Chris Dempsey reacts to Nuggets beat Hornets 102-95; Michael Porter: 22 PTS; Nikola Jokic: 18 PTS
And Chris Dempsey um we’re going to start by mentioning this one simple fact the the Nuggets lost every quarter except the third that third quarter was almost historic it was so crazy what the Nuggets did defensively and what the Hornets failed to do offensively first of all here’s how it all worked out
Quarter by quarter nuggets lose the first quarter uh they lose the second quarter they were down six at halftime um look at the third please that I mean the beauty of that thing Charlotte did not make a f goal for for the first 11 minutes they got a couple free throws no
Field goals nuggets D incredible D they missed their first 19 shots of the third quarter Chris Dempsey uh they did and it’s uh that you know credit the nuggets for um you know being there you know look when you get a quarter like this it’s it’s some some of this is just a
Team missing some shots as well but the Nuggets forced so much of this stuff by being tough by staying in front of ball handers by not allowing uh you know easy looks in the paint all the elements of what you need defensively they put on that court in that third quarter and uh
Look it it was needed that that first half just would they were just a little bit in the mud and so they had to raise the energy level they did and they did it defensively it started the second half on a 17- nothing run in other words
It looked at the score at halftime and said all right come on let’s go we’re the Champions let’s go let’s let’s just end this thing and they got it going behind that guy for the second straight game Jamal Murray the third quarter was fantastic he he really was Joker had
Some passes and Junior made some buckets but Jamal in the third I mean he defensively offensively his old pal Smith excuse me I’m going right at you we’ll take the layup everybody working yeah yeah no it’s um it was maybe the most fun third quarter they’ve had all
All season long the most dominant that’s for sure yeah no doubt about it you score 30 you give up n you know what defensively they just got in the head of Charlotte and what they got some good looks but once it started missing nobody on Charlotte felt like they could make a
Shot Futures in your hands presented by The Ball Corporation we’ve seen this play out before uh we saw it in Brooklyn when Jamal Murray scored 16 against the Nets last night in the third quarter tonight 11 in the third quarter again he did it on the defensive end and he
Really brought it offensively yeah I don’t know whatever he’s doing at halftime he’s doing it it is working because he is coming out um with great energy with great Focus um you know in each of these games and and look the Nuggets needed it you know they they needed him to take
Over this team is just so much better um when aggressive and looking for a shot and scoring and um playing within himself and he did all those things in this third quarter you you know what c i just look do you realize Jamal led the team in rebounding yeah 12 rebounds yeah
Seven of those in the third quarter Nicole yic did not go to the foul line until the final minute of the game he finishes two of two from the free throw line 18 points 10 boards nine assists another s board double uh is it is he
Just not getting the whistle or are we seeing this right what is happening he can get a few more whistles uh based on his six fouls T night if he had the same foul calls he probably got to the line a few more times yeah and it took him a
Minute yeah he um you know early in the game he kind of allowed his teammates to do most of the scoring and um you know before kind of getting himself into the game and um you know a lot of that was Charlotte Charlotte really swarmed him
Every time he had the ball in the post and it was trying to operate at all in there there were multiple Charlotte players around him so they did make it tough on him a little bit bit but um in the end um you’re still putting up on
Almost a triple double and you lead the team all right let’s see how we did on our fanatic Sportsbook Wagers tonight the Nuggets came in as head yeah I mean I thought to start the game that we weren’t here and uh it was amazing that we were down six at the half
Um you know with the start that we had and uh you know just just challenge your guys you know I mean to be present you know if we’re here do your job and do it with energy and do it with effort and uh I just told our guys how proud I was of
Them because they didn’t feel sorry for themselves they weren’t pissed that I you know challenged them they owned it and they went out there and we I think we got 17 straight stops 25 to0 run and they had nine points in the third quarter and they shot 9% from the field
Um so that that was my last message to our group is you know when we play at that level you know who can beat us you know I mean but why does it have to take me challenge and and I know we’re tired I mean we’ve had a crazy schedule so I
Know guys are tired um but you know if you want greatness you I mean and as readily available don’t settle for good you know and uh our guys responded man and I thought uh Jamal’s energy once again was great um you know you look at kcp battling
Through his Stinger up there and and the defense that he played tonight um so really proud of us to finish up this road trip three games and um to get the response that we did Michael you you guys were down 14 in the paint at halftime and up winning the batt the
Paint I think Charlotte had eight of their blocks in the first half they’re they’re not a team that blocks a ton of shots usually what were they doing in in the first half have to disrupt you guys inside and what sort of changed in the
Second half for you yeah they had 38 in the paint in the first and I think only six in the paint in the second half uh and again that’s just part of the challenge owning it accepting it and embracing it and going out there and doing your job um to your point they
Were very active flying around blocking shots that team has lost six games in a row before tonight now seven so you know you’re getting a A desperate team on top of the fact that they’re playing the reigning Champs so you’re going to get their best and they jumped us I think it
Was very similar to the game here last year they jumped us and we found a way to come back and win the game um so we didn’t Panic we just started playing harder and uh the paint defense to your point in that second half um cuz at the
Start of the game first 12 points 10 of those were layups and then two free throws that’s when I called my first time out and I said I’m not drawing up a play this is a who wants to play and you guys have a couple of minutes to show me
You want to be here and um you know again we got the win Michael hter B the Charlotte Post I want to ask you about Nick Smith Jr was taking a couple slots before you guys in the draft what did you see from him tonight yeah he played
Well you know shot the ball well got going a really quick Shifty guard um and made some big big shots to get them back in the game uh you know this is something that’s a trend that I don’t really like with that group is that we’ve had big leads and we allow the
Game to become very interesting and uh and obviously Nick Smith was a big part of that I think he was a five of seven from three 19 points Off the Bench so yeah you got to give him a lot of credit with his the confidence in which he
Played with it was impressive coach how did you feel how would you eval evaluate your benches play tonight I thought they were all right yeah I mean um you know sometimes you generate good looks that don’t go down and so you just as long as you’re getting good looks but I thought
Our bench was uh was solid tonight you know and you know but for a long time you know that third quarter that group was playing so well you didn’t want to get any subs in but then you realize these guys are exhausted they’re playing
So hard you got to get some of your guys in and uh so I thought they did did did a solid job but we’ll watch the film and we clean up anything that we can to to help those guys out moving forward you talked a little bit about about it
Before the game started I think you’re seventh back to back 17 or 18 Road games whatever it is now and it is fatiguing this a tiring part of the season is this character building for this team as as as the season goes on you think maybe can look back in this
Part the season we build a little bit of character during this time you hope so I mean uh to your point I mean I don’t think anyone’s had a harder schedule than us and uh you know that’s just not me making anything up that’s just black
And white um and for us to to be where we are with all that and um is pretty incredible if if you can’t factor in Jamal’s Miss games through the injury you factor in the schedule you factor in the fact that we’re playing you know CB
And Julian and pton and Zeke you know four young players in that second unit you know I really like where we’re at and uh if you can get through the stretch that we’ve gotten through to this point you know um you know that hopefully you can build some confidence
Um and build on that you know that that’s our hope as we move forward to Golden State on Christmas day just out of curiosity if you could craft the schedule however you want it would would you with the shorter offseason than everyone else would you prefer to sort
Of frontload it and get some of this stretch out of the way and not have to deal with as many back-to-backs and real games m in the season or would you prefer D um good question I have to think about that one that’s a deep philosophical type question um I just
Don’t know like you feel like a pinball sometimes you’re home you’re gone you’re home you’re gone and um that’s why it be nice I think we have somewhat of a home stand coming up but um yeah if you can get through I think the key to your
Question is if you can get through that early to now where you have a favorable schedule maybe later that’d be ideal you know but not everybody gets through that and uh you know luckily we have a team that’s won a championship and uh has a lot of talent and character and uh
Camaraderie in that locker room that was a a great question by Denver Post beat writer Bennett durando but I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate because he asked is it good to get this out of the way well it’s good but at the same time the nuggets are very very good
In back-to-back games nobody’s played more backtack so far this season in the Denver Nuggets they’ve played Seven backto backs their record on the second night of those back-to-backs 6 and one guys that lone loss was in Sacramento a couple weeks ago they love beaten Phoenix before EXA they thrive in these
Situations they’re very good in this case yeah you know it’s a it’s one if you can survive it it is good to get all this out of the way the question is is can you survive it and that is a big deal especially when you have a short
Off seon um and you pack all these Road games in you’re in and out of town this way I mean there is a there is a real a percentage there where you could fall apart a little bit or find yourself having a really tread water now the
Nuggets are what 21 and 10 now y Al they have done a great job navigating all this and so now that they have done a great job navigating their way through this then yeah it is great that there this is all behind them but this is easier uh easier said than done nobody’s
Played more games nobody’s played more Road games yeah and they’re only two games out of first place so nicely done all right time now for the downtown breakdown presented by star lemon lime soda the official soft drink of the Denver Nuggets three ball was working for Michael Porter Jr tonight five of
Eight from distance what’ you notice different about a stroke yeah I shot with some confidence tonight he got some better looks and I always look you know is he not fading is he his legs underneath that he’s kind of going forward even on these deep ones look at
That see how he’s kind of going forward I love what gets on legs underneath him and that’s when he’s at his best when he’s floating and moving left to right that percentage drops yeah you know what he’s starting to put together here is a a stretch of really good games you know
Outside of the two for seven in Toronto um his last five games are four of eight two of three two of seven three of five yesterday and then uh five of eight today and when you’re going to start shooting we we have seen Michael Porter Junior get on these streaks where he is
Super hot scorching fire from the three-point line and I think we might be in the midst of one right now because he start Spee Speech speech spee my spee spee Speee For that Spe For for foree Speeech Chris Dempsey um we’re going to start by I’m mentioning this one simple fact the the Nuggets lost every quarter except the third that third quarter was almost historic it was so crazy what the Nuggets did defensively and what the Hornets failed to do offensively first of all here’s how it all worked out
Quarter by quarter nuggets lose the first quarter uh they lose the second quarter they were down six at halftime um look at the third please that I mean the beauty of that thing Charlotte did not make a field goal for for the first 11 minutes they got a couple free throws
No field goals nuggets D incredible DS they missed their first 19 shots of the third quarter Chris Dempsey uh they did and it’s uh that you know credit the nuggets for um you know being there you know look when you get a quarter like this it’s it’s some some of this is just
A team missing some shots as well but the Nuggets forced so much of this stuff by being tough by staying in front of ball handlers by not allowing uh you know easy looks in the paint all the elements of what you need defensively they put on that court in that third
Quarter and look it it was needed that that first half just would they were just a little bit in the mud and so they had to raise the energy level they did and they did it defensively they started the second half on a 17 nothing run in
Other words they looked at the score at halftime and said all right come on let’s go we’re the Champions let’s go let’s let’s just end this thing and they got it going behind that guy for the second straight game Jamal Murray in the third quarter was fantastic he he really
Was Joker had some passes and Junior made some buckets but Jamal in the third I mean he defensively offensively is old pal Smith excuse me I’m going right at you we’ll take the layup everybody working yeah yeah no it’s um it was maybe the most fun third quarter they’ve
Had all all season long the most dominant that’s for sure yeah no doubt about it you score 30 you give up n you know what defensively they just got in the head of Charlotte and what they got some good looks but once it started missing nobody on Charlotte felt like
They could make a shot Futures in your hands presented by The Ball Corporation we’ve seen this play out before uh we saw it in Brooklyn when Jamal Murray scored 16 against the Nets last night in the third quarter tonight 11 in the third quarter again he did it on the
Defensive end and he really brought it offensively yeah I don’t know whatever he’s doing at halftime keep doing it it is working because he is coming out um with great energy with great Focus um you know in each of these games and and look the Nuggets needed it
You know they needed him to take over this team is just so much better um when
Chris Dempsey reacts to Nuggets beat Hornets 102-95; Michael Porter: 22 PTS; Nikola Jokic: 18 PTS
