Playoffs Game 3 Round 1: Denver Nuggets (2) @ San Antonio Spurs (7) - 9:00 PM ET

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[NuggetsWY]

Denver was 20-21 on the road --- but did not beat San Antonio on the road. We only need to win one in San Antonio and I would love to see it be this game. I actually believe we can beat them in every game, but the Popovich-factor is difficult to beat. Their team doesn't frighten me in terms of matchups. Aldridge is the toughest, but we've done acceptable against him. DeRozan is also difficult but the Nuggets have played lots of players with his skill set and we can at least limit him.

On the other hand, San Antonio was 32-9 at home --- so it won't be an easy task to win tonight. We must play our best game which includes a lot of motion on both offense and defense --- plus our defense needs to be coordinated. There are too many times where it's clear that we go under the pick one time but over on another and that confuses the bigs on whether or not they are to hedge or switch or hold, etc.

My best guess (I'm terrible at predicting LOL) would be Denver 115 which is one more than our best against them this year and San Antonio 108 which is near their average against us this year when in San Antonio. But it'll be a tough game for certain.

[THE J0KER]

Denver didn't beat Spurs in San Antonio since 2012, and no way they can underperforming against us in Texas, so the only way to beat them tonight or maybe in Saturday, and break back,
is to have something lika a "perfect night"!

I hope Malone learned from successful 2nd half of the previous game:
- to limit Barton minutes
- to maximize Jokic minutes
- to not play 4-guards rotation
- to insist on good and intense defense

[SkillzFromThe6]

This game would be so much easier if Gary was on White, Craig was on DeRozan and Murray on Forbes. Barton has done absolutely nothing. It's so frustrating.

[THE J0KER]

Criticize Barton is pointless. Guy doing his best, but he is simply so bad fit to Nuggets game. So it is Malone fault to give him (at least in 1st half) same minutes as Beasley+Craig together, despite these two have 6-7 with over 10 in +/- column. Barton killed our momentum at 50-40 with silly turnover and 3pt attempt. 26 points in first half is unreal from Derick White, the only reason Spurs lead on halftime.

[skywalker33]

Well, Barton makes it 4 on 5, both and Murray and Harris were outplayed and HOW did Derrick White score 36pts, what happened to our defense ???

Well we have another shot in game 4, maybe it's even numbered games where we show up ...

[NuggetsWY]

Stats that indicate the Nuggets were not hustling:
Millsap had 1 rebounding
Barton only took 6 shots and he is not in the game for defense
Jokic only took 14 shots and only a few of those were in the first half
Murray only took 6 shots
Plumlee had more fouls than rebounds
No starter had a positive +/-
Denver shot 53% from the free throw line

Stats that most fans should like:
Denver shot 42-81 w/31 assists & 15-27 from 3pt
Barton only played 21 minutes
Beasley played 27 minutes and shot 7-13 w/5-6 from 3pt
Morris played 25 minutes and shot 5-10
Craig was 5-7 w/2-3 from 3pt - in just 14 minutes
Every bench player had a positive +/-

Unusual stat:
Denver had 21 fouls & San Antonio had 20 fouls yet the Spurs took 32 FTs & the Nuggets took only 17 --- Denver wasn't driving to the basket enough and was getting fouled outside

Conclusions?
Our best lineup last night would have been Jokic, Harris, Beasley, Morris, Craig - but with that anemic defense, we would have still lost

[Mickey8]

Malone can't coach . He can't make any adjustment, he's stubborn , wont bench Barton , he's taking Jokic out of the game when his team is having momentum like he did in the third quarter , does he know that this is the play off not the regular game , there is no resting anymore . The guy wont even try to play some players like Juancho and Thomas ,just all around horrible coaching job , he doesn't have any strategy for this series.

[Mickey8]

Criticize Barton is pointless. Guy doing his best, but he is simply so bad fit to Nuggets game. So it is Malone fault to give him (at least in 1st half) same minutes as Beasley+Craig together, despite these two have 6-7 with over 10 in +/- column. Barton killed our momentum at 50-40 with silly turnover and 3pt attempt. 26 points in first half is unreal from Derick White, the only reason Spurs lead on halftime.

Doing his best being a chucker and ball hog and wont pass to teams best player if his life was depending on it. The last night Jokic was pissed at him couple of times when he refused to pass him the ball and he was open , he yelled at him afterwards .

[Powder Blue]

Barton was bad, no doubt, but Murray's play was equally bad. Puts up 6 and lets White abuse him all night.

This isn't over at 2-1 but the slow starts are killing them, haven't scored more than 22 pts in a first Q. We're super soft but not much we can do about that at this point. More Beasley-less Barton, please.

[skywalker33]

Murray is just a monster. He’s Jekyll and Hyde...or the Wolfman, on the attack. Sometimes he’s Frankenstein just pounding the opponents to pulp, then last night he’s the invisible man. He’s just having an identity crisis

If Murray’s expecting a max contract next year, he HAS to show more day-to-day consistency !!!!

[NuggetsWY]

Murray is just a monster. He’s Jekyll and Hyde...or the Wolfman, on the attack. Sometimes he’s Frankenstein just pounding the opponents to pulp, then last night he’s the invisible man. He’s just having an identity crisis

If Murray’s expecting a max contract next year, he HAS to show more day-to-day consistency !!!!

Don't be bad-mouthing my man SKY! Even if he does deserve it!

[skywalker33]

Hey WY, as much as I love me some Jamal too, his disappearing act is one of the reasons we've gone from the favored #2 seed to upset fodder in the making. Granted, SA is making the plays they need to, if Murray just plays up to his potential we'd be up 3-0....but that isn't the case.

And I can't wait to see MPJ next year, perhaps with his own disappearance, Barton can come to grips that his best role on the team ISN'T as a starter.

[NuggetsWY]

Hey WY, as much as I love me some Jamal too, his disappearing act is one of the reasons we've gone from the favored #2 seed to upset fodder in the making. Granted, SA is making the plays they need to, if Murray just plays up to his potential we'd be up 3-0....but that isn't the case.

And I can't wait to see MPJ next year, perhaps with his own disappearance, Barton can come to grips that his best role on the team ISN'T as a starter.

and you are making a lot of sense - in the past, I've been down on Malone because he always plays to win each game or even each play --- he has never, in my opinion, played to develop players. I gave him a bit of a pass this year because of the record, but we are seeing the same words coming out of his mouth: "youth", "inexperienced", etc.

[skywalker33]

Hey WY, as much as I love me some Jamal too, his disappearing act is one of the reasons we've gone from the favored #2 seed to upset fodder in the making. Granted, SA is making the plays they need to, if Murray just plays up to his potential we'd be up 3-0....but that isn't the case.

And I can't wait to see MPJ next year, perhaps with his own disappearance, Barton can come to grips that his best role on the team ISN'T as a starter.

and you are making a lot of sense - in the past, I've been down on Malone because he always plays to win each game or even each play --- he has never, in my opinion, played to develop players. I gave him a bit of a pass this year because of the record, but we are seeing the same words coming out of his mouth: "youth", "inexperienced", etc.

Wy, we definitely see that on opposite ends of the spectrum. I don't feel it's the HC's job to develop players, that the job of the asst coaches, along with the GM who is only looking towards the future. The HC's job, IMO, is to win games NOW with what he's been given, he can'r afford to look towards the future because his contract is really only day-to-day.

[Powder Blue]

Hey WY, as much as I love me some Jamal too, his disappearing act is one of the reasons we've gone from the favored #2 seed to upset fodder in the making. Granted, SA is making the plays they need to, if Murray just plays up to his potential we'd be up 3-0....but that isn't the case.

And I can't wait to see MPJ next year, perhaps with his own disappearance, Barton can come to grips that his best role on the team ISN'T as a starter.

and you are making a lot of sense - in the past, I've been down on Malone because he always plays to win each game or even each play --- he has never, in my opinion, played to develop players. I gave him a bit of a pass this year because of the record, but we are seeing the same words coming out of his mouth: "youth", "inexperienced", etc.

Wy, we definitely see that on opposite ends of the spectrum. I don't feel it's the HC's job to develop players, that the job of the asst coaches, along with the GM who is only looking towards the future. The HC's job, IMO, is to win games NOW with what he's been given, he can'r afford to look towards the future because his contract is really only day-to-day.

If he's trying to win games NOW he should send Barton to the end of the bench where IT sits, and give us more Beasley and Craig

[NuggetsWY]

Hey WY, as much as I love me some Jamal too, his disappearing act is one of the reasons we've gone from the favored #2 seed to upset fodder in the making. Granted, SA is making the plays they need to, if Murray just plays up to his potential we'd be up 3-0....but that isn't the case.

And I can't wait to see MPJ next year, perhaps with his own disappearance, Barton can come to grips that his best role on the team ISN'T as a starter.

and you are making a lot of sense - in the past, I've been down on Malone because he always plays to win each game or even each play --- he has never, in my opinion, played to develop players. I gave him a bit of a pass this year because of the record, but we are seeing the same words coming out of his mouth: "youth", "inexperienced", etc.

Wy, we definitely see that on opposite ends of the spectrum. I don't feel it's the HC's job to develop players, that the job of the asst coaches, along with the GM who is only looking towards the future. The HC's job, IMO, is to win games NOW with what he's been given, he can'r afford to look towards the future because his contract is really only day-to-day.

I'd say that's generally true but I see our HC as a total control freak who probably controls practices and definitely limits PT for young players. You watch YouTubes of Nuggets' practices and Malone is always in control. As for the GM, all he can do is control the roster, not how they practice nor play.

If Barton is still on this team next year, that's on the GM.

[The Rebel]

I thought the game changed when Derozan got his tech and the refs called a bunch of questionable calls against the Nuggets the next few minutes. The team just seemed to stop playing hard. That is on the coaches and the players, you cannot quit because the refs are being one sided.

Personally I never got the Barton hype and have never been a fan, but with the way the local media has been protecting and even attacking fans for their treatment of Barton I do not think he is going to be traded. We all know that Altitude radio is owned by the Kroenke's and it has never been a secret that the guys at Stiffs and the athletic kiss up to the Nuggets organization, so it tells me that the word is out that the Nuggets still like and want fans to like Barton.

Murray's inconsistency has been annoying all season, and has been worse this year than last which is not a good thing, but White going off is not all on Jamal either. For most of the 1st half Malone had Murray doubling Aldridge when Millsap or Plumlee was on him, that is asking to be destroyed by White as the only guys beside their 2 stars that can really create for himself. Barton should be the one asked to double as Forbes is not exactly going to tear you up even if he is open.

[Darklight]

It's as I fared, barton, murray and malone are costing us just as I said. Murray is way too inconsistent, barton is trash and I knew before the PO started he was gonna be unplayable just gotta pray we don't start him in the rest of the games or limit his minutes drastically! Malone and Murray got exposed in this game, Malone especially completly out coached. How can he not see what we all are seeing!? He just leave barton out there and it's killing us, spurs go on a run straight away, it's like he is playing for them and not us. Murray man, this kid is getting caught on screens all the time and just doesn't fight through them, he is being completly outplayed by Derrick **** White, making him look like a future star smfh!

Murray just doesn't have the lateral quickness to contain anyone, it's not like DW is really fast even.. I swear if this kid gets anything more then 5/80M after having a medicore RS and a trash post season.. I am really starting to question if he is a future star, like even a low tier borderline like tobias harris and middleton, if we offer him that contract it could be a steal and give us alot of flexibility in the future but it's also possible we get stuck with a kid who is widely inconsistent and a JR smith like PG