COLORADO – The Denver Nuggets may have returned to the top of the Western Conference following their 123-101 National Basketball Association (NBA) victory over the Chicago Bulls, but coach Michael Malone was at pains to remind his charges that there would be no “championship hangover coming into the season”.
Star man Nikola Jokic contributed 28 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, while Michael Porter Jr scored a season-high 27 points as the hosts, who played most of the game without Jamal Murray, secured the win and a 6-1 record on Saturday night. They also remain undefeated at home with a 4-0 mark at Ball Arena.
“There has been no (championship) hangover coming into the season. There has been no, like, ‘Well, we can just turn it on at some point, we’re the defending champions’. That’s not who we are. That’s not who we’ve ever been, and I would never allow that to happen,” said Malone.
“But our guys, to give them a lot of credit, they’ve understood the responsibility that comes along with winning a championship and they’ve, for most of the nights this year, come out with the proper mindset and approach.”
That was evident through Reggie Jackson, who scored 16 points off the bench as he stepped up to take Murray’s place, after the point guard played the first 8:40 of the game before going to the bench and eventually the locker room with a reported hamstring injury.
Aaron Gordon had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and reserve Christian Braun added 10 points each for Denver.
Malone said: “I give Aaron credit. Aaron and I talked after a shoot-around yesterday... I said, ‘Listen, man, get yourself going on the glass’. He was averaging four rebounds a game after the first five (games). Aaron should be getting eight to 12 rebounds every night.
“Yesterday, he had eight. Tonight, he had 12. So, I think he’s taken that message to heart, which is great to see.”
Nikola Vucevic scored 19 points, DeMar DeRozan chipped in 17, Jevon Carter scored 16 off the bench, Zach LaVine added 12 and Coby White 11 for Chicago.
The Bulls shot 45.3 per cent for the game, but allowed the Nuggets to hit 70 per cent in the fourth quarter.
Chicago coach Billy Donovan said: “I feel good when Zach shoots the ball, when Vuc shoots the ball or DeMar shoots the ball. I’d be concerned (about) the quality and number of shots.”
The Bulls, who won last time in Denver, took a 53-51 lead into half-time. They scored nine straight points midway through the second quarter to go in front, but the Nuggets came out strong in the third quarter.
Porter converted a three-point play, Gordon made two free throws and Caldwell-Pope drained a three-pointer in the first 70 seconds.
DeRozan broke the run with a mid-range jumper, but Denver scored the next 10 points to lead by 14. Vucevic banked in a shot, but NBA All-Star centre Jokic had a three-point play and made a pair of lay-ups to put the Nuggets up 79-61 with 4:31 left.
Chicago got within 86-74 heading into the fourth, and Andre Drummond’s tip to open the final period made it a 10-point game. Porter and Jackson answered with consecutive three-pointers to give Denver a 92-76 lead.
A three-point play by Torrey Craig and Carter’s fourth three-pointer of the game pulled the Bulls within 101-90 with eight minutes remaining.
Jokic came in and hit two straight buckets, Porter and Gordon made back-to-back three-pointers and Porter drained another trey as the Nuggets closed it out. REUTERS
