Nuggets routed by Raptors in Tampa
Denver allows most 3-pointers in franchise history
Nuggets coach Michael Malone warned his team that Toronto would play inspired basketball after nine consecutive losses.
Listen to your coach. Malone was right.
The Nuggets suffered their most lopsided loss of the season, 135-111, on the second night of back-toback games Wednesday with a lackluster defensive performance at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Fla. The Nuggets allowed the most 3-pointers in franchise history (24) while Toronto shot 50% behind the arc and also had 48 points in the paint.
“The most frustrating aspect for me was the complete lack of effort, all around from top to bottom; that was an embarrassing performance,” Malone said. “You almost got the sense that we felt we could show up. You can use all the readily available excuses, but I don’t buy into that at all. … We played with zero energy and zero effort. That’s what happens.
“You do that in this league against any team and you’ll get your (butt) kicked.”
The Nuggets (26-18), winners in nine of their previous 11 games, dug a hole early and never got out of it. Denver’s star players were okay at the of fensive end — Nikola Jokic (20), Jamal Murray (20), and Michael Porter Jr. (19) — but the Nuggets enter Friday’s matchup at New Orleans with a need to examine their team priorities.
At least at the defensive end.
The Raptors shot out to a
38-30 lead entering the second quar ter when their typically average 3-point shooting (37% before Wednesday) suddenly caught fire. Toronto connected on its first five shots from deep. Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, the game’s leading scorer (27), had 16 points in the first quar ter.
The Nuggets provided little resistance before halftime, falling behind by 20 points, and showcased little ef for t in a comeback attempt after the break.
Malone said the complete letdown came as a surprise because the Nug- gets have consistently ranked among the league’s best teams in back-toback games in recent years. Players were equally frustrated, especially with Toronto’s historic 3-point produc
tion.
“It’s a lack of focus,” Jokic said. “Most of them, they were wide open. … The effort was really not there.”
The NBA trade deadline looms on Thursday with Denver interested in Sacramento Kings’ forward Harrison Barnes and Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon, league sources told The Denver Post. Nuggets players said that trade speculation should not be an excuse for uninspiring team play, but the issue is unavoidable.
“I’m not going to sit here and say that the trade deadline doesn’t affect players,” veteran for ward Paul Millsap said. “I think ever y player … feels like they’re on a bubble. You’ve got a family and you’ve got to relocate. I don’t think anyone likes that scenario, so ever ybody is on edge a little bit.
“It’s always a tough time of year. But, at the end of the day, we have a job to do.”