Game 7: Denver Nuggets (5-1) @ Chicago Bulls (2-5) - 8:00 PM ET

[ducler]

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[THE J0KER]

This is exactly type of the game which cost Denver playoff last season, a cheap loses vs underdogs on the road. Let's see today vs Bulls and tomorrow vs Cavs are we ready to win back-to-back away games which we supposed to win.

[skywalker33]

What's with Jokic, he's seems off his game has been off lately

[skywalker33]

They're back to playing to the level of their competition.....second pathetic effort in a row !!!

[THE J0KER]

A (hallo)win is a (hallo)win!

[Powder Blue]

They're back to playing to the level of their competition.....second pathetic effort in a row !!!

At least they're finding a way to win these games, these are losses in years past.

I understand Jokic is the best player and should be option 1 but where were Murray and Harris down the stretch? Murray was hesitant towards the end but I'd like one of them getting involved when the game is on the line.

[skywalker33]

A win they didn't deserve...pathetic offer again. Rebel calling it, Torrey Craig in the starting lineup is having negative impact of Joker's game.

[TunaFish]

Another win-loss. And the Joker doesn't look himself but is one assist short of a triple double. Strange times.

[THE J0KER]

They're back to playing to the level of their competition.....second pathetic effort in a row !!!

At least they're finding a way to win these games, these are losses in years past.

I understand Jokic is the best player and should be option 1 but where were Murray and Harris down the stretch? Murray was hesitant towards the end but I'd like one of them getting involved when the game is on the line.

Jokic scored 8 out of 10 Nuggets points in overtime, it is not bad idea to play on him. What I really don't understand why the last attack in regular time, and 2 out of the last 3 attacks in OT we play on Beasley, instead Jokic/Harris/Murray. So even when Barton is injured, Malone finds a way to call unnatural plays on the tough finish.

And BTW, why the franchise all-star player under max contract Nikola Jokic, played only 27 minutes in regular time of so tied game (he played today 11 minutes less than Murray)?! What Malone tried to prove? If we lose it in regular time, someone would say that Jokic has a bad day anyway, but in overtime, we see who is our key player once again. And also, no surprise if there is some conflict now between Malone and Jokic. Look at the moment when Millsap scored that last winning point, no signs of joy on Jokic, only relief. I don't like such body language in such a climax moment, and I know who to blame

[Powder Blue]

They're back to playing to the level of their competition.....second pathetic effort in a row !!!

At least they're finding a way to win these games, these are losses in years past.

I understand Jokic is the best player and should be option 1 but where were Murray and Harris down the stretch? Murray was hesitant towards the end but I'd like one of them getting involved when the game is on the line.

Jokic scored 8 out of 10 Nuggets points in overtime, it is not bad idea to play on him. What I really don't understand why the last attack in regular time, and 2 out of the last 3 attacks in OT we play on Beasley, instead Jokic/Harris/Murray. So even when Barton is injured, Malone finds a way to call unnatural plays on the tough finish.

And BTW, why the franchise all-star player under max contract Nikola Jokic, played only 27 minutes in regular time of so tied game (he played today 11 minutes less than Murray)?! What Malone tried to prove? If we lose it in regular time, someone would say that Jokic has a bad day anyway, but in overtime, we see who is our key player once again. And also, no surprise if there is some conflict now between Malone and Jokic. Look at the moment when Millsap scored that last winning point, no signs of joy on Jokic, only relief. I don't like such body language in such a climax moment, and I know who to blame

I'm not a Malone guy by any means but I won't put the in-game struggles on him. Yea he ran that play for Beasley but I'm sure there was a 2nd option, Jokic shouldn't have thrown that pass Then the play where Beasley drove in and got blocked I didn't love but hell the other guards weren't demanding the ball to make something happen.

As for Jokic's minutes I'll take all the wins I can get with him playing low minutes. Keep in mind this was the first of a b2b and they have 4 games in 6 nights upcoming. I know you want Jokic playing 35-40 min a night but his conditioning is not on that level, probably never will be. Also and I'm not quick to say this either but Plumlee played well in relief.

No need to be playing our best ball in October, take the road win and move on....

[NuggetsWY]

Chicago outscored Denver in three quarters.
A very uninspiring win.
They got a decent, not great start for about 7-8 minutes and even overtime didn't impress.
I know I like to blame Malone for a lot, but this game seemed different. Lack of energy, lethargy, even boredom. They need more motion on offense. Too much spectating and we aren't good enough for that.

[THE J0KER]

...As for Jokic's minutes I'll take all the wins I can get with him playing low minutes. Keep in mind this was the first of a b2b and they have 4 games in 6 nights upcoming. I know you want Jokic playing 35-40 min a night but his conditioning is not on that level, probably never will be...

I'm not talking about every game, but about the very specific TIED game in which we didn't lead any single second in double digits, and which we actually should lose, but the young opponent team choke 98-92 lead and didn't score a single point in the last two and a half minutes of regular time, so we send this game to overtime somehow, where we luckily beat them with buzzer. And BTW, Jokic played last 20 games of last season 36mpg in average playing his career-best basketball. If Malone really wants to protect young players, than why the youngest one, Jamal Murray, played 43 minutes tonight, 11 more than Jokic?

[RRFB]

I thought Jokic was way too passive again. It feels kinda silly criticizing him after looking at the box score, but there were several possessions down the stretch where he got the ball and didn't even consider trying to score. When he's aggressive and assertive (like the first few games of the season), we're tough to beat. And when we're playing teams like this without a defensive-minded big man, he needs to be more aggressive. That's on Jokic, not Malone.

[THE J0KER]

In the last 10 minutes of the game (including OT):
12p-4r-2a Nikola Jokic
10p-3r-3a Rest of the Team
So, it is not that he doesn't want to take responsibility, not cares, or is out of gas, if he can finish that strong.

We should don't need Jokic anyway to beat a lottery team like Chicago, which played tonight without three starters: Markkanen, Dunn, and Portis!

[skywalker33]

In the last 10 minutes of the game (including OT):
12p-4r-2a Nikola Jokic
10p-3r-3a Rest of the Team
So, it is not that he doesn't want to take responsibility, not cares, or is out of gas.

We should don't need Jokic anyway to beat a lottery team like Chicago, which played tonight without three starters: Markkanen, Dunn, and Portis!

Easy to cherry pick his stats Joker, if he can do that in the last 10min/OT shouldn't he be close to that at least every qtr, especially team where there isn't a quality C to stop him ????

Guess, the same type of criticism should be thrown at Murray too, I've expected more consistency from him along with GH too (although Gary has shown more at both ends of the court this season IMO)

[psimanic1]

C'mon guys, we are still young team, but this year it looks like we are wining games we would have lost last year...Lets just hope we have enough energy left to also beat CLE...

[NuggetsWY]

C'mon guys, we are still young team, but this year it looks like we are wining games we would have lost last year...Lets just hope we have enough energy left to also beat CLE...

True - last year we would have lost some of those - but if we are going to be a playoff team, "hope" should not be a word used when playing Cleveland or Chicago or ...

[Riko]

I'm really conflict in the discussion about Jokic's minutes..
On one side I wuold like to see him playing more with high usage, on the other side his injury history in the first part of the season really concern me (maybe he didn't miss a lot of games but he had minor injuries in every season in nov/dec).
Right now (probably thanks to the positive record) I like Malone's minutes restriction - around 30m/pg, preserve him until mid/feb then unleash him.

[U hova]

Moreso than Jokic's minutes total I'm rather annoyed that Malone still subs Jokic out in critical possessions "for defense", and then subs Plumlee out on the offensive possession.

[skywalker33]

Moreso than Jokic's minutes total I'm rather annoyed that Malone still subs Jokic out in critical possessions "for defense", and then subs Plumlee out on the offensive possession.

Whether you like to admit it or no, Plumlee defends the rim/paint better than Jokic. Malone is doing the right thing