Nuggets loss to Pelicans
The Nuggets coach Michael Malone was called for one technical foul on Saturday night, careful as the team loss 125-115 loss to the Pelicans.
Anthony Davis take eight more free throw attempts than the entire Nuggets team combined.
“I’ll have to go back and watch it,” Malone said. “I thought we were doing things that should’ve generated some more free throws. Obviously the referees didn’t see it that way tonight, and they saw them getting fouled quite a bit.”
Juan Hernangomez, who tallied at least 20 points for the second consecutive game, was at a loss over the discrepancy.
“We cannot allow Anthony Davis to shoot 20 free throws,” he said. “It’s tough. I don’t say the refs call all the fouls, but you know, if we are there, we show our hands and just try to be smarter, it will help to not get called.”
Beyond the free throws, Malone was most disappointed that his team got beat on second-chance points and transition points, stats that are usually indicative of effort.
“You give up 43 points combined in transition and second-chance, that’s not discipline, that’s just, when the shot goes up, get back,” Malone said. “When the shot goes up, find a body and box out.”
The Nuggets won’t have long to dwell on their mistakes, and Monday’s game against the Bucks presents a team that can similarly expose them in transition. Whether they’ll fix their lapses and bring consistent effort remains to be seen.
Hernangomez and Nikola Jokic combined for 21 rebounds, but Paul Millsap, Jamal Murrayand Gary Harris had eight combined.
Anthony Davis and perfection seem closer now than ever. New Orleans superstar finished with 40 points, scoring half by way of his 20 makes at the charity stripe. It marks the fourth time he’s posted 40 in consecutive game. E’Twaun Moore added 13 points and Wesley Johnson connected on a couple of big second half three-pointers en route to a line of six points, six rebounds and two assists.
The Nuggets also need more from Murray, who was just 4 for 14 from the field. He and Millsap were just 1 for 8 from the 3-point line.
“The offense, surprisingly, is still ranked really high, and I don’t even think we’ve played that well offensively yet,” Malone said prior to the game. The Nuggets have the sixth-best offense in the league.
Jokic in the first quarter with 18 points when he slipped on a wet spot along the baseline and grabbed his groin area in pain. Nuggets’ defense falters as Pelicans pull away
“I think he might have maybe pulled something, but he was able to play the rest of the game,” Malone said.
Jokic said he felt some pain but that it didn’t affect him the rest of the game as he came close to a triple-double. We’ll see whether it lingers throughout this 3-game road trip. Jokic was scoring at will early in the first quarter, but none of his attempts were out of rhythm. Jokic prefers to make the right basketball play even if it leaves him vulnerable to criticism that he’s too unselfish. His points were the product of good ball movement and spacing.
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