Denver Nuggets bounce back and dominate Brooklyn Nets

Last Sunday, the Nets went to win in Denver (120-122). A week later, the Nuggets took revenge by dominating them on their floor (102-108). Starting off very well, Mike Malone’s men quickly took the lead thanks to Jamal Murray’s 20 points at the end of the first quarter (only five more points thereafter). He and his teammates increased this advantage on the scoreboard as the game progressed: 13 points ahead at the end of the first quarter, 15 at halftime and 20 at the end of the third. A slack in the final act allowed the Nets to come back, to no avail.

Faced with the most skilful team in the NBA, still in its standards (52.5% this Sunday, 50.8% average this season), Brooklyn wasted too much ammunition to hope to return to the game. Symbol of this imprecision, Mikal Bridges, the Nets’ leading scorer with 23 points, finished with a total of 8/18 on shots. In addition to Jamal Murray, Denver was able to count on Michael Porter Jr. (28 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists) and the new triple-double of Nikola Jokic (22 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists).

Denver, however, remained on a series of five defeats in six games. This victory puts them back ahead of the Sacramento Kings, second in the Western Conference. For its part, Brooklyn remains sixth in the East but within gunshot of Miami and could quickly be under pressure for the playoffs.