Game 61: Utah Jazz (34-26) @ Denver Nuggets (42-18) - 10:30 PM ET

[Lala870]

Really tough loss. I'd like to avoid Utah in the first round if possible. Gobert is a monster and they play some great team defense, but it also feels like it's been a very long time since the Nuggets have shot the ball well for four full quarters.

I didn't love the way Malone handled the bench rotations. That IT/Monte/Harris/Craig/Plumlee lineup was really bad. IT has been a pretty big negative no matter who he's played with the last few games and his presence has really thrown Monte off his game. I hope they go back to the original starting lineup on Saturday. Those guys need to get used to playing together again and Malone needs to nail down his rotations so they can get into some sort of rhythm before the playoffs come.

If Denver meets Utah in the playoffs I would take Utah in 6... maybe 5. They are legit.

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[Powder Blue]

Really tough loss. I'd like to avoid Utah in the first round if possible. Gobert is a monster and they play some great team defense, but it also feels like it's been a very long time since the Nuggets have shot the ball well for four full quarters.

I didn't love the way Malone handled the bench rotations. That IT/Monte/Harris/Craig/Plumlee lineup was really bad. IT has been a pretty big negative no matter who he's played with the last few games and his presence has really thrown Monte off his game. I hope they go back to the original starting lineup on Saturday. Those guys need to get used to playing together again and Malone needs to nail down his rotations so they can get into some sort of rhythm before the playoffs come.

If Denver meets Utah in the playoffs I would take Utah in 6... maybe 5. They are legit.

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Point taken bro, none of your takes seem to consider our 42 wins, just 2 of our 19 losses.

[NuggetsWY]

Really tough loss. I'd like to avoid Utah in the first round if possible. Gobert is a monster and they play some great team defense, but it also feels like it's been a very long time since the Nuggets have shot the ball well for four full quarters.

I didn't love the way Malone handled the bench rotations. That IT/Monte/Harris/Craig/Plumlee lineup was really bad. IT has been a pretty big negative no matter who he's played with the last few games and his presence has really thrown Monte off his game. I hope they go back to the original starting lineup on Saturday. Those guys need to get used to playing together again and Malone needs to nail down his rotations so they can get into some sort of rhythm before the playoffs come.

If Denver meets Utah in the playoffs I would take Utah in 6... maybe 5. They are legit.

One game - end of the world!
Let's ignore the 15 point win in the first game and focus on 12 points total difference in two games we lost.
Let's ignore the fact that last year, when the Jazz were definitely a better team, we split the four games with two wins at home and two wins on the road.

[SkillzFromThe6]

The first half with just 37 points scored and -15 deficit was a disaster. In the 2nd half, Denver scored 67 points and was one possession close in final two minutes, but our famous draft picks Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert prevented a spectacular comeback. I think the key moment was 8 and a half minutes before the end when at 79-84 Malone should put Jokic into the game which is benched most of the 3rd quarter due to foul troubles. Just a minute later Jokic comes, but the result was already 79-91 after Utah fast 7-0 run (that key run was actually 13-0 in just two minutes with +18 lead in Utah favor). Denver managed to back once again from -18 to -3 in the 4th, but it is too late.

There are several details which cost us in this loss. For example Murray/Millsap 2-8 from FT (I guess it is for Murray career first case ever to miss three free throws in the row). Of course, when Denver loses some "must win" game all eyes are in Joker, and he was really bad tonight for his MVP standards. 16-13-7 is not bad numbers, and Jokic has team-highest +2 stats in the +/- column, but his famous efficiency was very damaged today with poor 5-15 shooting and 5 turnovers, and this time is not Malone to be blamed why Jokic played only 31 minutes but Nikola silly fouls.

Will Barton technically have a monster game with 21-13-3 numbers, but in reality, when we lose this game, in the 1st half, he was our worst player. Also, when he has a really great episode in the 3rd quarter it happens when Jokic is on the bench, which once again proves he should play much more minutes with the 2nd unit and Harris with the 1st. And his most impressive stat is 13 rebounds, but a couple of his defensive rebounds are really unnecessary risky, and not only for him but for Millsap/Jokic/Plumlee also which was in a natural position to grab these balls. I know Barton not doing it for a better stats but he tried to energize the team with some fanatical efforts, but we don't need such risk. If Malone doesn't want to switch Barton and Harris in starting lineup, he should at least switch Harris and Beasley, and put Malik on backup rotation, because Barton ability to make Beasley invisible are amazing.

But more than Barton problem is a big man playing time minutes. If Malone wants to blacklist Lyles and Juancho, two of Jokic/Millsap/Plumlee must be every second on the floor, except during garbage time.

Ye, he was just boosting his stats tbh everytime he took the rebound from Millsap/Plumlee/Jokic he went straight down and took the shot pretty much everytime lol. I dislike his play so much, man. Don't get me started.

[skywalker33]

And that's why it is so important finishing 2nd and not 3rd.

I also don't understand this small lineup. Juancho or Craig are no PF, Plumlee should have 30minutes if Lyles is not playing

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Even with this loss, we didn't lose ground to anyone but the Jazz,who are still in the 6th spot.

[RRFB]

Really tough loss. I'd like to avoid Utah in the first round if possible. Gobert is a monster and they play some great team defense, but it also feels like it's been a very long time since the Nuggets have shot the ball well for four full quarters.

I didn't love the way Malone handled the bench rotations. That IT/Monte/Harris/Craig/Plumlee lineup was really bad. IT has been a pretty big negative no matter who he's played with the last few games and his presence has really thrown Monte off his game. I hope they go back to the original starting lineup on Saturday. Those guys need to get used to playing together again and Malone needs to nail down his rotations so they can get into some sort of rhythm before the playoffs come.

If Denver meets Utah in the playoffs I would take Utah in 6... maybe 5. They are legit.

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Yeah I wouldn't go that far. It'd be a good series, but there's better matchups in the West for the Nuggets. Gobert is one of the few guys that can throw Jokic off his game.

[eathb_au]

Lotta overreaction in here after that loss. It's not like we were going to win every game down the stretch.

Clearly the 2nd quarter was a mess...and IT had the ball in his hands most of the time. Judging by Malone's comments after the game I don't think he'll let that happen again. The bench lineup has to be tweaked headed into the playoffs.

There should be an expectation for this team to win basically all their home games

This game was ass. It's not like we played a top team

[The Rebel]

Lotta overreaction in here after that loss. It's not like we were going to win every game down the stretch.

Clearly the 2nd quarter was a mess...and IT had the ball in his hands most of the time. Judging by Malone's comments after the game I don't think he'll let that happen again. The bench lineup has to be tweaked headed into the playoffs.

I hope you are right and Malone puts a stop to Thomas, but this is the 3rd game in a row that Thomas has played the same way. Malone even mentioned it in a radio earlier this week that we need more ball movement when the bench is in, but it seems to be getting worse instead of better.

I for one would not be upset if the Nuggets cut Thomas today, let him go find a bench role for a different playoff team and let our bench get back to what they were.

[NuggetsWY]

Spoiler:

Lotta overreaction in here after that loss. It's not like we were going to win every game down the stretch.

Clearly the 2nd quarter was a mess...and IT had the ball in his hands most of the time. Judging by Malone's comments after the game I don't think he'll let that happen again. The bench lineup has to be tweaked headed into the playoffs.

I hope you are right and Malone puts a stop to Thomas, but this is the 3rd game in a row that Thomas has played the same way. Malone even mentioned it in a radio earlier this week that we need more ball movement when the bench is in, but it seems to be getting worse instead of better.

I for one would not be upset if the Nuggets cut Thomas today, let him go find a bench role for a different playoff team and let our bench get back to what they were.

Yeah, our bench has gotten significantly worse lately.

[eathb_au]

I'm worried about how slow we seem to adapt to losses since we basically lose the same way when we play that team again.

We're in trouble as soon as we drop a game in the playoffs

[skywalker33]

Lotta overreaction in here after that loss. It's not like we were going to win every game down the stretch.

Clearly the 2nd quarter was a mess...and IT had the ball in his hands most of the time. Judging by Malone's comments after the game I don't think he'll let that happen again. The bench lineup has to be tweaked headed into the playoffs.

There should be an expectation for this team to win basically all their home games

This game was ass. It's not like we played a top team

You are seriously underestimating the Jazz, they're one of the top defensive team in the league, you're kidding yourself if you think they aren't a top team. They had a rough start but it wouldn't surprise me if they ended up with the 3rd or 4th seed in the West.

As for the underlined, even though our home record is top 5 in the NBA and #1 in the West. To think we'll win All our homes games is very unrealistic.

[Sgt Major]

IT getting minutes at the expense of Monte is unacceptable for me.

[NuggetsWY]

Spoiler:

Lotta overreaction in here after that loss. It's not like we were going to win every game down the stretch.

Clearly the 2nd quarter was a mess...and IT had the ball in his hands most of the time. Judging by Malone's comments after the game I don't think he'll let that happen again. The bench lineup has to be tweaked headed into the playoffs.

There should be an expectation for this team to win basically all their home games

This game was ass. It's not like we played a top team

You are seriously underestimating the Jazz, they're one of the top defensive team in the league, you're kidding yourself if you think they aren't a top team. They had a rough start but it wouldn't surprise me if they ended up with the 3rd or 4th seed in the West.

As for the underlined, even though our home record is top 5 in the NBA and #1 in the West. To think we'll win All our homes games is very unrealistic.

I don't remember exactly how tough but my memory says Utah had one of the toughest schedules in the league this year - at least especially one of the toughest at the beginning of the year.

[Sgt Major]

Yep, that's true and the remaining leg of their schedule is the easiest in the West, at least among the playoffs contenders, if I recall well.