The Denver Nuggets were expected to be an X-factor in the bubble playoffs, with a new-look Nikola Jokic in great shape and Michael Porter Jr. emerging as a dangerous scorer. After two awful performances against Utah, though, the Nuggets suddenly look ready to crash out of the first round in ugly fashion.
The Nuggets beat Utah in Game 1 in overtime, but the Jazz tied up the series with a dominant 124-105 victory in Game 2. On Friday in Orlando, Denver was abysmal, and trailed by as many as 38 points in the second half. Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell combined for 71 points, the Jazz shot 51 percent from the field, and Denver looked ready to surrender early in the game. Jokic, Denver’s leading scorer, put up just 15 points.
The scenes on the Denver sideline in the fourth quarter were grim.
Nuggets bench would pay any amount of money for that remote from Click 😬pic.twitter.com/HBjyzLq1MC
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 21, 2020
NBA fans had plenty of jokes.
The Nuggets rn pic.twitter.com/ktips0x96b
— FanSided (@FanSided) August 21, 2020
Bol Bol is the Nuggets third leading scorer today. He has played six minutes.
— *RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) August 21, 2020
nobody:
not a single soul:
the nuggets defense: pic.twitter.com/Pi55V2xWRo
— 🥀 (@hoodiebryon) August 21, 2020
me watching this nuggets team pic.twitter.com/QtnIhqJHTG
— Justin Phan (@jphanned) August 21, 2020
Rudy Gobert vs the nuggets rn pic.twitter.com/eM2GMT5QKU
— J (@JaredLo16302368) August 21, 2020
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