In a game of runs, the Nuggets ultimately fell short.
Denver lost 123-117 to the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night. The loss dropped the Nuggets to 14-7 on the season and two games behind the No. 1-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference.
After the game, head coach Michael Malone attributed the loss to Denver’s brutal schedule. Saturday’s game was Denver’s fifth in seven days. The team has already gone through two five-in-seven-day stretches in the first 20 games.
“We played 21 games, and we’re the only team in the league that’s played two five-in-sevens this early in the season,” said Malone. “I think you could see it, and I applaud our guys’ effort. We’re down 17. That game could have gotten ugly, could have gotten away from us. We cut it to two with around two and a half (minutes) to go. So, I love the fight. I love our guys staying with it and giving ourselves a chance on a night when we didn’t have our best.”
Nikola Jokić finished with 36 points on 13-of-23 shooting, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists. This was his 27th career 30-point triple-double.
Aaron Gordon made his return after missing four straight games and finished with 17 points and 7 rebounds.
“I thought Aaron was good. He was solid. It’s great to have him back,” said Malone. “What I really liked about Aaron’s game tonight is I thought he was aggressive and assertive, playing downhill, attacking the basket, running the floor in transition, and sitting down for early post-ups in the paint, and that’s what we need from him.”
Reggie Jackson once again filled in excellently for the injured Jamal Murray and turned in 20 points and 8 assists.
Sacramento got 26 points each from De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk. Both players hit big shots late.
“Malik Monk, he’s just a hell of a player,” said Malone. “One of the best bench players in the NBA. I thought his impact off the bench—in transition (and) in pick-and-rolls—he was a real deciding factor tonight.”
Ultimately, what doomed the Nuggets was their three-point shooting. They made just 6-of-25 long-range shots (24 percent) and did not make a shot from three-point range until the second half. Tired legs certainly appeared to be a factor.
Jokić had a dominant start to the game, raining home a litany of tough shots over Domantas Sabonis. The Joker finished with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and the Nuggets entered the second quarter with a 30-25 lead.
Fox revved it up in the second quarter with a perfect shooting performance from the field. This allowed the Kings to go on a 27-7 run. The Nuggets, meanwhile, went ice cold and made just 38.5 percent of their shots in the period. They also did not make a single three-pointer before the halftime buzzer, putting them in a 64-50 hole.
The third quarter was a battle of runs. The Kings opened the period on a 15-6 run. The Nuggets returned with their own 16-4 run. Denver got Sacramento’s lead down to 5 but then closed out the quarter poorly, and Sacramento entered the fourth with an 88-78 lead
Denver opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run. Sacramento pushed back and made it a 13-point game. Then, it was the Nuggets who made it a three-point game with 5 minutes remaining after a 15-6 run. Jokić hit a huge three with just over three minutes remaining to make it a two-point game. But Fox, the reigning Clutch Player of the Year, hit two big shots. Monk hit a big pick-and-pop three-pointer when Denver’s defense got lost, and the Nuggets ultimately ran out of gas.