Nuggets Stumble Again: Historic Opponent Numbers Highlight Denver's Woes as Jokic Struggles Continue

Denver (3-3) dropped to 1-2 at home, with their only home victory coming after an overtime thriller that required overcoming a 23-point deficit against New Orleans. The red-hot Trail Blazers (5-1) took their first lead with 9:29 remaining on a Chris Youngblood tip-in. Jamal Murray, looking to lift his team to another victory, misfired on a mid-range jumper at the other end before Jrue Holiday drained a three-pointer. The Nuggets suddenly found themselves playing catch-up and couldn't complete the comeback, with Toumani Camara knocking down a dagger triple with 1:10 left on the clock.

Denver's Cam Johnson was seen clutching his hamstring on the play, while Murray paced the Nuggets with 35 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Nikola Jokic continued to struggle with his efficiency, finishing 10-of-22 from the floor for 26 points, with Denver being outscored by three during his minutes on the floor. Deni Avdija led Portland with a team-high 28 points.

Portland significantly outshot Denver from beyond the arc (41-26 in attempts), a disparity that eventually caught up with the Nuggets. Denver opened the contest in a 3-2 zone defense for several possessions before switching back to man-to-man coverage.

The tactical surprise was effective enough to disrupt Portland's rhythm early on, aided by a cold shooting stretch from the visitors. Jokic controlled the glass early as Denver built an 11-3 rebounding edge that translated into a 15-8 lead. Denver's starting five looked cohesive in just their third game together this season, despite another quiet offensive outing from Aaron Gordon.

Rebounding has been a persistent issue through Denver's first five games, and it proved costly on Monday alongside the three-point deficit. Portland dominated the boards by a plus-16 margin, anchored by the relentless Donovan Clingan. Half of Clingan's 18 rebounds came on the offensive end, making him the first player in NBA history to record 17 points, 18 rebounds (nine offensive), and four blocks in a game against Jokic.

Nuggets rookie Alpha Diallo returned to the rotation after missing four games with a wrist injury. Even with Spencer Jones sidelined, David Adelman leaned toward utilizing an all-bench second unit—sticking to his original plan before injuries began taking a toll on depth. Diallo gave the coaching staff a more complete lineup, closely resembling their preseason configurations.

However, that unit faced a stern test to start the second quarter. Micah Nori deployed his two top options against Adelman's bench: Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard, who is enjoying a triumphant start to his Portland return following a two-year absence and a season spent rehabbing an Achilles injury.

It was a dangerous matchup, even after Gordon replaced Trevon Brazile due to early foul trouble. The bench held its ground initially, pushing Denver's lead to 36-27 following DeMar DeRozan's third mid-range bucket of the half. That was when Lillard took over. He drew a three-shot foul against Diallo's full-court pressure, and on the next possession, stripped Gordon on an isolation drive before Portland converted the turnover into a fast-break dunk, slashing Denver's lead to five in just 30 seconds.

Adelman reinserted Murray and Christian Braun to navigate the non-Jokic minutes, and Denver responded with a quick 7-0 run out of a timeout. More trouble brewed once Jokic returned, however. Reverting briefly to a zone defense, Denver dared the Blazers to shoot from deep following an icy 3-of-17 start. This time, Portland cracked the code, draining five consecutive triples.

The first half closed with a massive 23-9 disparity in three-point attempts, though Denver offset the damage with a 26-12 advantage at the charity stripe. Portland entered the contest leading the NBA in three-point attempts and ranking second in free-throw attempts.

With Ja Morant sidelined due to an aggravated left hamstring, Scoot Henderson drew the start for Portland. The contest marked Nori's head coaching debut at Ball Arena, where he previously served as an assistant under Michael Malone. In a sense, it was familiar territory—during the 2024 playoffs, Nori stepped in as the Timberwolves' acting head coach against Denver after Chris Finch sustained a sideline knee injury.