Nuggets: Takeaways from Nuggets’ win over Magic
By Mathew Huff
The Nuggets finally got a road win against the Orlando Magic.
The Denver Nuggets came into this game after two bad losses. One could make a case this was somewhat of a must win game for Denver.
Despite being without Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap and looking sluggish in the first quarter, the Nuggets were able to overcome adversity. As soon as the second quarter hit, things started clicking for Denver.
Kenneth Faried had a sweet double double as he recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds. Will Barton was also a major spark again for Denver as he finished with 19 points on 50% shooting.
One thing which should be mentioned about Barton’s game this year is his improved defense. He seems to have made a concerted effort on this end this season. In this game, he had four steals and two blocks! It was a great overall game for the Thrill as he also finished with five assists and six rebounds.
We can’t forget about the young Malik Beasley either. Beasley finally got some meaningful minutes and he made the most of them. He finished with 12 points on 55.6% shooting in 28 minutes of play. He did a good job not forcing the issue and staying within the flow of the offensive scheme.
Denver also played stingy defense. The Nuggets held the Magic to 89 points and also came away with seven steals and seven blocks as a team. They held Orlando to 39.8% shooting and a putrid 23.8% from three point territory.
Hopefully, this game will serve as a building block going forward for the Nuggets as they continue this long road trip. They will need to carry this momentum to the next game as they battle the red hot Indiana Pacers. A team who just beat the Cleveland Cavaliers and has a red hot young player in Victor Oladipo.
We will see if the Nuggets can make something out of this.