![]() Murray and Caldwell-Pope drained five 3-pointers in the first half, buoying a 36-point second quarter. Murray played with more panache, on both ends, and Jokic started picking apart Utah’s defense. The second quarter offered a different level of engagement from the Nuggets’ core. Instead of calling a timeout after the Jazz reeled off a 15-2 run to start the game, Malone seemed to want to let his players either figure it out or own the embarrassment. Porter wasn’t engaged defensively and missed most of his open 3-point tries. Jokic and Murray eased into the game with a handful of baffling turnovers. Denver’s 40-point quarter gave it a 95-89 edge entering the fourth quarter. and Murray found their stroke from outside, as did Gordon. Led by Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets knocked down eight 3-pointers in the quarter. Though the Nuggets’ defensive intensity waxed and waned, a discrepancy that won’t work in the postseason, Denver’s snipers made it rain in the third quarter. Saturday, he snapped out of it, letting his triples fly with confidence. ![]() Caldwell-Pope has been a foundational piece of what the Nuggets have accomplished this season but had recently struggled due to an ongoing illness. Utah outscored Denver, 29-19, over the final period.Ĭaldwell-Pope opened the third quarter with his fourth 3-pointer, further underscoring that when the postseason hits, one of Denver’s most consistent two-way players will be fine. The fourth quarter was reserved for more valuable development time for Denver’s promising rookies, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.” “It’s more about continuing to build good habits. “It’s not so much about motivation,” Gordon said. Considering that Denver’s starters all played three quarters, there’s no telling what Sunday’s depth chart might look like. And I heard a long time ago, there’s two types of people, those who like to win and those who hate to lose.”ĭenver ends its regular season on Sunday, at home against Sacramento, in front of their fans. “… The moment you think that losing is OK, it’s just another game, that starts to seep into who you are, the essence of who you are. “Maybe I’m just wired a little differently, man, I’m (ticked) off right now,” Malone said. Nuggets coach Michael Malone, owing to Utah’s 59 rebounds and dominance in the paint, was disgusted. The Nuggets finished the road portion of the regular season with a 118-114 loss, dropping their record to 52-29. Yet the decision to trot out their regular starters suggested otherwise.Ī slow, disconcerting start gave way to a more promising finish even if Denver’s reserves faltered in the fourth quarter. Technically, the Nuggets didn’t have anything to play for Saturday afternoon, having already clinched the No. SALT LAKE CITY – Motivation can be a cruel and fickle mistress.
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