Denver Nuggets @ Utah Jazz Game 4 recap
Paul Millsap and the Utah Jazz outworked the Denver Nuggets to extend their series lead to 3-1
- Image by kris247 via Flickr
All hands on deck! After a poor game that the Jazz won by three, the Nuggets put up one their worst performances of year and the postseason is in jeopardy. This is now a must win game on the road. If the Nuggets can’t find it tonight, they probably won’t find it. And Energy Solutions Arena is a tough place for any team save the Jazz to play.
I won’t lie; it’s tough to root for the Nuggets after the lackluster performance on Friday night. The team played just about the laziest game I’ve ever seen a contender play and it makes me wonder if they ever were truly a contender. The only cure is a high-energy, high-effort win on the road.
1st Quarter
5:46 Nuggets get the early lead on the shooting of Carmelo Anthony, but so far the game has looked much like the previous three strategically. The Jazz are running their dribble drives and pick and rolls. The Nuggets are working the isolations and looking for mistakes in the Jazz defense under the hoop.
2:28 The Jazz have clawed back in by dominating down low for a solid 3 minutes. Paul Millsap has come into the game and Nene can’t deal with him. Nene has got to step up both defensively and offensively against Millsap, because if things continue as they are the Nuggets are looking at a long game and short season.
End Quarter Jazz 31-25
The Nuggets’ offense left the building for a few minutes and the Jazz pulled away. It happens. A missed layup by Nene here and missed wide open 3 Pointer by Chauncey Billups there and you only score 4 points in the final 4 minutes of a quarter.
The Jazz are simply getting too close to the basket. They’re shooting 60% and it’s because the vast majority of shots they’re taking are from within the restricted area. The Nuggets have got to find a way to keep the ball on the perimeter.
2nd Quarter
7:57 Millsap has left the floor and the Nuggets are chipping away at the lead (was at its highest at 8, now down to 5). Looking at the stats, the Nuggets’ shooting is a little low (42%). That needs to come up.
5:04 The Nuggets are battling. At times today, they’ve looked like they have no idea what to do and at others are showing the toughness that got them here. J.R. Smith has been the best defender so far with a pair of steals and 2 rebounds.
3:21 The Nuggets have abandoned the paint and their post players are taking stupid jump shots. The Nuggets’ shooting is down to 39%. Worse, look at the shooting from the Nuggets bigs:
Kenyon Martin 1-7
Nene 1-2
Chris Anderson 1-3
Martin has been exceptionally bad. He can’t make layups or jump shots.
2:16 Martin just got his third foul and will have to sit on the bench. Considering the way he’s played, good riddance.
End Half Jazz 54-45
The shot selection for the Nuggets is the culprit tonight (37% FG, 1-7 3 Pt). Even Anthony’s numbers have slumped (7-15 FG, although he has picked up 3 of his own rebounds). Only Aaron Afflalo is making more than 50% of his shots (3-5 FG). Adrian Dantley needs to be yelling at his low percentage shooter (Kenyon & Anderson specifically) and telling them they’re not allowed to take any low percentage shots.
On the other end, the Jazz shooters are having an off night, but they are still shooting 56% because the bigs are finding easy paths to the basket.
3rd Quarter
7:41 Even when the Jazz try to help the Nuggets out, Denver gives the ball right back. On a bad pass by Afflalo, Wesley Matthews takes the ball the other way and misses a dunk. I’m feeling like this could be the Nuggets’ time, and Melo steps out of bounds on the drive. The Nuggets look dead in the water down by 15.
3:10 Denver has taken a game they were in only down by 9, and with lazy play (especially on the defensive side) have turned it into an asskicking. There is only one way to describe the Nuggets’ second half performance; shameful. This team has gone from being a contender to win a championship and in one month turned into a team that may need to be blown up.
End Quarter Jazz 86-68
The Nuggets have given themselves a tall order to keep their season going. They pretty much have to play perfect basketball in order to win this game and I don’t need to remind you that this game is the playoffs. I think Basketball season may be over.
4th Quarter
9:40 Well the good news is the Jazz have started launching stupid shots. If this continues and the Nuggets have someone get hot the game might not be over. I’m not holding my breath.
6:04 The Nuggets closed the lead to 11 from 20 in half the quarter. A few more minutes like this and I might be wrong about the Nuggets season.
2:36 The Jazz make their clutch shots and the Nuggets need 2 and a half minutes of absolutely perfect basketball to win.
0:54 After closing it to 7, Melo misses a 14 footer and the Jazz are into foul shots.
End Game
The Nuggets could have won this game (and this series) with consistent effort. When they played hard at both ends they were clearly the beater team. But Utah simply out worked them. Melo was the only one who played hard all the way through (et to Billups?) and he missed time with foul trouble again.
And now the Nuggets must win 3 in a row with the middle one on the road. That’s probably out of the question for this team. Next time I’m scheduled to write for the Nuggets will be game 7… so I don’t expect to write about them again this season.
