This was always bound to catch up with the Nuggets.
San Antonio, Houston, Atlanta, Golden State, New Orleans, Memphis, Houston, Portland, San Antonio. And on Saturday night, the L.A. Clippers.
Ten games against playoff teams, all coming after the coaching change from Brian Shaw to Melvin Hunt. While it may be a stretch to say the Nuggets never stood a chance, the odds of them coming out on the right side of the majority of those games weren’t good.
And on Saturday, they really weren’t good against the Clippers — coming off the second night of a back-to-back set that started at San Antonio.
The well-rested Clippers hadn’t played since Wednesday. And the Nuggets played without injured starting point guard Ty Lawson and then lost Jameer Nelson in the second quarter for the rest of the game.
So, yeah, given all of that, the Nuggets’ 107-92 loss Saturday night seemed about right.
“A very good team, and a very wounded team,” Hunt said of the difference in the game. “And a very wounded team that kind of happened all of a sudden. Ty was a late scratch. Didn’t anticipate that. Obviously when Jameer went down those were our two rudders, they make us go. When those two guys went out it was a matter of survival.”
The game was a struggle from the start. The Clippers sprinted to a 10-0 lead. Then to a 24-6 lead.
And essentially, that was it.
The Nuggets looked as tired as they probably were. A host of things are weighing them down, the least of which is a schedule that sees them play 13 of the last 23 games against playoff teams. The Nuggets are currently 3-7 in those games.
And that has derailed a hot start under Hunt, their interim coach. The competition ratcheted up tenfold, and the Nuggets just aren’t as good as the teams they’re facing. Otherwise, the Nuggets are 5-3 in the final 23 against teams with losing records or out of the playoff picture.
A shortage of able bodies is becoming an issue. The Nuggets played the bulk of Saturday’s game with just 10 players, and only one was a true point guard — rookie Erick Green.
And when NBA star Chris Paul is on the other side, that is, well, tough.
The Clippers are playing their best basketball at the right time, winning nine of their past 10 games as they try to earn the highest playoff seed possible in the rough-and-tumble Western Conference.
The usual suspects provided the production for the Clippers. J.J. Redick led them with 24 points. Paul had 23 points, nine assists and five rebounds. DeAndre Jordan was a rebounding machine, collecting 22 to accompany 14 points and three blocked shots.
The Nuggets were led by Wilson Chandler’s 17 points. Randy Foye chipped in 14.
