The Denver Nuggets dropped a big one, 123-104 to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Denver Nuggets were led in scoring by Will Barton with 25. Barton added three rebounds and an assist. Jamal Murray and Paul Millsap added 16 and 15 for the over matched Denver squad. Although a spark on offense, Jamal Murray posted a team-high (-22). Murray plays with plenty of effort but it appears getting run through screens is taking its toll.
For the Sixers, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric each pitched in 20. Robert Covington and J.J. Reddick added 18 and 19. Embiid and rookie Ben Simmons both grabbed 13 rebounds.
The Sixers improved to a 7-game win streak.
The Nuggets snapped a 2-game winning streak.
The game saw the return to action of top draft pick Markelle Fultz who scored 10 in limited action.
Next for the Nuggets are the Eastern Conference leading Toronto Raptors, tomorrow night in Toronto. No word yet on the return of Gary Harris although he was listed as OUT for tonight’s game so it’s unlikely he’d upgrade overnight. The Nuggets are missing Harris’ steadying presence and his 18 points.
The Nuggets started strong and carried a 59-51 lead at halftime. Their penchant for third quarter collapses flared up again, though. Denver put up an abysmal 15 points in the third. Philadelphia took the opportunity to find their legs, scoring 34 in the decisive quarter.
Coasting in the fourth, the Sixers outscored the Nuggets 38-30 for the final tally.
Denver remains in ninth place in the Western Conference but drops to a full two games back of both the Utah Jazz and the Timberwolves. They are three games back of New Orleans and San Antonio with 9 games to play.
Denver will need to improve on their second-half performance to have a chance of upsetting the Raptors.
Next: Top 10 defenders in NBA history
If we’ve learned anything about this unpredictable team, it’s to never count them out of a contest. Let’s hope tomorrow night is one of those nights for the Nuggets.