The Denver Nuggets finally played a sound game of basketball that ended in with a win.
The Denver Nuggets moved back into a playoff spot with a key victory over their Northwest Division foe. The game was a nail-bitter, but the Nuggets pulled through with clutch plays down the stretch. Here are the important takeaways from the win over the Trail Blazers.
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A Confident Murray
Jamal Murray has proved he is a rising star in this league. Back to back 30+ games with a career high 38 last night, Murray revealed his superstar potential. Murray shot an incredible 73% from the field and had a 6-1 assist to turnover ratio. Once Murray can consistently produce this way, the Nuggets will be able to turn the corner.
Forcing Non-Stars to Score
Yes, Damian Lillard scored 25 points and shot very efficiently behind the three point line. Jusuf Nurkic also pulled in another double-double, but many of his points were off his offensive rebounding ability.
However, the remaining starters (including C.J. McCollum) shot a measly 9-33. C.J. McCollum is the team’s second leading scorer, and he only scored 12 points, six of which came from the charity strike. The Nuggets need to continue to force their opponents to find other scorers than their “go-to” players.
A Fire Inside Chandler
I will be one to admit, I have always been a critique of Wilson Chandler. He will score 20+ one night, then go 1-7 for 2 points the next. Sometimes I just feel that he appears uninterested in playing.
Tonight, he proved me wrong time and time again. From strong takes to the rim to powerful rejections on defense, Chandler played an important role in tonight’s victory despite only scoring six points. The Nuggets will need this passion and fire from their key small forward if they want to make some noise come May.
Overall Takeaway
Last night’s victory was as close to a “must-win” game as we’ve seen this season. After a couple home contests with the Knicks and Mavericks, Denver begins one of the toughest stretches for an NBA team this season. Games against Boston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Golden State scare any NBA team, so you can see why these three games before are so crucial. Denver needs to follow this game up with a few more key victories and ride that momentum into next week’s gauntlet.