Sunday’s loss to the Pacers was by no means a “bad” loss, but the Nuggets were right to be bitter because it was a game they could’ve, and probably should’ve, won.
Nikola Jokic’s bruising performance helped build an 11-point lead late in the third quarter. From there, the Nuggets’ defense evaporated as the Pacers exploited the 3-point line and the offensive glass. Denver conceded 49 points over the final 14 minutes of the game. That’s an untenable, alarming rate.
The Nuggets have a quick turnaround against Minnesota on Monday, which marks the end of their third consecutive back-to-back set.