Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the NBA daily, even when COVID has ravaged the league.
MVP candidate Nikola Jokic had a triple-double in Denver’s runaway win over the Lakers.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images.)
The Denver Nuggets, as we’ve reminded y’all from time to time, made the Western Conference Finals before losing in 5 games against the eventual champs, the Los Angeles Lakers. They got some measure of revenge against L.A. after defeating them on Valentine’s Day.
It made it a little easier for the Nuggets to beat him after Anthony Davis reaggravated his Achilles injury. More on that later but the Nuggets and Lakers were in a competitive game before Davis left the game. Either way, we’d be talking about Denver being awful had they lost this game. Instead, the Nuggs blew out the Lakers.
It surprises people that Denver is currently 7th in the West. But they’re a better 7th seed than people think. People just don’t care about context.
Seeds 4 through 7 are only separated by two games. And pretty much the Top 7 teams are playing well. Phoenix won yet again and are on a 6-game win streak. The Blazers defeated the streaking Mavericks and have won their last four. We know the Spurs operate in a silent manner and they’ve won 5 of 6.
The Nuggets have won three in a row themselves and are 9-4 in their last 13 games (although they had that funky three-game skid in that stretch). Their defense has gotten better (they’ve risen from 29th to 18th in defensive rating in the last month or so). Nikola Jokic has been touted as an MVP candidate. 7 of their players average in double figures. And their bench can go deeper than that as Facundo Campazzo and Zeke Nnaji (four threes against the Lakers!) showed on Sunday.
Jamal Murray has been inconsistent throughout the season but I have faith he’ll find that gear in the postseason. Michael Porter, Jr. is getting better defensively but they have the entire regular season to get the kinks fixed. I think Denver will be right in the mix deep into the postseason. Yes, the L.A. teams are going to be dangerous and current top team Utah is going to be a different beast than the ones they took on last summer.
But if there’s anything we learned about Denver last season, they’re really resilient. Don’t expect them to just lay down for teams.
Bullet Passes
Davis had been nursing that Achilles injury. It’s scary that he hurt it again on Sunday. Hopefully, it won’t be a long absence but Kyle Kuzma will be ready, who has been tremendous this season, even when he’s not scoring as much.
Luka Doncic followed up a 46-point game (a career-best) with 44 more against Portland. But he missed a three that could’ve sent the game to overtime. Damian Lillard went for 34 points and 11 assists himself.
Seeing a lot more 40-point quarters or something. Portland had a 45-point third quarter. The Spurs went for 47 against the Hornets in the second quarter.
Mason Plumlee went for a triple-double (17-10-10) in the Pistons’ win over the Pelicans. Detroit has silently won three of their last four games.
What is up with the Celtics?
I brought this up yesterday but it’s worth noting again: the West has 8 teams over .500. With Boston losing (they are now a .500 team), the East only has FOUR.
NBA Scoreboard
Feb. 14, 2021
Watch This Play
MPJ never saw it coming. Kyle Kuzma got on top of him.
KYLE KUZMA WITH THE FOLLOW JAM OVER PORTER JR!!!!!!!!!!!!! #MileHighBasketball x #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/qP4NatRMpX
— Italo Santana (@ItaloSantana_1) February 15, 2021
Great follow-up dunk. Too bad, the Lakers lost.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the NBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.