PLAYOFF-2020 (Game#2, R1): [3]Denver Nuggets vs [6]Utah Jazz (1-0), WED/Aug19, 16:00ET

[THE J0KER]

Denver won the epic opener on Monday despite the guy which we trade for Tyler Lydon scored franchise-record points. Nuggets (as expected) actually won all quarters and OT except the 3rd quarter, but that quarter was really bad, with Nuggets not score a single point in opening 4 minutes and lose it 19-31.

In this game 2 I expecting to see a routine win with MPJ better production and Mitchell less spectacular.

Jokic, Murray, Grant, and Morris are in good shape in Orlando, no reason to not repeat itself. Jazz starter Conley will not play once again but compared to Game-1 Utah for sure can better shoot and defend 3pt, and Gobert can play better too.

[NuggetsWY]

Game 2 - differences I expect
Less Mitchell, more from other Jazz
less Murray - more from Porter
probably won't see 6 Nuggets in double figures

Loved seeing Jokic asserting himself in game 1 - hope to see more of that in game 2 - not sure we can win if he doesn't impose his will on the game

[Manolito]

Less Mitchell & less Murray
Considerably lower Denver 3pt%
More Jokic playmaking, he barely created for his team mates in game 1
Hopefully more from Porter, he was too anxious yesterday. In any case his defense yesterday was putrid, Ingles looked like LeBron, this is the first step forward he has to take to obtain more playing time.
I hope Nuggets have an strategy to minimize pick&roll, Ingles & Mitchell spent 48 minutes calling it

[TunaFish]

I am not sure we are gong to see less shooting from either Mitchell or Murray. That shootout in the fourth quarter of the last game was unreal. When good shooters find the range, it's a difficult attack to stop for either team. Craig fouled out trying to stop Mitchell and Murray won the game for Denver.

There will be some defensive adjustments but I don't know if either team can stop the other. It's no accident the last two games have gone to overtime.

Denver is the better team but they are going to have to elevate their play on the defensive end.

This is an exciting series to say the least.

[skywalker33]

I see Mitchell with the green light to shoot, he has to keep gunning if the Jazz are to keep up. I think we'll have to try to play better defense (especially against DM), the first game was too close. As for Porter, what rookie plays true NBA-level defense, it's a learning curve that doesn't just develop over 8+ games, however, I hope his offense is improved enough to keep HIS man tired out or worn down.

Murray and Jokic need to keep it going, I just hope we get more outta Milsap than this last game. Didn't see his offense or defense make a difference, good thing Grant stepped it up at the PF position.

[skywalker33]

Murray starting off slow but MPJ is looking much better, off to his fast start....interesting , kinda like a starting pitcher and closer ????

[skywalker33]

We're getting killed right now, seems like the Nuggets FORGOT, THESE ARE THE PLAYOFFS !!

[THE J0KER]

Malone has some bold problems with game preparation. MPJ underperformed previous game 2nd half, no big deal, but today he looks like walking dead in the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter he suddenly rises into all-star, but Malone benched him waiting last minute to back him again. Jokic case was the opposite, great start, but bad 2nd quarter. But at least MPJ and Joker have one great quarter, unlike the rest of the team (to be fair Morris and Grant are once again good). We still can survive this -13 deficit on halftime but with much better defense and offense both.

[Manolito]

Millsap should not play longer than 15mpg. He does not know that yet, but he is washed

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[skywalker33]

Nuggets just did not come to play today, Millsap is showing his age (bet he's retiring by the looks of things), Murray looks disinterested. Malone is being outcoached. And we have another 1-sided game from TC again, Barton and Harris loss gets bigger and bigger.

And love those media a-holes, are their lips chapped from all that Utah butt-kissing yet ??

[Manolito]

Difference between Snyder and Malone is too big to ignore that.

Nuggets are being killed simply by a pick and roll. D in the bubble is a complete disaster and teams are beating their threes franchise récord game after Game. Even Lakers shot 50% from three against us.

As long as Malone is the coach, Nuggets have zero chances to be really competitve

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[THE J0KER]

Why people complaining about today's Nuggets defense? WHAT defense?

Our biggest advantage in opening two games should be Utah temporarily Conley missing. But there are no real benefits at all from that because we make Clarkson look like all-star and Mitchell to look like GOAT, so Jazz guards torched us even more than Blazers in 2019 PO.

The key was 2nd half of 2nd quarter which Nuggets lose with 23-7 so 42-39 lead was turned in these 6 minutes into -13 deficit on halftime. Then we lost 4th time in the row 3rd quarter (in double digits both playoff 3rd quarters vs Utah) and that is all.

It is so frustrating to see Jokic -23 in a game where he produced nice 28-11-6 numbers and almost blowout loss in a game where our factor-X MPJ scored 28 points with 6-9 threes shooting. But it is mostly Malone fault IMO, the team looked to be mentally unprepared for playoff battle and backcourt and 3pt defense doesn't exist today.

[skywalker33]

What puzzles me is how Snyder can put O'Neal on Murray and he shuts him down while we put TC on Mitchell and he still goes off for 30pts....seems like O'Neal is who TC (and Malone) thinks he is, guess that's the fantasy.

[babyjax13]

What puzzles me is how Snyder can put O'Neal on Murray and he shuts him down while we put TC on Mitchell and he still goes off for 30pts....seems like O'Neal is who TC (and Malone) thinks he is, guess that's the fantasy.

Craig has done the best job on Mitchell of any defender in the league in the regular season...but I think Mitchell has seen the matchup enough to know how to pick his spots. Denver's offense is great, but hard-doubling Mitchell did not work.

[skywalker33]

What puzzles me is how Snyder can put O'Neal on Murray and he shuts him down while we put TC on Mitchell and he still goes off for 30pts....seems like O'Neal is who TC (and Malone) thinks he is, guess that's the fantasy.

Craig has done the best job on Mitchell of any defender in the league in the regular season...but I think Mitchell has seen the matchup enough to know how to pick his spots. Denver's offense is great, but hard-doubling Mitchell did not work.

Funny, Malone's reputation is that of a defensive coach. If he can't find something to at least slow down Mitchell, he may as well retire now. So blind he didn't see this coming, just plain arrogance IMO

[babyjax13]

What puzzles me is how Snyder can put O'Neal on Murray and he shuts him down while we put TC on Mitchell and he still goes off for 30pts....seems like O'Neal is who TC (and Malone) thinks he is, guess that's the fantasy.

Craig has done the best job on Mitchell of any defender in the league in the regular season...but I think Mitchell has seen the matchup enough to know how to pick his spots. Denver's offense is great, but hard-doubling Mitchell did not work.

Funny, Malone's reputation is that of a defensive coach. If he can't find something to at least slow down Mitchell, he may as well retire now. So blind he didn't see this coming, just plain arrogance IMO

I wouldn't say that, I kind of feel like Denver is doing as well as it can defensively with their current personnel. Plus, it was just one game.

[Manolito]

What scaries me most is the fact that Denver has shot 35/68 (51.5%) from three meanwhile Utah 36/91 (39.5%).

During RS, Utah has been the team with the best 3P% (38%) and Denver 3P% is 36%. That means Utah will keep scoring from three with the same percentage, but Nuggets shot will settle down, which will happen sooner or later despite MPJ emergence.

If we keep same defensive scheme we are going to lose the series. Malone needs to find a solution to guard their pick and roll and stop permitting open shots, that is what Utah make at their best and they are really comfortable doing that.

I think Gobert is doing a great job for Utah´s defense. He is not obsessed with Jokic scoring 30, he lets Jokic gets his open shots but he is intimidating all the shots in the paint. Our ball movement is being slow and predictable, the number of assists is considerable lower than in RS, too many isos and no elaborated plays are being called.

The way this first two games have been....I think Utah is now the favorite to win the series.

[NuggetsWY]

As babyjax said, it is just one game. I still believe the Nuggets will win the series - but only if they really want to.

Porter & Jokic each scored 28.
I do not understand why Murray is so inconsistent in his game.
Plumlee had no points but 8 rebounds.
Millsap & Grant combined for 13 points but only 5 rebounds.
Morris & Dozier brought 15 points.

Sure, our offense could have done better, but it was not terrible. We shot 46% with 48% from three and only had ten turnovers and we even controlled the boards.

But when the other team shoots over 50% and over 45% from three, you are going to struggle to win. Utah only had six turnovers and had 32 assists while the Nuggets only had one steal. That all seems to say something like "lack of effort".

[skywalker33]

Craig has done the best job on Mitchell of any defender in the league in the regular season...but I think Mitchell has seen the matchup enough to know how to pick his spots. Denver's offense is great, but hard-doubling Mitchell did not work.

Funny, Malone's reputation is that of a defensive coach. If he can't find something to at least slow down Mitchell, he may as well retire now. So blind he didn't see this coming, just plain arrogance IMO

I wouldn't say that, I kind of feel like Denver is doing as well as it can defensively with their current personnel. Plus, it was just one game.

Sounds a bit condescending as if Mitchell is so unguardable, which I don't buy. I do agree that personnel has a lot to do with it but the scheme does as well and Malone has made absolutely no adjustments from what I've seen.

And IMO, if Murray wants to be a STAR, he can't let other players take him out of his game so "willingly" as WY said, he needs to impose it on O'Neal.

[The Rebel]

What puzzles me is how Snyder can put O'Neal on Murray and he shuts him down while we put TC on Mitchell and he still goes off for 30pts....seems like O'Neal is who TC (and Malone) thinks he is, guess that's the fantasy.

Craig has done the best job on Mitchell of any defender in the league in the regular season...but I think Mitchell has seen the matchup enough to know how to pick his spots. Denver's offense is great, but hard-doubling Mitchell did not work.

I think you have Craig and Harris confused, the one game that Harris played against the Jazz this year Mitchell went 8-24, the 3 games since Mitchell went 12 of 33, 19 of 33, and 10 or 14 all with Craig as his primary defender.