DENVER — The undermanned Nets were already coming off back-to-back losses in their toughest road trip of the season.
It looks like their slump will be a little longer.
The injury-riddled team lost 124-105 to the Nuggets on Friday night at Ball Arena, a tough start to the six-game Western Swing.
Denver superstar Nikola Jokic, who ranks first in the NBA in points (31.5) and second in assists (9.7), is questionable after missing the past two games due to a non-COVID-19 illness. .
Unsurprisingly, he returned against the Nets and, as expected, dominated in every way, posting a triple-double of 35 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds.
“He's a game plan,” said former Nuggets assistant coach Jordi Fernandez. “Yeah. So obviously a very good team. They've been together a long time and are very well coached. And I know the ball will be in Nicola's hands. He leads the league in post-ups. , second in assists and first in touches.
“And he's got great teammates and a guy in Jamal who can take over and dominate the game.” [Murray]michael [Porter Jr. is] It shoots very well. The whole team knows what they're doing. … So we've done our job and we're ready to play against this team. And it's a good challenge for us because you don't get to play against the best players in the world every day. ”
For the Nets, Keon Johnson scored a team-high 22 points and Tyrese Martin scored 19 points off the bench.
However, they lacked firepower with leading scorer Cam Thomas, shooter Cam Johnson and point guard D'Angelo Russell all injured.
“It's been a tough year for them, but considering trades, players and everything else, the most important thing for Jordi… is to establish a culture. And when you add elements to that culture, you win. It's going to come,” Denver coach Mike Malone said.
“That's what I tried to do here in my first year 10 years ago. But before you can win, you have to establish an identity and build a culture. And Jordi did that. I think I'm trying.”
The Nets (13-25) fell behind by as many as 22 points in the third, but their fast-break rally fell short in the fourth.
Martin hit a 3-pointer off Reece Beekman with 8 minutes, 18 seconds left, leading to a 19-3 run that brought the score to 97-92.
Denver went from 2-3 without Jokic to 20-12 with him.
The Nets' lottery positioning has also improved.
They have dropped seven of their last eight games for the fourth year in a row, breaking away from a tie with the Trail Blazers in the process and emerging as the sixth-best odds in the draft lottery.
The Nets will play Utah and Portland, who are No. 5 and No. 7 in the lottery standings, in a marathon road swing that could be crucial to determining draft rankings.
The Nets led 46-40 with 6:40 left in the second quarter, but were outscored 16-2 by the Nuggets.
Jokic found Russell Westbrook for a sharp layup to start the game and scored on Westbrook's tip-in.
The Nets went into the locker room trailing 65-59 at the break.
They allowed a 14-3 run in the third inning, giving them a 22-point lead.
The Nets didn't surrender completely, giving up 12 points in the third and fourth quarters. They caught up to within five, but could not get close.
A final 14-3 Denver run brought the score back to 117-100 with less than three minutes left and the game ended.
“I was really excited because I get to see players who have never played a certain role or gotten playing time in the NBA do it for the first time. So I think the frustration got me in a good place. I don't think he'll be able to help, especially encouraging the players and watching them compete and fight,'' Fernandez said. “Obviously you want to get better and you want to win every game. That's what we're aiming for. To continue to develop these guys and give them a chance to compete for wins.”
