Head coach David Adelman directly analyzed the reasons for the team's struggles, focusing on Nikola Jokic's performance and the defensive wall erected by Rudy Gobert.
While Jokic is the engine of the team, Adelman emphasized that this was one of those nights the Serb would want to forget as quickly as possible.
– He just kept missing. I mean, he shot threes well, but his two-point attempts were over defenders, around the rim. These are things he does, he had a tough night, it happens to players. He's played a million playoff games, but these are bad nights. He'll bounce back, but he and everyone needs to understand that we weren't good offensively today – Adelman stated clearly.
The Nuggets' coach is aware that the problem wasn't turnovers, but rather a complete lack of intensity and poor shooting percentages uncharacteristic of this team.
– We only had 10 turnovers, we didn't use physicality on offense to help each other. Their pressure led to less organized attacks for us. Everyone struggled with their shot today, 34 percent from the field, 25 percent from three. That hasn't been us throughout the season, but usually, in situations like this during the season, I'd say we can't afford so many turnovers, but that wasn't the case tonight. We need to improve significantly on offense and work on some things defensively.
What about Gordon?
A significant setback for Denver was Aaron Gordon's absence, and information regarding his return for Game 4 remains scarce.
– I don't have any information tonight, he'll probably practice in the morning, and then we'll meet in the afternoon. I have a chance to wait a day to get a solid answer – the Denver coach said.
A Recipe from the Past: A Comeback Like Against the Clippers
When asked if this was his biggest challenge since joining the club, Adelman drew parallels with previous difficult moments, emphasizing that the team possesses the experience needed for a turnaround.
– It's very similar to what we faced against the Clippers last year; we came back in Game 4 then. This is a playoff series, we have so many ups and downs, blowouts, last-second shots, tough wins and losses. The most important thing is who gets to four wins first. We have a good chance in a couple of days to return to Denver the way we want. We've been down like this before, there's no panic, but there must be accountability to be better in Game 4. After two consecutive losses, we need to reflect and build on that, and we need to fix a ton of bad things to be better offensively – Adelman concluded.
Denver now has a few days to "lick their wounds" and show their championship pedigree, because returning to Colorado down 1-3 in the series would be a scenario no one in the Nuggets' camp dared to imagine.
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