After the Nuggets lost to the Lakers on Saturday, Nikola Jokic reflected on their recent nine-game winning streak. He mentioned that the streak might not be as impressive as it seemed, especially since many victories came against teams that were struggling or missing key players. Now, the Nuggets face a challenging schedule with upcoming games in Indiana, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Boston.
Jokic said, “We had the nine-game winning streak against teams that were injured, and teams that were not really good or high in the standings. So maybe we tricked ourselves into thinking that we are playing good.”
Despite the loss, the Nuggets managed to reach second place in the Western Conference temporarily. However, they fell to third after the Lakers game. They need to step up their game against stronger teams. Currently, they have a record of 10-14 against teams with winning records, which is concerning.
Coach Michael Malone emphasized the need for improvement, stating, “No one’s going to be scared that the Denver Nuggets are coming to town. We have to play a lot better than we did tonight. We relied too much on our offense. We averaged 128 points per game during our win streak, and tonight we only scored 100. When we’re not scoring, what are we going to do?”
There were also some highlights from the Northwest Division:
- Keyonte George scored 30 points in the Jazz’s win against Houston. His performance suggests he may thrive coming off the bench, allowing him more chances to shoot. He said, “It’s time to make my presence felt, to understand who I am as a player.”
- The Trail Blazers achieved a franchise record with a 141-88 win over Charlotte. They outperformed the Hornets significantly, especially with their three-point shooting. Coach Chauncey Billups noted, “It feels good to be on this side of it.”
- However, the game had a downside as Robert Williams missed it due to swelling in his knee. Billups indicated that they would be cautious with his recovery.
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