Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers: 10 Note-Worthy Takeaways

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Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Mason Plumlee (24) fight for a rebound during the third quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /

With Emmanuel Mudiay and Danilo Gallinari out, the Denver Nuggets blazed past Portland.

Portland came out firing. Their ball movement and three-point shooting (mixed with the Nuggets early turnovers), made it seem like this was going to be a long night. After the first quarter, Portland was 7-9 from 3 and had a 9 point lead.

Then the tide seemed to change in the 2nd quarter. Portland looked unstoppable early, but the Nuggets were able to adjust defensively. They missed contributions from three usual starters (Gary Harris, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Danilo Gallinari) and one key bench piece (Darrell Arthur), but were still able to win thanks to their depth.

Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets with 18 points as they outscored the Blazers 80-63 from the second quarter on.

This was big as the Nuggets were able to put their rough start behind them. It should be noted that superstar Damian Lillard did take a bench spot for the second. That would certainly help any comeback.

Even in a great win like this, there were pluses and minuses to takeaway. Let’s take a look at a couple reasons to be excited, and slightly cautious, about the upcoming season.

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