The Denver Nuggets took down the Charlotte Hornets 129-115 tonight, winning their ninth game in a row dating back before the All-Star Break.

Jamal Murray led the way with 34 points, scoring efficiently at 12-of-18 from the field and 7-of-10 from three. The Nuggets starting point guard has put up 89 points in his last two games, dating back to the 55 points he scored right before the break.

“He got off to a great start in that first quarter, and he maintained that throughout the night,” Michael Malone said of Murray’s shooting performance. “We’ve always said it: when Jamal is aggressive and playing with that kind of swagger, it usually leads to a big night for him.”

Murray’s aggressiveness off the dribble and off the catch really stood out tonight, as did his agility to get to the spots on the floor he wanted to go. The creativity on his drives to the rim is really impressive to watch, as is the efficiency.

“They were just going under [the screen] and I was just shooting,” Murray exclaimed. “Basic logic.”

“Just getting to my spots, shooting with confidence.”

Not to be outdone, Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists of his own, shooting 11-of-22 from the field and 6-of-14 from three. He was aggressive all night from the perimeter. 14 three-point attempts is a new career high, and Jokic achieved that by the end of the third quarter.

“I think with [Jusuf Nurkic] out there, he’s down the floor so much in pick and rolls that the pop is available,” Malone shared. “We talked about that, and obviously, Nikola is shooting the ball so well from three.”

Nurkic played about 19 minutes and was pretty good in his minutes, but he got into foul trouble early and never truly contested Jokic’s outside shot. Moussa Diabate was the backup center, an undersized big man who Jokic could shoot over whenever he needed to. And he did exactly that for much of the game.

Julian Strawther also had another very impressive shooting night with 16 points, four rebounds, and two assists, shooting 4-of-7 from the perimeter and spacing out to nearly 30 feet.

“I always carry immense confidence,” Strawther shared postgame. “Just trying to find more ways to bring life to this team and just make an impact on the game.”

Heading into the game, the story was about Russell Westbrook returning to the floor alongside Denver’s other starters and what Michael Malone would do with the rotation. Westbrook came off the bench and played over 25 minutes, providing eight points and seven assists in a relatively inefficient manner. Chalk it up to a bit of rust. Christian Braun got the start and had 10 points on nine shots, looking a bit rusty himself.

Malone made sure to not commit to a singular starting lineup long term, saying that the starters could change again during the regular season.

“It wasn’t anything that Russell Westbrook hadn’t done,” Malone shared about the lineups decision. “I just felt with [Christian Braun]…not only had we won eight in a row, but the level of play that CB was playing at was outstanding.”

“We’ll see what happens as we move forward, but I’m just really fortunate to have a guy like Russ who’s a pro.”

The win streak stays alive

A nine-game winning streak is impressive for any team. For the Nuggets specifically, it means a significant amount. Nine games ties the longest win streak of the Michael Malone and Nikola Jokic era. Denver’s never been in double digits, but they’re on the precipice now.

All they have to do is beat LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. No pressure.

Stepping back from a specific game though, it really does take impressive mental toughness to prolong a streak. The discipline to continue doing the important things like rebounding, defense, limiting turnovers, and good shot selection often ebbs away as the streak is extended. Teams play worse and worse the longer it goes, and it can get exhausting.

Murray knows what the team is in for after the All-Star break this year, saying this will be their toughest year together as a team.

“I think [Jalen] Pickett told me Memphis lost on the bench, and I was like, we gotta win this game,” Murray shared. “And everybody was locked in and we won the game. I think it’s just those little reminders, you know?”

Murray’s speaking to finding motivation throughout a long 82-game season. He knows how competitive the team will have to be, saying that this was going to be one of Denver’s easiest games the rest of the way and that things only get more difficult from here.

“We just gotta be ready to play. It’s not going to come down to X’s and O’s. It’s who’s more ready to play and who wants to win more. That’s what i think it comes down to.”

With a win tonight and the aforementioned Memphis loss, the Nuggets are now in the two seed in the Western Conference. Murray says he wants the team to go for the top seed. That’s not going to happen with the gap Oklahoma City has on them (nine games in the loss column is insurmountable) but it’s a good mentality to have.

Can Denver use a high seed as motivation for the rest of the season? Will they get to 40 wins before 20 losses? We will see.

Final Rotations