SAN ANTONIO — The Nuggets could still maintain a Christmas lull.
The Spurs took it into the Nuggets from the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s match and pulled away to get a 111-103 win. A 15-0 fourth-quarter run, buoyed by 3-pointers along with dunks, secured the Spurs’ success, although Denver made a late run to keep it quite tight.
The Nuggets, who sponsor the Spurs on Friday at the Pepsi Center, dropped to 21-11.
“Our transition defense has been awful tonight,” ” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “San Antonio isn’t a team which runs in a high level. Bryn Forbes scored 10 points with himself transition, therefore I believe we allowed the chance of missing shots to hang on our mind and to wait to return, and if you do this, that’s losing basketball. ”
The Nuggets, led by Malik Beasley’s 15 fourth quarter points, charged back to receive it within five, but it was too late.
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Despite knocking down 18 3-pointers, the Nuggets shot just 39 percent from the field and have been outscored 48-28 from the paint. Juancho Hernangomez needed a season-high 27 points, including six 3-pointers, but Jamal Murray and Monte Morris discovered little rhythm throughout the night. The duo shot just 10-of-35.
Nikola Jokic, who had four points, 10 assists and four rebounds, could be to the precipice of his very first All-Star Game, however, abandon it to Gregg Popovich to offer view on the Nuggets’ franchise pillar.
“When I think of revolutions, I think of people like Che Guevara, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin,” Popovich deadpanned. “I don’t really think of Jokic up to radical, so I believe you’re a bit hyperbolic there. But he is one hell of a participant. ”
Although Jokic didn’t have one of his transcendent matches and has been completely outplayed by LaMarcus Aldridge (27 points), Popovich’s pregame affinity for him still held.
“He’s kind of pudgy, ” he doesn’t miss from the gym, ” he doesn’t run that fast, but he might be one of the brightest players in the league,” Popovich said. “And then that he ’s obtained abilities. And he knows how to use him, and he loves himself out there. ”
This ’s on the offensive end, but there were instances Wednesday if Aldridge left him helpless from his array of jumpers.
Offseason acquisition DeMar DeRozan has been steady with 30 points along with seven boards.
Ahead of the match, Popovich and Malone were equally complimentary of one another. Malone thanked Popovich to get jump-starting his training profession, vouching to him both Cleveland and New Orleans, and Popovich lauded the project Malone has finished creating the Nuggets’ core.
“He’s a hardnosed man,” Popovich said. “He has criteria , he’s rough, however he’so fair and he’s educated. … I couldn’t be happier for him. ”
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As for the Spurs, who despite 10 brand new gamers are within striking distance of the playoffs at the Western Conference, Malone commended the identity of each Popovich staff and named him arguably the best coach in NBA history.
“They do everything together with speed, they do everything together with purpose and subject, and what I’t always felt is should you make any mistakes , they tap it, on each end,” Malone said of the Spurs. “The players change, but the one constant here with this organization is Gregg Popovich and the occupation that he’s completed. ”
The Spurs held a 55-53 border at halftime after dominating the Nuggets from this article. One game after inventing 80 points from the paint into the Clippers within their worst loss of the season, the Nuggets’ inside defense broke down . Aldridge had 18 of those Spurs’ 28 points in the paint compared to just 12 for the Nuggets.
The Nuggets managed just 37 percent shooting in the field more than two quarters, subsisting on 10 first-half 3-pointers. Hernangomez buried , and Morris came off the bench with three more triples.
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