"It's embarrassing!" Adelman fuming after Denver's loss, but defends Jokic: "We need others to step up"

Pulse Sports Team 14:18 - 03 November 2026

Denver suffered another home defeat, falling 118-110 to Portland, and coach David Adelman had every reason to be furious.

Adelman was left frustrated by the final box score, which highlighted the Blazers' clear superiority on the boards and in shot volume.

"They completely outrebounded us. They won every 50-50 ball and took 15 more shots—that's always a massive advantage for any team. We addressed it in the locker room; it's simply embarrassing that we allowed that to happen, especially on our home floor."

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 35 points, while Nikola Jokic contributed 26 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.

"I thought those two guys tried to make plays. We need other players to step up and create as well. When you run an action and the ball finds you, there's a reason for it. They're throwing three defenders at two players."

The Serbian center shot 45 percent from two-point range and 29 percent from beyond the arc in the contest, doing little to lift his uncharacteristically slow shooting start to the season.

"He'll find his rhythm. It's only a six-game sample size, and we're talking about one of the most efficient offensive basketball players to ever live. I stand behind that completely," Adelman said, adding:

"He took seven three-pointers tonight. I think there will be nights where he simply has to take a high volume of those looks."