3 Things to Watch: Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat
By Chris Bolin
On the heels of three straight losses, the Denver Nuggets hope to bounce back with a win Monday against the Miami Heat. Here are a few things to look for.
Well, the Nuggets lost again Friday night in Philadelphia.
Denver gave up 34 points on 75 percent shooting in the fourth quarter to fall 114-107 to a new-look 76ers team — marking the Nuggets third straight loss.
“We got to get ourselves out of this,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after the game. “We all understand the business we’re in and nobody feels sorry for us. … We have to participate in our own recovery.
Denver has done a good job of that so far this year, as this marks only the second losing streak the Nuggets have had of three-plus games this season — the first coming as part of four straight in November.
And there’s a bit more optimism coming from the Nuggets locker room after a loss to the Sixers than there was following losses to the Pistons and Nets.
Denver had noticeably more energy in the Philadelphia game than in either Detroit or Brooklyn and the Nuggets will be headed back to the friendly confines of Pepsi Center to face the Miami Heat Monday.
But while a three-game skid can be chalked up to a number of things — injuries, youth, the road trip, etc. — and ultimately written off, dropping a fourth straight — at home — is reason to start panicking.
And with both the Heat and Kings chasing playoff spots, each will be looking to steal a game to end the first half of the season.
We’ve got two teams in Miami and Sacramento that are going to try and come in and get wins before the break,” Malone said. “So we can’t rely on just being home to get wins. So we have to play with the right mentality to go home and protect our court.”
Here are three things to watch as the Nuggets look to stop their slide.