The Denver Nuggets won’t have a winless road trip, but they would like to return home with more than one victory on the trek.
To do so, they must take down the host Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night on the last stop of Denver’s five-game road stretch.
The Nuggets doused a season-worst three-game losing streak by winning 137-134 on Friday night at Philadelphia, where both teams reached the 30-point mark in every quarter.
Denver withstood 19 turnovers.
“The turnovers have got to come down, and let’s get another one (Saturday) night and go home feeling good about ourselves,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
The Hornets have a three-game losing streak, and they’re 1-4 on a nine-game homestand. Interestingly, they have tended to evaluate progress based on the degree of the setbacks. Friday night’s 112-104 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers was more encouraging, in coach Charles Lee’s vantage point, than Wednesday’s 104-83 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
“I’m actually happy with how we played on both ends of the court,” Lee said of Friday’s performance. “We were right there all game, and leaving here tonight is a little bit different than leaving here a couple nights ago.”
Denver’s Nikola Jokic, meanwhile, was a rebound shy of posting a triple-double in Philadelphia, collecting 28 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds.
Yet Saturday might be a test of endurance for the Nuggets, who used only eight players on Friday night. Julian Strawther recorded 18 points off the bench to give him nine double-figure scoring outings in January.
“Not only have my coaches instilled a lot of confidence in me, but my teammates.” Strawther said. “Constantly encouraging me to go out there and let it rip. Just understanding that we need a buzz off this bench. Obviously, we’ve got the best starting five in the league.”
Charlotte needs widespread contributions. With guard LaMelo Ball out with a sprained ankle, forward Miles Bridges has been Charlotte’s leading scorer in the past three games, averaging 25.3 points per contest.
“He’s amazing, and we’re lucky to have him,” Lee said of Bridges. “I am lucky to be able to coach him. When your best players step up to the plate, saying and doing the right things, and playing the right way for a majority of the game, it becomes contagious.”
Charlotte’s Nick Smith Jr., without the benefit of more established scorers around him, has shot a combined 8-for-36 from the field in the past four games. He was 3-for-12 on Friday night, though he had four games of 15 or more points earlier in January.
Then there’s guard Vasilije Micic, who has emerged as a key contributor this season when Ball or others have been missing from the lineup. It’s not an easy role to handle or accept.
“He’s quite the competitor,” Lee said of Micic, who is averaging 7.5 points and 3.5 assists a game. “I’m just super thankful that he’s with us.”
Charlotte has lost four of its past five matchups against teams from the Western Conference. Saturday will mark the first of two meetings between the Hornets and Nuggets across a three-week span.
–Field Level Media
