Denver Nuggets Lose 4th Straight, Fall to Blazers 110-103
The Denver Nuggets mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to get them back into the win column on Wednesday, as they fell to the Portland Trail Blazers by a final score of 110-103.
Wednesday’s defeat in Portland was the fourth consecutive loss for the Denver Nuggets, and their fourth loss in five days. After a win last week in Phoenix, the Denver Nuggets have lost to the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Cleveland Cavaliers last night, and now the Blazers on the road.
It is a fairly certain assumption that the shorthanded Denver Nuggets (who once again played without the services of Danilo Gallinari and Emmanuel Mudiay, who missed his 9th consecutive game with an ankle injury) succumbed to fatigue in their latest loss, as they didn’t have enough left in the tank to grab a win over their Northwest Division rivals.
Will Barton led all scorers on Wednesday with 31 points off 12-22 shooting in 36 minutes off of the Denver Nuggets bench. Barton, who has led the Denver Nuggets scoring efforts over the last few games, also recorded 5 rebounds and 4 assists against Portlant. Gary Harris chipped in with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, while Jameer Nelson added 14 points.
More from Mile High Maniac
- Denver Nuggets Steal Ducks Darling Bol Bol in Second Round
- Denver Nuggets: Season Grades for the 2018-19 Players
- The 2019-2020 Broncos Depth At Tight End Could Be A Huge Strength To This Offense
- Broncos Position Battles to Watch as Preseason Approaches
- Denver Nuggets: Reflections on an Incredible Season
Wednesday’s game was close throughout the first half, as the Blazers only took a 4 point lead into halftime. As the Denver Nuggets entered the third quarter, their offense got cold, while Portland got hot. At one point in the third period of play, the Blazers increased their lead to 16 points. The Nuggets finished out the third down 13 to the Blazers.
Going into the final period, the Denver Nuggets mounted comeback after trailing by double digits for most of the second half. A Jameer Nelson basket with 5:05 left brought the Nuggets to within 5 points of the Portland Trail Blazers, making the score 96-91. The Blazers increased their lead to 8 points with 45 seconds left after a C.J. McCollum long jumper, making the score 97-105.
More from Denver Nuggets
- Denver Nuggets Steal Ducks Darling Bol Bol in Second Round
- Denver Nuggets: Season Grades for the 2018-19 Players
- Denver Nuggets: Reflections on an Incredible Season
- Denver Nuggets: 3 Things to do if they Win game 7
- Denver Nuggets: 3 Things to do if they Lose to Portland
A Gary Harris three-point shot with 37 seconds left brought the Denver Nuggets back to within 5 points of the Trail Blazers, but it was too little too late. The Portland Trail Blazers secured the victory with two Meyers Leonard free throws with 27 seconds left, putting the game out of reach for the Denver Nuggets.
For the Portland Trail Blazers, C.J. McCollum led the way with 29 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists on the night, torching the Nuggets all game long. Allen Crabbe continued his recent streak of good play with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 32 minutes on the night. Al-Farouq Aminu added 14 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
Next: Denver Nuggets Fall to Cavs, 93-87
Having already suffered through a long losing streak so far this season, the Denver Nuggets must figure out a way to snap out of this recent skid. Granted, the schedule has been tough; but hopefully with the imminent return of Jusuf Nurkic, and the ongoing recovery of Emmanuel Mudiay and Danilo Gallinari, the Denver Nuggets will regain their winning form soon.