33]

Not that it matters but heard Hastings saw Gary Harris sprinting up and down the sidelines...maybe he's trying out for the Olympics.

[The Rebel]

What a humiliation, just two points away from the biggest playoff loss in franchise history. And all that on the neutral court without spectators against the worse seeded team.

Last season Nikola Jokic is 2nd best player in entire NBA 2019 playoff after Kawhi Leonard. But so far against Utah, he is not that good, and today he played his by far worst playoff game on both ends. Rudy Gobert playoff career-high was 22p before today's game, but already on halftime, he has 20-10 double-double!?

Do you just watch the box scores? Blaming Gobert's 1st half on Jokic makes me sure that you did not watch the game. Jokic was literally left to guard the guard/forwards while the guards and forwards kept running into screeners and just stopping there. They would literally stand at the top of the key watching the play happe,

After bubble breakthrough, MPJ is already our most efficient scorer, but the only role Malone tried to use him today was scapegoat, so he played just 15 minutes.

Another clear indication that you did not watch the game, MPJ was terrible on defense, and was a major reason Gobert did so well.

Malone should order Jokic and Porter both to take 20+ shots every game. They are TS%60%+ players. Murray was 5-16 today, but I actually liked his attitude, he at least trying to do something, unlike two days ago. This blowout game was over after 3 quarters and after 3/4 Nuggets have just 2 FTA and just 1 steal. I can't remember any team with such stats even at Summer League games. It is zero energy and zombie mentality game, and of course, it is a coach to be blamed.

Jokic was constantly double teamed and MPJ spent almost his entire time standing around on offense, he was a major reason the offense looked like crap, as he literally only cut 1 time the entire time he was on the court. Craig did better than him on offense today, and Craig had one of his average games.

Conley scored 27 points (6-7 threes) in less than 25 minutes and proved once again that he is clearly better player than Harris or Barton, and we are so lucky he didn't play game #1, otherwise, it would be 0-3 already.

So a guy almost doubling his season scoring average in a playoff game, while shooting at nearly double his season average shooting percentage while shooting 87.5% from 3 proves that he is more important that our 2 best perimeter defenders? How the **** does that even make sense? IF anything Mike Conley of this year proves how badly we need our defenders.

[The Rebel]

Not that it matters but heard Hastings saw Gary Harris sprinting up and down the sidelines...maybe he's trying out for the Olympics.

LMAO, may as well it seems like he has nothing else to do. Other than his job that is, so maybe it is a good sign? We desperately need him back.

[THE J0KER]

Do you just watch the box scores? Blaming Gobert's 1st half on Jokic makes me sure that you did not watch the game.
...
Another clear indication that you did not watch the game, MPJ was terrible on defense, and was a major reason Gobert did so well.

I know we all are pissed after such epic humiliating loss, but do we really need such baseless statements? As a moderator, of course, I noticed time after time fans of other teams coming here to teach us about some of our players which they obviously didn't watch (enough). After watching the last 333 Nuggets games (including some pointless Summer League or preseason) why would I miss #3 game of playoff series of my favorite NBA team but comment that game online in real-time? We have enough problems with conspiracy theories in real life in this pandemic times, we don't it in this forum too.

I'm (one of) the biggest Nikola Jokic fans here, and I would be really happy if there is someone other to be blamed more for what is happening last night. But I will repeat what I see - this was by far worst Nikola Jokic playoff game (out of 17), he was a passive and total mess, and makes Gobert look like Wilt in 1st half. If someone else needed to be also blamed for that is coach Malone, not Porter jr for sure which Malone tried to use as a scapegoat benching him and giving just 15 minutes to play like he did so many times during the regular season. If I want to be cynical I would ask you did YOU watched a game if you blame our small forward for opposite center have career's (playoff) night?

See Gobert yesterday's highlights and you will see (passive) Jokic close to him in most of the episodes.

Watch on YouTube

When the team loses 35+ points, and it is a back-to-back blowout loss, it tells us that the whole team collapsed and imploded, there is no ONE player to be blamed, not Jokic nor Porter, not even coach, and for sure not missing Harris/Barton. It is 35+ points, and it is back-to-back blowout game loss! But the only way to have some chances against red-hot Utah in this series is if Jokic brings back superstar form from 2019 playoff and if the team finally starts to play some decent defense.

The only formula I see to prevent threatening fiasco is Jokic playing like a superstar, Murray and Porter like stars, decent defense (Harris comeback would be pure gold considering how Utah backcourt line killed us in all three games), and Malone under self-control. Maybe I asking too much, but they all proved many times the capability of doing that. Unfortunately, the result is 1-2 already, and if we do not regroup fast and win already next game (after two blowouts defeats) only a miracle can save us in this series.

[NuggetsWY]

There is much to be commented on from this game.

Murray took 16 shots --- that's not enough
Jokic took 13 shots ----- that's not enough
Our bench was 13 of 43 --- that's why our stars and starters need to take more shots (Barton & Harris could really make a difference there!)

Jokic - He had his hands full and I'm not talking about Gobert. If you watched closely, he was trying to cover every single Jazz as they openly and consistently drove to the basket. Wing defense was pathetic and that made Jokic look bad. Trying to cover two or three players at a time is almost impossible for the most mobile and athletic and fantastic defensive player. Jokic is not extremely mobile or athletic. His defense is better than he is given credit for but his defense is based on positioning and intelligence. He didn't have a chance in this game.

Millsap - ineffective 17 minutes - becoming a pattern - I'm concerned.

Grant - when I watched the game, he seemed somewhat effective, but just didn't seem to contribute enough - when I look at the box score, it looks even worse - I'm concerned

Porter - all I care about is that he gets a few minutes every game - he's learning and his defense has never been a strong point, playoffs are a whole new world

Craig - not impressed on either end of the court

Morris had just 2 assists plus he had 2 turnovers and shot 2 for 7 - a very un-Morris like game - but he is only effective when his teammates are moving and working - I still trust his game

Dozier - let's not forget his lack of experience and perhaps we can get excited about his effort - 6 rebounds from a PG? love it!

Bol - another newbie to playoffs - some minutes are all I care about