Half of Denver’s roster could be in the infirmary yet as long as No. 15 was healthy, the Nuggets would have a chance.
Behind another 40-point effort, Nikola Jokic almost dragged his beleaguered team to another victory.
Instead, the absences of Aaron Gordon (shoulder), Jamal Murray (knee maintenance), Bruce Brown (ankle) and Jeff Green (hand) were too costly in a gripping 127-126 loss to the Kings. What was once a 19-point, second-half Denver lead fizzled under Sacramento’s pressure, and the Nuggets’ winning streak was snapped at five.
De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis combined for 95 points, as Denver’s defense fell apart in the second half. Denver fell to 22-12 overall and will try to rebound against the Heat on Friday.
Here’s what mattered Wednesday night.
Bones’ bounce-back: Starting in place of Murray, Bones Hyland played his best game in two weeks, finishing with 20 points, 11 assists and five rebounds in 33 minutes. But tasked with initiating the two-man game with Jokic late in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets were sitting on a slight lead, Hyland struggled to get into the offense. The defensive intensity and physicality wrought by Davion Mitchell impacted him.
Unable to facilitate reliable offense, the Kings took advantage of a fluid Denver defense.
Yet even though the Nuggets lost, getting outscored 33-21 in the fourth quarter, those moments will be invaluable to Hyland’s growth. It’s not often he’s asked to fill Murray’s shoes, and the second-year guard filled in admirably. There’s just another level of precision and execution that’s required in crunch time.
Despite the recent slump, he’s still as slippery and audacious as always. His next level entails striking the balance between attacking and distributing. By no means did Denver lose because of Hyland, but when you’re the point guard, the spotlight shines a little brighter.
Nnaji time: Zeke Nnaji earned the start for the second consecutive game, but unlike Tuesday when he was mired in foul trouble, he was aggressive and confident in his play. Nnaji racked up 10 points in the first half Wednesday night on 5-of-7 shooting. None of his baskets were all that spectacular, though they highlighted how impactful he can be when he plants himself around the rim. The Nuggets have enough playmakers in Jokic, Hyland and Ish Smith to where Nnaji needs only to patrol the baseline to find pay-dirt.
Like Gordon, who’s been praised all season for playing within himself, Nnaji can be impactful without veering too far from his comfort zone. If Nnaji crashes the glass, hovers near the rim and plays his versatile brand of defense, he’ll have no reason to leave the rotation once the Nuggets get healthy.
Porter power: This is the version of Michael Porter Jr. we saw prior to a heel strain that kept him out for nearly a month recently. He’s more than comfortable as an offensive focal point (perhaps even benefitting on nights when Murray rests), and his defense continues to be steady. There will be occasions where his defensive awareness will drop, and he’ll gamble for an unnecessary steal, but he’s more positionally sound this year than he’s ever been. His three blocks and seven rebounds spoke to his defensive productivity.
Porter picked up where he left off Tuesday night, spearheading Denver’s 3-point attack. He poured in 16 first-half points on three 3-pointers and finished the night with 19 points overall.
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