3 Things to Watch: Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat
By Chris Bolin
Who will step up?
If the Nuggets are to snap this losing streak, it will surely take contributions from all over the roster.
But, at some point the offense will get stagnant, the defense will get sloppy and the Heat will go on a run. It may come at crunch time late in the game or it may come early in the second quarter.
Who will step up then? Who will get a bucket to stop the drought? And who will rally the troops?
The obvious candidate is first-time All-Star Nikola Jokic. He’s consistently been that guy throughout the season.
Jamal Murray has also shown flashes of taking over games — most notably scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter to down the Kings on Jan. 3.
But could it come from somewhere else?
Monte Morris nearly singlehandedly kept the Nuggets in the game for a stretch against Brooklyn, scoring nine straight points in the third quarter to cut the deficit to single digits.
Malik Beasley erupted for a career-high 35 points in a win against the Rockets, then backed it up with 22 the next night against the Timberwolves.
Or could it be from a multi-time All-Star the Nuggets could have coming back from injury?