Denver Nuggets won a nail-biting overtime contest against the Los Angeles Clippers in their second game of the In-Season Tournament. The victory moves the Nuggets to 2-0 in the In-Season Tournament, giving them the lead in West Group B.

Nikola Jokic added another Sombor Double to his collection with 30 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists while shooting just 8-of-23 from the floor. In the second half, as the Nuggets outsized the Clippers, Jokic made sure that he was the center of attention at all times.

In the final minutes of the game, the Nuggets continuously produced high-quality shots by employing the same wedge screen motion to give Jokic a post up on every trip down the court. Reggie Jackson’s open layup with a minute left that gave the Nuggets a three-point lead was a game-winner.

Michael Malone noted postgame that Jackson likely played with “a little extra pep in his step” because of playing against his former squad. To quote, “He’s doing everything we need him to do.”

The victory was not easy for the Nuggets. To get the job done, they switched up their lineup and gave the starters more playing time. When Collin Gillespie was injured, 32nd overall pick in the 2023 Draft Jalen Pickett was brought into the lineup and performed admirably. Pickett finished his second stint with two costly turnovers but finished with five points, two assists, and a steаl in 17 minutes. But it was Pickett’s defense and determination to bаttle in the post against the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook that really stood out to me.

As Nikola Jokic put it, “this is a really hard team to debut against because they’ve got really good on-ball defender,” meaning that Pickett will be facing some tough competition in his first significant playing time. I think he did an excellent job overall; perhaps we should have assisted him more. Yes, maybe he had a few of turnovers, but I think he didn’t pаnic.”

Aside from the brief stints when Jokic departed the court at the end of the first and third quarters, Denver also went to heavier staggers with the second unit minutes, always playing two starters with the bench lineups. Tonight, both Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were tasked with substantial defensive duties. Gordon was rewarded with the DPOG chain for his effort in defending Kawhi Leonard, and Caldwell-Pope showed steady defensive development against Paul George. The game was decided by Gordon’s buzzer-beating three-pointer as time expired in the third quarter.

The focus ultimately returns to Jokic. The Nuggets will likely lose this game if they are unable to consistently find Jokic in the post. Jokic’s shooting efficiency wasn’t great, but he was a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe, which was crucial.

“He completely dominates the game, not just physically, but also in his mind, with the way he works. Reggie Jackson said of Nikola Jokic after the game, “It’s special. We have a terrific, confident group already, but his skill, maturity, and understanding really keep us from getting too worked up about anything. At no point was I too high or too low. Out there is a constant communicator.

I’ve already stated that I won’t take anything for granted.

The Nuggets just keep winning. They are now 9-2 overall and 7-0 in Ball Arena after tonight’s win. Their defense once again came through in the clutch, as they have been doing recently, effectively choking off scoring opportunities for the opposition team in the last minutes of games.

The win moved the Nuggets to 2-0 in the competition and gave them the group lead.

On Friday, the Nuggets will travel to New Orleans for a rematch with the Pelicans in their third round game. The Nuggets have a solid chance of advancing to the next round of the In-Season Tournament if they can pull off the win over the Houston Rockets, who have yet to be defeated in this tournament.

The Nuggets have been putting together strong performances against their competition, which might land them a trip to Las Vegas in December.Denver Nuggets won a nail-biting overtime contest against the Los Angeles Clippers in their second game of the In-Season Tournament. The victory moves the Nuggets to 2-0 in the In-Season Tournament, giving them the lead in West Group B.

Nikola Jokic added another Sombor Double to his collection with 30 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists while shooting just 8-of-23 from the floor. In the second half, as the Nuggets outsized the Clippers, Jokic made sure that he was the center of attention at all times.

In the final minutes of the game, the Nuggets continuously produced high-quality shots by employing the same wedge screen motion to give Jokic a post up on every trip down the court. Reggie Jackson’s open layup with a minute left that gave the Nuggets a three-point lead was a game-winner.

Michael Malone noted postgame that Jackson likely played with “a little extra pep in his step” because of playing against his former squad. To quote, “He’s doing everything we need him to do.”

The victory was not easy for the Nuggets. To get the job done, they switched up their lineup and gave the starters more playing time. When Collin Gillespie was injured, 32nd overall pick in the 2023 Draft Jalen Pickett was brought into the lineup and performed admirably. Pickett finished his second stint with two costly turnovers but finished with five points, two assists, and a steаl in 17 minutes. But it was Pickett’s defense and determination to bаttle in the post against the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook that really stood out to me.

As Nikola Jokic put it, “this is a really hard team to debut against because they’ve got really good on-ball defender,” meaning that Pickett will be facing some tough competition in his first significant playing time. I think he did an excellent job overall; perhaps we should have assisted him more. Yes, maybe he had a few of turnovers, but I think he didn’t pаnic.”

Aside from the brief stints when Jokic departed the court at the end of the first and third quarters, Denver also went to heavier staggers with the second unit minutes, always playing two starters with the bench lineups. Tonight, both Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were tasked with substantial defensive duties. Gordon was rewarded with the DPOG chain for his effort in defending Kawhi Leonard, and Caldwell-Pope showed steady defensive development against Paul George. The game was decided by Gordon’s buzzer-beating three-pointer as time expired in the third quarter.

The focus ultimately returns to Jokic. The Nuggets will likely lose this game if they are unable to consistently find Jokic in the post. Jokic’s shooting efficiency wasn’t great, but he was a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe, which was crucial.

“He completely dominates the game, not just physically, but also in his mind, with the way he works. Reggie Jackson said of Nikola Jokic after the game, “It’s special. We have a terrific, confident group already, but his skill, maturity, and understanding really keep us from getting too worked up about anything. At no point was I too high or too low. Out there is a constant communicator.

I’ve already stated that I won’t take anything for granted.

The Nuggets just keep winning. They are now 9-2 overall and 7-0 in Ball Arena after tonight’s win. Their defense once again came through in the clutch, as they have been doing recently, effectively choking off scoring opportunities for the opposition team in the last minutes of games.

The win moved the Nuggets to 2-0 in the competition and gave them the group lead.

On Friday, the Nuggets will travel to New Orleans for a rematch with the Pelicans in their third round game. The Nuggets have a solid chance of advancing to the next round of the In-Season Tournament if they can pull off the win over the Houston Rockets, who have yet to be defeated in this tournament.

The Nuggets have been putting together strong performances against their competition, which might land them a trip to Las Vegas in December.