By Daniel Paiz

A spirited first half unravels in the end as Nuggets lose 112-96, facing a 3-1 series deficit after Game 4. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are oddly both the leaders and culprits for this loss on the surface. Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists while Murray added 30 points, five assists and five rebounds. This team had a vicious cycle in the second half, where the dynamic duo didn’t always trust their teammates to score, and then when given the rock to do so, the other guys didn’t really do so. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 10 points and five rebounds off the bench, while Aaron Gordon valiantly struggled through pain to chip in nine points in limited minutes.

Minnesota lost starters Donte DiVincenzo early in the first quarter, and then Ant Edwards in the second quarter. The Wolves responded with a massive 43-point career-high performance from Ayo Dosunmu, who largely took over scoring duties. He hit five threes, and did what he wanted mostly on the offensive end.

Let’s recap what this tale of two halves was.

Good Things that happened

The concerted effort to pressure Minnesota with aggressive defense largely worked in the first half. Denver led at halftime 54-50. The Nuggets made them take hard shots and offensively moved the ball around and had very good passing. There wasn’t such an emphasis on the two-man game, and shots were being contested consistently. Jamal Murray had an impressive block of Rudy Gobert deep inside the paint.

Denver had the momentum in the first half. Getting rebounds seemed like it was something they were doing a good job of on both ends of the floor. Spencer Jones had some big offensive rebounds that gave Denver second chances. Even if you aren’t scoring, if you can influence the game in other ways, it helps. Jokic also seemed to be taking better shots, and Denver as a whole had better shot selection. Even in the third quarter they were attacking the rim.

Then things changed.

What went wrong

Denver’s attacking of the rim oddly led to stagnation offensively. There were times where yet again, three Nuggets players were watching the two-man game. Also, there was a pass and then a shot, and not much else movement.

Also, there were back-to-back turnovers that led to easy layups for Minnesota that seemed to stymie the visiting team.

As all of the talking heads will state, you have to have a short memory when it comes to the next play and the next game. I’m not sure if Denver froze in a weird mental loop during these turnovers, but from then on, they didn’t make extra passes. Denver didn’t grab a lot of rebounds. The Nuggets didn’t seem to have a plan other than “let’s keep playing and just try to hold on”. The problem was, there was too much focus on trying to rally back at once.

That doesn’t happen in any sport, as a string of buckets have to be made, not a 20-point shot (which isn’t a thing).

Jokic has some self-reflection to do, because he was looking to make fast breaks happen when they weren’t there. Hardaway Jr. took an awful fall to the ground from a forced outlet pass from Jokic (Hardaway Jr. was okay). Another Jokic pass was too far ahead for Braun. Regulating one’s emotions in times of panic slash difficulty is very hard to do, regardless of who you are. Add in a chippy opponent and the whiniest fan base in all of basketball, and it doesn’t get easier.

Denver has to string together some runs and weather rallies from the opponent, and Game 4 they didn’t really do that.

Game 5 Predictions

Denver has to win to continue their season. The home crowd will help, and bench players usually play better at home, too. There has to be reflection by all of the players, but there’s one person in particular who needs to refresh his outlook: Coach Adelman. I’ve liked this coach since he was an assistant. He has a calm demeanor, and that doesn’t necessarily have to change.

But his rotational decisions absolutely have to shift.

The Wolves likely don’t have DiVincenzo or Edwards for Game 5. The Nuggets also have Valanciunas, Strawther, Nnaji, and even Tyus Jones to toss in the lineups. Perhaps play Big Val and Nnaji at the four and rest Gordon because he likely isn’t ready to play Game 5. Play Jones or Jalen Pickett a bit to throw fresh legs at the Wolves. There are like 10, 11 guys that Adelman can play in the game, and doing so will throw off Minnesota.

Game 5 is not the time to rely only on the starters, and then Hardaway Jr., Brown, and Jones. It is the time to implement new looks, new ideas, and new efforts. It might seem difficult to figure out when to play who, but there’s a reason you have a bench, use them in certain scenarios.

The easy solution is for Jokic and Murray to play really well, and everyone else hits their shots. Since things often do not align that way, all kinds of things can be implemented. Consistent defense, good ball movement, and trust can win Game 5. These guys just have to accept the charges of resilience for Monday night.

Bonus info

Check out our Game 5 recap here, where I mention slightly different ideas in audio format.