Nuggets suns1/26/2024 It was one small example of the Nuggets’ complete buy-in this playoff run, and why they believe, at the outset of their second-round series against Phoenix, they have as good a chance as any remaining team to win a title. In 39 minutes, Porter snatched 10 boards and had a key deflection to break up a Rudy Gobert lob in the fourth quarter. It didn’t matter to Porter that he’d scored just eight points (albeit huge ones) and was inefficient from the field. “I’m not really tripping about how many points I score, especially in the playoff game,” Porter said. dwelled on his rough shooting night for about the length of time it takes him to fire off an uncontested 3-pointer. I’m expecting a big game from Jokic, and I’ll back Denver as underdogs on the road in Game 1.When the Nuggets ousted the Timberwolves in five games on Tuesday night, Michael Porter Jr. This Nuggets team seems to keep exceeding expectations, but shouldn’t we expect greatness from a team with the presumptive MVP in Jokic, a big man who can score with ease while also facilitating the offense to benefit his teammates? But since Denver acquired Gordon, it has allowed the fifth-lowest shooting percentage from midrange ( 37.4%), a low-value shot that the Suns rely on heavily. There’s some concern that the Suns could get hot from 3-point range, especially the corner. Ayton only averages 2.8 personal fouls this season, but against the Nuggets he’s totaled three, three and six fouls this season. This strategy worked well for the Nuggets against the Blazers by neutralizing Jusuf Nurkic with fouls, and I expect to see this employed against Phoenix as well. I expect to see Denver attack Deandre Ayton to get him into foul trouble, because there’s no answer for Jokic after the former No. While this may be a strong suit for the Suns ( score 117.7 points per 100), they may play themselves directly into Denver’s hands.Ĭonsidering the spread, I think there’s value on Denver. However, since April 1, the Nuggets have the eighth-best half-court defense and surrendered just 111.3 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. The Suns can control the pace of any game with Chris Paul at the helm, and they’ve played at one of the slowest Paces in the league ( 98.00). This is an angle the Suns should look to capitalize on, and they have the personnel to do so in either Jae Crowder or Mikal Bridges, both of whom can get hot. While Denver defends the midrange shot well, they allow opponents to hit the corner 3-pointer 41.4% of the time. The Suns had the best midrange shooting percentage in the league (49.1%) and the second best from the corner (43.7%), per Cleaning the Glass. They relied on attempts from the corner and midrange, while getting to the rim was not seen as a priority ( last in frequency at the rim). The Suns owned the fourth best eFG% during the regular season. This really is not a surprise, considering Phoenix posted the second best record in the league, and ranked in the top 10 in both offense and defense. The Suns finished off an impressive series against the Lakers during which they truly demonstrated that they were the better (and healthier) team. Suns’ Offense Plays Into Denver’s Defensive Strengths The Nuggets will need big minutes from these three in order to contend in this series. share the floor, Denver has been an impressive +9.1 points per 100 possessions while scoring 121.2 points with an eFG% of 57.8%, all marks in the 93rd percentile (or better) of all NBA lineups, per Cleaning the Glass. When the trio of Gordon, Jokic and Michael Porter, Jr. Since Murray went down and Gordon was brought over, we’ve seen the Nuggets adapt. The one issue? All of these games were before Murray’s injury and the acquisition of Gordon. In those games, the Nuggets scored 113.2 points per 100 possessions while only surrendering 111.7, per Cleaning the Glass. ![]() The Nuggets actually fared well against the Suns this year, taking two of three games from them, although the two teams haven’t met since January. Denver faces a much tougher test in the form of a stout Suns defense. The Blazers’ defense left much to be desired, but the Nuggets scored a whopping 125 points per 100 possessions against Portland. The Nuggets have thrived since their midseason acquisition of Aaron Gordon by running their offense through Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets will continue to lean on Monte Morris and Austin Rivers until Barton is able to return. For this game, they will be without Will Barton, who continues to deal with a strained hamstring. The Nuggets enter this series down a few players in the backcourt. Claim Offers Now No Guards? No Problem for Denver
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