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Denver Nuggets Use Early Blaze to get by Injury Riddled 76ers

By Andrew Phipps

DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 23: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets brings the ball down the court against the Portland Trailblazers in the second quarter at Ball Arena on February 23, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 23: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets brings the ball down the court against the Portland Trailblazers in the second quarter at Ball Arena on February 23, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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The Nuggets ended up winning this game with a final score of 104 to 95. The entire squad contributed tonight and they rode their early success to victory! The top scorers were Jamal Murray with 30 points and 3 steals, Michael Porter Junior with 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting, and he even grabbed 12 rebounds. Nikola Jokic had a strong all-around game with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The Nuggets came out hot

The Nuggets started this game with some intense sloppy play. They had a scorching hot first quarter where it seemed like they could not miss. In the first quarter, they scored 44 points which were the most points in a first-quarter since early in last year’s season before the bubble! Despite the hot shooting performance early the team seemed to be a step off, Jokic had some bad turnovers, and one time missed a catch resulting in some free points for Ben Simmons on the other end.

Jamal Murray got off to an incredibly hot start on both ends of the floor, scoring 7 points and nabbing two steals in the first five minutes! Murray ended the quarter with 16 of the Nuggets 44, while the 76ers as a team only scored 22.  Murray seemed to be playing with that blue arrow swagger tonight, he was confident and hit a plethora of deep shots off the dribble.

A fun battle between young guards during this game was Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray, the two of them went at each other hard. It seemed like a personal battle and the two most likely have some sort of relationship with them both being selected in the top five in the 2016 NBA Draft. The two of them had a feisty first half, you could tell they were chirping at each other!

Ben Simmons was the focal point of the 76ers’ offense early, and he was great at getting into the teeth of the defense. The new-look Nuggets of course had some defensive miscommunications and were late on some rotations as expected which allowed Simmons to get off some impressive layups. His length and ability to leap and hang in the air allows him to finish over even the best defense. He puts so much pressure on referees to make calls with his consistent and relentless pursuit to the basket.

Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. were outrebounding the entire 76ers team without Joel Embiid to stand in their way. It was clear early that Dwight Howard was no match for the Joker, he was able to get a ridiculous amount of simple tip-ins off of his teammates misses all night, displaying his true expertise on the glass.

Michael Porter Jr came into his own early, continuing his recent hot streak. He had a highlight real dunk on the fast break and some tough pull-up threes with young defensive wizard Mattise Thybulle draped all over him. With every passing game, Porter is becoming more comfortable as a scorer from all three levels.  It is always a great look when the ball is popping on offense and it ends up finding Porter for an open 3.  He also seems to be more aggressive and hunting for his own shot.

The Nuggets ran this fast break to perfection! It ended up with a highlight lob for Gordon from Jamal Murray!  Nuggets fans cannot wait to see more dynamic highlights from this newly formed big four!

PJ Dozier had some great looks setting up teammates, he looked confident handling the ball when he doesn’t dribble into traffic without a plan. His length and ability to run the point make him an intriguing prospect for the future. The idea of him learning about angles and tempo from Jokic and Murray is attractive.

Dozier even showed an ability to defend Ben Simmons in the full court, he was able to slow him down but got caught reaching a few times.  The next step for him would be to add some strength to his frame to be a better screener and player that can play the 3.

The leap Nikola Jokic has taken this season has been nothing short of impressive. There is a reason that he is higher in MVP conversation than he has in years past. While we all know that his vision and ability to throw any pass on the floor mirrors the greats of the game. What has set him apart this year has been his work on the defensive end of the floor.

The Joker is now playing some intense defense, he is more engaged than he has been in years past and he is not afraid to switch onto guards and wings.  He is becoming known for his active hands and disrupting passing lanes.  He has realized that he can use his high IQ on the defensive end, he’s so smart with knowing where people are supposed to be on offense that he can translate that into anticipation on the defensive side.

Full game highlights below

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