Denver Nuggets

 The Denver Nuggets' bubble has not yet been burst.

Jamal Murray lit the world on fire in the second half and Nikola Jokic added 42 points, pushing the Nuggets to a 117-107 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday to stave off elimination. The Jazz hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Murray scored 32 of his 42 points in the second half, foisting the Nuggets on his back after they trailed by as many as 15 points. 

Donovan Mitchell led six Jazz players in double figures with 30 points. Mitchell is averaging 37.6 points per game for the series. 

The Nuggets entered Game 5 on the ropes, losing six of their last seven games amid apparent internal strife between coach Mike Malone and players. 

    

Notable Stats

Nuggets

G Jamal Murray: 42 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds, 1 steal

C Nikola Jokic: 31 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists

F Michael Porter Jr.: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Jazz

G Donovan Mitchell: 30 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

G Mike Conley: 17 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

C Rudy Gobert: 11 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

   

Gobert Still Not a Reliable Playoff Anchor

This was the worst game Rudy Gobert has played in this series. Jokic ate him for dinner the entire first quarter, forcing Gobert out of his comfort zone and breaking down the fulcrum of the Jazz defense.

Anyone who's watched Utah's postseason struggles over the previous two years know the story. Gobert gets sucked out of the paint, loses his defensive effectiveness and fails to pick up the slack on the offensive end. 

This is the existential problem with building around someone like Gobert in the modern game. When he's unable to play his game, he loses all usefulness. He can't create for himself or shoot on the offensive end, and he's too slow-footed to have an impact defensively once he steps outside the paint.

Jokic isn't fleet enough of foot to really make things miserable for Gobert on the perimeter, but games like Tuesday are Exhibit A as to why the Jazz should think long and hard about whether they want to build around Gobert long term.

   

Nuggets Can Still Win This Series ... If They Commit Defensively

Jokic is the best player in this series. On most nights, Murray and Mitchell can play each other to a wash. Unless Jordan Clarkson comes off the bench with a hot hand, the Nuggets have the offensive firepower to outgun Utah for two more games.

The defensive effort? Ehh. Not so much. 

The Nuggets remain a wildly inconsistent defensive team, flush with efforts that show they could perform at a league-average clip and other moments where they look like the most listless team remaining in the bubble.

The Jazz torched them to an embarrassing rate through the first four games and were doing so again through one half Tuesday. It's unclear where the newfound effort came from after the break, but Denver turned up its intensity with its season on the line and held the Jazz to 44 second-half points.

At the risk of becoming a human cliche, this largely comes down to effort. The Nuggets didn't make any wholesale changes to their scheme after the break. They just rotated harder, stayed at home and dared Utah's shaky offense to finally miss some shots. 

If that carries over to Thursday, we'll be headed for a Game 7. 

Michael Malone didn't sugarcoat his assessment of the Denver Nuggets after getting routed 124-87 in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round against the Utah Jazz.

"They're playing at a different level than us right now," the head coach told reporters. "This is two games in a row that we have gotten our ass kicked."

Denver trails 2-1 in the best-of-seven series and has been outscored by 56 total points after winning Game 1 135-125 in overtime on Monday. 

After shooting 51.6 percent from the field in their Game 1 victory, the Nuggets have been held to 45.7 percent in Game 2 and 37.5 percent in Game 3. 

The Jazz continue to adjust while Denver looks lost. 

Most importantly, guard Jamal Murray has been held to fewer than 15 points over the last two games after scoring a team-high 36 in the series opener. Denver is at its best when its offense is flowing through both Murray in the backcourt and Nikola Jokic in the paint. That hasn't happened since Game 1 and it's well past the Nuggets' turn to adapt.

Asked what the mood was in locker room and what it was like during that rout for the Nuggets, Jamal Murray says, "We were just blown out twice." Murray says it is time for Denver to respond and he puts a lot on him as far as getting the tempo up and getting everyone involved.

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) August 21, 2020

While Malone is well within his right to call out his team's play, some of his club's deficiencies will fall back on the coach. 

Denver attempted just 11 free throws on Friday while allowing 16 points off turnovers and 48 points in the paint as Utah's Rudy Gobert notched 24 points and 14 rebounds. If the Nuggets can't use their notable size to cut off easy buckets in the frontcourt, this series may end quickly. 

The emergence of Mike Conley (27 points, 4 assists) on Friday—in his first playoff game after returning from the birth of his son further proved how slim the margin for error is for Denver's defense. In theory, the Nuggets have enough pieces to both match up and succeed against Utah—a team it swept in three games against during the regular season. 

That has hardly translated to the postseason and Denver is running out of time to prove it can find a solution. 

 

Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton will leave the NBA bubble and continue to rehab his injured knee away from the team.

Mike Singer of the Denver Post reported Barton will seek a second opinion because of the ongoing discomfort in his knee, which has kept him out since a July 27 scrimmage. The rehabilitation has led to soreness in other parts of Barton's body. 

Barton averaged 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists during 58 regular-season starts. His production has largely been replaced by that of Michael Porter Jr., who has been among the bubble's breakout stars.

Departing the Orlando, Florida, area bubble at this juncture makes it unlikely Barton will return this season, barring a deep playoff run for the Nuggets. Along with the ongoing rehabilitation, Barton would have to undergo a quarantine period upon returning.

With games being played every other day to expedite the playoffs, it's hard to envision a scenario in which Barton returns to the floor. 

This is the second straight season Barton has missed extended time because of injury, as he underwent hip surgery in 2018.

Denver Nuggets swingman Will Barton will reportedly be sidelined for the foreseeable future with "lingering knee soreness."

Mike Singer of the Denver Post reported the news Tuesday, noting Barton hasn't played since Denver's final scrimmage at the Walt Disney World Resort bubble more than three weeks ago because of the issue.

Any injury is a concern for Barton after he missed at least 20 games in four of his first seven NBA seasons. This includes a hip injury that cost him three months in 2018-19.

The 29-year-old had bounced back in 2019-20, averaging 15.1 points and a career-high 6.3 rebounds per game. As one of the team's top perimeter defenders and outside shooters, he clearly plays an important role on one of the top squads in the Western Conference.

His absence will be a significant loss as the Nuggets try to make a deep run in Orlando.

Denver already has solid depth in the backcourt, with players like Jamal Murray capable of picking up more slack offensively. Michael Porter Jr., Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig should also see more playing time to fill the rotation.

The Nuggets can only hope that will be enough to compete with the best teams in the Western Conference.

Gary Harris (hip) and Will Barton (knee) will miss the Denver Nuggets' matchup with the Utah Jazz in the opening round of the 2020 NBA playoffs.

Neither player suited up for Denver for the team's eight seeding games. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, head coach Michael Malone was unable to provide a firm idea of when they'd return.

"If and when they are cleared to play, we'll slowly work them back in, but obviously we are very deep into this Orlando bubble," he said Wednesday, per the Denver Post's Mike Singer. "Three scrimmages, (Wednesday) will be our seventh seeding game and the playoffs start come Monday. When they get cleared to play, we'll try to get them back in there and try to reintegrate them back into the rotation."

Barton was third on the Nuggets in scoring (15.1 points) during the regular season. He also averaged a career-high 6.3 rebounds while dishing out 3.7 assists.

Harris saw his offensive efficiency continue to slide as he averaged 10.4 points—his fewest since his rookie year—while shooting 42.0 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from three-point range.

Without Barton and Harris available, the Nuggets went 3-5 over the NBA's restart heading into the postseason.

Michael Porter Jr. averaged 22 points and had four double-doubles over seven games earlier this month. The rookie forward emerged as a key player for Denver.

Still, losing two of five regular starters would hurt any team, and the absence of a clear timetable for Barton and Harris' returns is likely a source of frustration for Malone.

The Nuggets won't be the only team short-handed, though. The Jazz listed Mike Conley, Ed Davis and Justin Wright-Foreman on their injury report. Davis is dealing with an MCL injury in his left knee, while Conley exited the NBA bubble to travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the birth of his child.

The Denver Nuggets clinched the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference for the 2020 NBA playoffs on Wednesday after losing 124-111 to the Los Angeles Clippers, who earned the No. 2 seed with the victory.

Denver will face the No. 6 seed Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs beginning either Monday or Tuesday.

The Nuggets won their first three games of the season and 13 of their first 16 to put themselves on cruise control toward a postseason spot. The bigger challenge throughout the campaign was keeping pace atop the West with the Los Angeles rival Lakers and Clippers

Denver locked in its playoff berth when the league confirmed its restart plans following a four-month hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it still had to fight for seeding when play resumed at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida.

It's the second straight season the team is heading to the playoffs after a five-year postseason drought. The franchise has advanced beyond the opening round just twice since 1995, however, and has never reached the NBA Finals.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone signed a contract extension in December and didn't shy away from setting high expectations.

"I look forward to continuing our ultimate goal of winning NBA championships," he said.

Denver has an outstanding one-two punch in center Nikola Jokic and point guard Jamal Murray—who's dealt with a hamstring injury in Orlando—but its playoff fate will likely be determined by how much production it receives from its secondary contributors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtnhIFBmmz8

It's a group led by Will Barton, Jerami Grant, Paul Millsap, Gary Harris and Michael Porter Jr., who enjoyed a 37-point outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the bubble while seeing an uptick in playing time while the team worked through injuries.

All told, the Nuggets head into the playoffs flying under the radar despite their strong campaign. The star-studded Lakers and Clippers generate the most attention in the West, and the conference could arguably see any of its eight teams make some postseason noise.

Denver has both the high-end talent and the depth to reach the conference finals for just the fourth time in franchise history. If everything falls perfectly into place, it could potentially even break the aforementioned NBA Finals drought.

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said Monday his team must prepare to potentially play the postseason without some of its injured players.

"I'm not trying to sound coldblooded, but we can't wait for the guys that are injured," Malone told reporters. "The playoffs are not going to wait for us."

Gary Harris (hip), Will Barton (knee) and Jerami Grant (knee) missed Monday's 124-121 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, while Jamal Murray (hamstring) recently returned to the lineup.

The Nuggets currently sit third in the Western Conference at 46-25, but there's still room for movement during the final days of the regular season, so their first-round opponent is unknown.

Denver has flown below the radar for most of the campaign since the West is loaded with star-studded rosters, led by the Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets.

The Nuggets have their own star duo in Murray and Nikola Jokic, but it's their depth when at full strength that makes them dangerous in the playoffs. It was on full display against the Lakers as the game came down to the wire despite Denver being without three key rotation members.

Michael Porter Jr. has led the charge during the resumed season at the Disney World complex in Orlando. He's averaged 23.8 points across six appearances in the bubble, including a 37-point outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder last week.

Paul Millsap, Monte Morris and Torrey Craig are among the team's other secondary contributors. But the ability to go 10 or 11 deep when everybody is healthy helps Denver stand out, which is why the availability of Harris, Barton and Grant is crucial.

Malone told reporters he was pleased with the performance against the Lakers despite the loss:

"I couldn't be more proud of our group. They played extremely hard against the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. It was the fourth time we played them, and every game has been a battle down to the wire. For us to sit out starters the whole fourth quarter and to have the guys on the bench out there giving them all they could handle, it was a heartbreaker. It's always tough, but just so proud. I could not ask for a greater effort, greater focus, energy, whatever you want to call it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ1Ppr8yN9U

The Nuggets only have two games remaining in the regular season, so time is running out for Harris and Barton, neither of whom has yet to play in the bubble, to get back on the floor before the playoffs.

Malone understands Denver will have to get ready for a tough first-round matchup, regardless of which team from the loaded West is the opponent, with or without those important role players.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich had quite the compliment for Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic following Wednesday's game. 

"He's a reincarnation of Larry Bird" after Denver's 132-126 win, per Marc Stein of the New York Times.

Jokic finished with 25 points, 11 assists and four rebounds on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 shooting from three-point range.

While comparing him to Bird is hyperbole at this point, it is hard to argue with the notion Jokic is a nearly impossible matchup for opposing defenses. The big man can extend his game beyond the three-point line, score on the blocks against smaller defenders and facilitate the offense like he's a point guard from the high elbow.

The two-time All-Star is still three championships behind Bird, but he can help change that if he continues to play like he did Wednesday at Walt Disney World Resort.

The 45-23 Nuggets hold the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and are just a half-game behind the Los Angeles Clippers.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray will miss Saturday's game against the Miami Heat because of a hamstring injury. 

The team announced Murray is dealing with tightness in his left hamstring.  

It's unclear when Murray suffered the injury, though he did play in Denver's 114-110 scrimmage loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. The 23-year-old scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting in 26 minutes. 

In his fourth NBA season, Murray remains an essential part of head coach Michael Malone's starting five. He is averaging 18.8 points through 55 games before the season was suspended on March 11. The Kentucky alum is shooting a career-high 45.5 percent from the field. 

The Nuggets (43-22) are already locked into the postseason heading into their first game of the restart. They could move within one-half game of the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a win over Miami. 

The Denver Nuggets have reached out to rookie forward Michael Porter Jr. after Porter referenced conspiracy theories regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Porter said during a Snapchat Q&A on Tuesday that the coronavirus is "being used for population control in just terms of being able to control the masses of people."

"Because of the virus, the whole world is being controlled," he said, per the Denver Post's Mike Singer. "I mean, you’re required to wear masks, and who knows what will happen when this vaccine comes out? You might have to have the vaccine in order to travel."

Nuggets had coach Michael Malone told reporters Wednesday that president of basketball operations Tim Connelly addressed the comments with Porter

"I know that Tim Connelly, our front office, has talked to Michael about his comments long before I realized what was said," Malone said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "So it has been [discussed with] him, he understands the situation. Once again, we as an organization, I'm not going to put a muzzle on anybody."

Porter's comments come as Johns Hopkins University has confirmed almost 4.4 million cases of COVID-19 and 149,961 deaths from the disease in the United States alone.

Porter also claimed he had never been vaccinated, per CNN's Wayne Sterling and Ben Morse: "I've never been vaccinated in my life. I've never had any shots or anything like that. So it could get crazy. But it's definitely behind everything that's going on right now and all you could do is sit back and watch what's going on."

Sterling and Morse noted that that contradicts a school-wide policy at the University of Missouri, where Porter attended college for a year, mandating students born after 1956 to have received the MMR vaccine.

Among many claims made by those in the anti-vaccine movement is that the vaccines put children at an increase risk of suffering from autism, an assertion that has been debunked by medical professionals.

The conspiracy theories have extended to a hypothetical vaccine for COVID-19 as well.

Yahoo News' Andrew Romano reported in May that 44 percent of Republican respondents in a Yahoo News/YouGov poll said they "believe that Bill Gates is plotting to use a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign as a pretext to implant microchips in billions of people and monitor their movements."