Nuggets coach Michael Malone will take the win against an Anthony Davis-less Pelicans, but Monday night’s victory left plenty of room for improvement with a back-to-back road trip on deck.
The Nuggets nearly spoiled an 18-point third quarter lead as the offense devolved, leaving a slight chance for the Pelicans to steal a road win. Up just 96-94 with under four minutes left, the offense surged as a result of clutch defensive plays. Following Malik Beasley’s 3-pointer, Gary Harris forced back-to-back turnovers that stemmed the Pelicans’ momentum and gave the Nuggets a nine-point cushion on easy looks at the basket. The Pelicans cut the Nuggets’ lead back to three before another Harris steal and bucket ultimately helped seal the win at 116-111.
“You’re up 18 points in the third quarter, and we just lose our mind,” Malone said. “We just start making things up on offense, not executing, not getting stops on defense. That can’t happen. … Make them have to make plays, don’t allow them to get back in the game because of our mistakes.”
Though the Nuggets won the turnover battle, the Pelicans shot 58 percent in the second half, including 8-of-15 from 3-point range. Were it not for Harris’ timely rips, the Nuggets might not be 5-1 heading to Chicago and Cleveland.
“He comes up with a couple of key strips, deflections, steals, loose balls,” Malone said. “His confidence, he’s a gamer. He is our key two-way player.”
Typically soft spoken, Harris isn’t one to celebrate himself. Asked which aspect of his line – 23 points or the forced turnovers – he was most proud of, Harris didn’t flinch.
“The win,” he said. “We have a lot of energy right now. The vibe around the team is different this year…I think y’all can feel it, we can feel it, everybody can feel it. Itap just a different vibe around the team.”
Dysfunctional offense. The final numbers for the Nuggets (45 percent shooting; 11-of-35 from 3-point range) weren’t what they’ve come to expect, but six guys in double figures is often a recipe for success. What was surprising, considering their time off since last Thursday’s loss at Los Angeles, was how disorganized the offense looked in the first quarter. They were outscored 24-20 and appeared out of rhythm for a team that prides itself on cohesion and continuity.
Malone grabbed Jamal Murray at the first-quarter break, reeling him in to discuss the confusion.
“One, itap on your point guard,” Malone said. “He’s gotta run your team. He’s gotta make sure everybody understands what we’re in. And we looked like a dysfunctional offensive group at times. We had two guys running one play, you had three guys running another play. You can’t afford to have those kind of lapses with your execution if you want to be a really good basketball team. My frustration early in that first quarter was that starting group I don’t think was ready to play tonight.”
Murray, who came out aggressive in the first half and ultimately tied Harris for a team-high 23 points, dismissed much of the Nuggets’ lapses.
“Um, there’s always stuff we gotta go over, but I mean we won,” he said. “It was a good win, we gotta clean up some stuff that we gotta clean up like we do every game.”
As to the overall spark of the offense, Paul Millsap, who had 18 points and eight rebounds, said itap coming, but he doesn’t know when.
“Shots are going to fall eventually,” he said. “When? I don’t know. Hopefully sooner than later, but as long as we’re getting wins, and we’re not even playing our best basketball, I think we’re okay with that.”
Beasley was a huge asset off the bench and played in a season-high 31 minutes. It was his defense and effort that made Malone continue to ride with him in the second half.
“Defensive discipline, multiple effort, flying around, contesting shots and made some big baskets for us,” he said. “Once they took that 18-point lead and cut it all the way down, Malik was a big part of us winning that game.”
It almost speaks to his understated style of play, but center Nikola Jokic finished one rebound shy of a triple-double. The offense had plenty of encouraging signs, but itap still lacking the consistency of an elite scoring squad.
Barton’s presence. Will Barton’s season was interrupted last Tuesday when he underwent surgery to repair hip and core muscles. Barton will be re-evaluated in five weeks, but in the meantime, he’s back with the team, and his presence has given them a palpable boost.
“For me selfishly, just having him around the team, his personality, his voice, his presence, is a huge positive because he’s such a huge part of what we’re trying to do,” Malone said. “So he can’t do it on the court right now, but he can still be a presence in our locker room and in our practices and in our shootarounds. I know all of our guys love him, and itap great to see him.”
