The Denver Nuggets have faced adversity this season, and they’ve rolled over.
In a critical Game 4 down 2-1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Nuggets got blown out in the second half, a 62-42 margin in a 112-96 loss that they had a real chance in up until the tidal wave started. It didn’t matter for the Timberwolves that they suffered multiple critical injuries to Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards. They just kept playing, and the Nuggets lost the thread. Again.
Nikola Jokic was very emblematic of these struggles. In the first half, Jokic looked excellent, playing really well as a scorer, playmaker, and even defender at times. It was a great performance for him.
Then, the second half started, and it was simply a different version of Jokic, more accurately the version that’s been spotted in each of the last few fourth quarters. Jokic shot just 1-of-10 in the second half as the Nuggets relinquished a first half lead and then watch the Timberwolves zoom past them in the fourth quarter.
Jamal Murray battled throughout the game and made some plays, scoring 30 points on 10-of-25 shooting. That doesn’t fully excuse the inefficiency, as well as some real blunders on the defensive end, but Murray’s effort level and competitiveness weren’t a question mark.
Aaron Gordon’s competitiveness wasn’t a question either, though his health clearly is. Gordon started Game 4 after missing Game 3 with a calf injury. Watching him try to close out on jump shooters and move laterally was difficult though, as Gordon had a poor game overall with just 9 points and 1 rebound on 11 shots in 23 minutes.
There’s no question that the other players on the roster “wanted to win” and “tried to win” either. I thought Spencer Jones made a lot of good plays on defense. I thought Cam Johnson and Christian Braun had the occasional flash on both ends of the floor.
But in no uncertain terms, the Nuggets clearly didn’t play to the level of aggressiveness, confidence, and grit that it takes to win a road playoff game. They missed important shots around the rim. They shot 6-of-28 from three as a team. They let the Timberwolves develop some momentum in the second half like a boulder rolling downhill, and then the Nuggets laid down at the bottom of the hill and got crushed by it.
All the while, the Nuggets continue to make scoring the basketball look really difficult. For the top ranked offense in the NBA this season, the Nuggets sure seem to struggle on that end of the floor just as much as they do defensively. And that’s most likely why they’re down 3-1 in this series.
The Denver Nuggets are completely and utterly rattled. They are frustrated by the physicality of the Timberwolves, second guessing themselves whenever they make a decision, and allowing the low moments to ruin their confidence as a team. They look like a team that’s never been to the playoffs before and experiencing playoff tension for the first time, and they’re not exactly handling it like the veterans they’re supposed to be. The only player who has looked the part is rookie and former two-way contract player Spencer Jones. That’s ridiculous.
The Timberwolves suffered two absolutely enormous injuries on Saturday night. DiVincenzo reportedly tore his achilles and is out for the season. Edwards will get tests on his knee but could very well be done for the series or even the playoffs as a whole.
Those are clear reasons for the Timberwolves to get down on themselves. The Nuggets have injuries too, but nothing close to that level. Did the Timberwolves allow those moments to bog them down? Absolutely not. Ayo Dosunmu dropped 43 points on the Nuggets off the bench. He was unbelievable, and the Nuggets couldn’t do anything about it or simply chose not to. Naz Reid had his first good game of the series. Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert all did their part.
The Nuggets? They watched Jokic and Murray take a lot of shots and score in an inefficient and unimpactful manner. That was the extent of the offense in the second half.
Game 5 is on Monday, and it’s quite possibly the Nuggets’ final game together as a core. With Divincenzo definitely out and Edwards likely out, the door is quite clearly still open for Denver to win on their home floor. That would take a serious turnaround mentally, but it’s not exactly impossible for the team that came back from down 3-1 twice during the 2020 playoffs.
Of course, that team had grit, resiliency, a different coaching staff, and far fewer miles. This team looks tired, frustrated, and unsure about what to do.
Will Game 5 be a swan song or a turnaround opportunity? It’s up to the Nuggets to decide.
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