November 26th 2024.
The Denver Nuggets are facing some struggles in the first half of their games, and it's causing some problems for them. In some cases, like their recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers, it's only a minor inconvenience that they can easily overcome. But in other instances, like their game against the New York Knicks, it becomes a major obstacle that they struggle to overcome.
Their game against the Knicks was a prime example of this. The Nuggets fell behind by a whopping 23 points in the second quarter, and despite their best efforts, they couldn't catch up. This loss brings their record at Ball Arena to 5-4 this season, a far cry from their previous two seasons where they only lost a combined 15 home games. It's clear that the Nuggets need to address their first-half performance if they want to continue their success.
It's interesting to note that the Nuggets actually have the best second-half net rating in the entire NBA. This has helped them make some impressive comebacks in previous games. However, their first-half net rating is ranked at a low 27th, which was only made worse by their loss to the Knicks. In the first half of the game, the Knicks dominated the court, shooting 62% compared to the Nuggets' 41%. They were especially deadly on fast breaks, scoring 17 points compared to the Nuggets' 2.
The Nuggets' defense in the half-court game wasn't much better. The Knicks were able to score at a 53% clip, with OG Anunoby leading the charge with a career-high 40 points. It seemed like every player on the Knicks' team was able to find success against the Nuggets' defense, making it difficult for them to make a comeback.
The Knicks' strategy seemed to be taking turns cooking the Nuggets. Jalen Brunson had a hot streak in the first quarter, scoring nine straight points while Nikola Jokic was still on the court. Then, when Jokic was resting, Karl-Anthony Towns took over and led a run against the Nuggets' second unit. Even when the Nuggets tried to switch things up by using DeAndre Jordan as backup center, it didn't make much of a difference.
Despite the strong offensive efforts of Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr., the rest of the Nuggets' bench struggled to contribute. In fact, they didn't even make a field goal until late in the third quarter. By that point, the game was already out of reach, and the Knicks' Russell Westbrook was able to rack up 27 points in garbage time. Meanwhile, the Knicks' coach Tom Thibodeau kept his starters on the court until the very end.
It was a rough night for Jokic, who was held to 22 points on 20 shots, along with seven rebounds and seven assists. He missed several opportunities around the rim and even had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night from beyond the arc. Murray and Porter also had solid performances, but the starting lineup as a whole struggled defensively. This was evident in the 145 points they allowed, which is the most they've given up in a regulation game during Coach Malone's 10-year tenure.
The Nuggets' next game is against the Utah Jazz, who just recently defeated the Knicks by 15 points. It will be their last game before the Thanksgiving break, and hopefully, they can use this time to regroup and address their first-half struggles. If they want to continue their success and make a strong push for the playoffs, it's clear that they need to improve their performance in the first half of games. For more updates and analysis on the Nuggets, be sure to sign up for the Nuggets Insider.
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