The Denver Nuggets dropped their third game in a row on this road trip, losing 122-112 to the New York Knicks in predictable fashion.
Ahead of this game, the Nuggets made a rotation change by reinserting Aaron Gordon into the starting lineup. Rather than Russell Westbrook returning to the bench though, it was Christian Braun who went to the second unit, coming off the bench for the first time this season.
Jamal Murray led the way for Denver with 33 points and six assists on 13-of-25 from the field and 3-of-7 from three. Murray worked hard all night, navigated foul trouble, and did a reasonable job of carrying the Nuggets at various times throughout this game. He got shot happy at times, and there were some key turnovers that led to easy points for the Knicks, but overall, Murray had a strong game as Denver’s scoring leader.
Nikola Jokic played just two minutes in the first quarter and nine minutes in the first half, collecting two fouls early and being forced to sit. Michael Malone decided to play him limited minutes in the first half as a result, but that also led Jokic to play 24 straight minutes in the second half. It was a weird rotation all game, and the Nuggets appeared out of rhythm all game for a variety of reasons.
Jokic finished the game with just 17 points, six rebounds, and six assists in 33 minutes. He simply didn’t assert himself in this matchup getting out of the way for Murray and others to operate. Denver mostly faired well without him involved, but they couldn’t get over the top against a Knicks team that they couldn’t slow down.
Jalen Brunson once again diced up the Nuggets defense. Brunson racked up an impressive 30 points and 15 assists compared to just two turnovers. The Nuggets initially deployed Westbrook on Brunson, but a variety of players guarded him (or didn’t guard him) all night. Michael Porter Jr. in particular was the mark for the Knicks in the second half, with Porter’s man setting a ball screen for Brunson to force Porter to switch onto the star point guard. Then, Brunson would go to work and create a good shot for his team. It was a formula the Knicks repeated over and over, and though Denver’s effort was better overall, they couldn’t get the stops when they needed to keep the game close.
Brunson goes off for 30 points & 15 assists as the @nyknicks keep it rolling!
🗽 5 straight wins
🗽 32-16 record
🗽 408 points over last 3 games: most in franchise history pic.twitter.com/TD8jHSRHTQ— NBA (@NBA) January 30, 2025
Overall, the Nuggets are sliding at the wrong time, and with the trade deadline a little over a week away, it might be time for the Nuggets to seriously consider how good they actually are.
A starting lineup shift that didn’t shift a thing
Michael Malone, as mentioned above, decided to start Aaron Gordon tonight to match up with the Knicks physicality a little bit better. Gordon started on OG Anunoby, who had 40 points in the previous matchup. Anunoby finished the evening with 23 points on 15 shots. Gordon shot the ball efficiently himself, but his impact wasn’t really felt in this one defensively.
Westbrook started in place of Braun and had 14 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists. His hustle was appreciated, and his willingness to go hard on the glass and in transition definitely helped Denver.
Braun didn’t really do anything wrong though. This wasn’t a demotion in my estimation. He still played 28 minutes off the bench and was the first sub when Jokic got into early foul trouble. Braun played well. His box score doesn’t reflect it (-18 in 28 minutes) but I liked what I saw from him.
What’s becoming increasingly clear about this Nuggets group is that it’s difficult to play defense with all three of Jokic, Murray, and Porter on the floor. Jokic gets a pass because he’s Jokic, and he will ramp things up in the playoffs. In the regular season though, his baseline will of course be lower. Murray and Porter don’t have that same luxury, Porter especially. The 6’10” forward has backslid defensively this season, accumulated a combined 50 steals and blocks in 47 games played. The involvement and impact on that end has lessened, and he doesn’t have Murray’s excuse of running offense for the starting and second units while being 6’4″.
With Jokic, Murray, and Porter on the floor this season, the Nuggets have a 125.4 offensive rating and 115.3 defensive rating. They’re still really good together against most teams because of elite offense, but the Nuggets not being able to guard while those three are on the court hurts their chances against elite teams. The Nuggets are now 2-8 against teams in the Top 4 of each conference. That doesn’t speak to Denver rising to an elite level when the playoffs come around.
It was one thing when the Nuggets had Aaron Gordon two years younger, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Bruce Brown to insulate Jokic, Murray, and Porter. Now, they have Gordon suffering through a calf injury, Christian Braun, Russell Westbrook, and some young guys.
It’s fair to wonder whether Denver can play adequate defense with their current core. They had good stretches tonight, but the end result was the same. Elite teams are still getting what they want against the Nuggets. I don’t know how Denver changes that this year without changing their personnel.
Final Rotations
