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Julian Strawther, Jamal Murray go off in Denver Nuggets preseason finale win

Ryan Blackburn

Oct 17, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) works past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark (22) in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The Denver Nuggets wrapped up preseason with a 132-126 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s a massive sigh of relief after Denver began the preseason 0-4, and while the effort wasn’t awesome throughout, the execution was much better.

The Nuggets brought everyone to Minnesota, and only Peyton Watson was unable to play tonight among the main rotation players. Head Coach Michael Malone clearly wanted to see additional effort from his main rotation in the preseason finale, and he got a better, more well-rounded effort from Denver’s group.

Jamal Murray and Julian Strawther led the way for the Nuggets scoring wise. Murray had 25 points, shooting 5-of-6 from three and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. He showcased the explosive scoring and found his rhythm on the outside jumper. Perhaps it was the camera angle, but the arc on his jumper looked higher than normal. Maybe a good sign for his athleticism as well.

Denver’s effort waxed and waned throughout this one, especially defensively. Luka Garza was dominant against them inside and outside, which can mostly be attributed to Nikola Jokic jogging. The starters as a whole were done with preseason by the start of the third quarter, and that allowed the Wolves to stage a bit of a comeback. Before that though, the starters as a whole looked solid offensively. Murray and Porter led the way scoring wise with Porter adding 16 points. Jokic wasn’t taking as many shots and instead operated as a facilitator, finishing with seven assists and setting the table frequently.

Fortunately though, the bench appears to have found a bit of a rhythm. Strawther’s breakout makes things easier, and pairing that with a Russell Westbrook + Dario Saric two-man game allowed the Nuggets to settle down with the second unit. The two veterans had 13 points a piece and looked solid overall. Westbrook’s turnovers (five on the night) mostly happened in the first few minutes. Once he settled down, he looked much better. He also continues to find Strawther, which is a great sign for Denver.

Overall, a solid win for the Nuggets. Yes, the T’Wolves didn’t play any of their starters today, but the Nuggets needed a performance with solid execution tonight, and they got it.

What have we learned this preseason?

The Nuggets wrap up preseason with a 1-4 record. They played a really tough schedule of teams overall with two games vs Boston in Abu Dhabi, a Phoenix Suns team hunting threes early, a full strength Oklahoma City team, and a Wolves team that effectively played no one.

In that time, Denver’s three-point shooting has crystalized a bit. Tonight’s box score was a bit weird because they shot 49 free throws somehow, but they only attempted 26 threes. They went 15-of-26 tonight, headlined by elite shooting from Murray and Strawther. When the Nuggets get going from three this year, they’re going to be hard to beat.

It’s also worth reiterating: Julian Strawther is a player. I’ve really appreciated his approach every game and ability to generate shots. Tonight was the culmination of what has been an excellent preseason for him. He may not end up starting for Denver, but he’s going to play a lot off the bench. I would guess at least 20 minutes per game.

The depth behind Denver’s immediate rotation remains a concern. Vlatko Cancar had a nice game today, and Zeke Nnaji had some nice moments this preseason. Perhaps they will be ready to go in the regular season and can contribute some extra minutes when needed. Still, it will be nice to see Peyton Watson get back in the mix, if only so he can defend and run with Westbrook consistently.

For now, Nuggets fans can breathe a sigh of relief. The preseason is finally over, and the next Nuggets game will be for a real.

We will see if the Nuggets are ready for it.

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