FIRST TAKE | Nuggets survive, win over Trail Blazers without Jokic, Murray – Stephen A. reacts

FIRST TAKE | Nuggets survive, win over Trail Blazers without Jokic, Murray – Stephen A. reacts

Beater that’s the Nets 1.7 seconds left in the first half they taking on the Knicks down just two and now they have a lead because of that from Mel Bridges from three quarters Court I mean sometimes you see folks you know they don’t take the last second three because it ruins his shooting

Percentage they they’ll shoot it intentionally after the horn goes off uh-uh how’ the rest of that game man had those stats tell speaking of holding on for dear life bill hansk over here was holding on for dear life as that fourth quarter was winding down what happened

In that second half wow I mean you know I I thought in that middle part of the third they defense was spectacular AG had three BL they built that 11-point lead out they just mentally got fatigued but the turnover some Miss free throws Portland never had a true chance but

They were right there of almost getting a chance well not having Nicole yic and Jamaal Murray down the stretch in clutch moments absolutely plays a role in that type of fatigue and not knowing what to do in a close game however Aaron Gordon stepped up made some really big plays he

Is with Chris Dempsey and that game looked super draining was it it’s draining out there as it looked they were physical you know they were really physical uh they’re letting them play they’re letting us play so they made it hard they made it tough they made it tough um but we we

Made it hard harder on ourselves than we had to than it had to be as well but give credit to them they played really hard would it require cuz they did come back in that third played a lot better uh what did it require defensively from you guys especially in that fourth to

Get this done done well well we had to dig in uh just guarding our yard you know guarding one-on-one uh and I think that was the biggest thing you know I think they were just breaking us down uh off the one one-on ones 22 points 12 rebounds five

Assists for you three blocks as well talk about your game out there tonight it could be better man I’m just glad we got the win uh 14-2 now since the All-Star break is this team um is are you at is the stride where you want to be or is there still

Room for improvement even with that great a record I think there is room for improvement for us um you know my bad I’m sorry I’m a little out of breath woo I think there is room for improvement but I think we’re we’re approaching where we want to be uh come

April yeah all right Aaron appreciate you man all right nice today Aaron Gordon 22 points nuggets get their Victory done in Portland against Chanty bips and the Trailblazers the Nuggets take the season series over Portland they won all four games all four meetings this season cavius Caldwell Pope Reggie Jackson

Reggie celebrating with DJ after the Nuggets find a way to grind this win out in in the Mota Center big night from Aaron Gordon as well welcome to the Nuggets locker room report presented by your Front Range Toyota dealers Katy wiy Bill hanslick and hands the Nuggets get

Their 50th win of the season they continue to win in a variety of different ways tonight they had to do it without Nicole yic without Jamal Murray what did it take yeah I loved that and again Katie they’re they’re now 14 and two c Allstar team Allstar break hottest

Team in the NBA but but there’s some similarities here when you have nicoa and Jamal fourth quarter again they win another four you win fourth quarters more often not than you’ll win games but the veterans they really stepped up in the fourth quarter Aaron Gordon had his

First ever 2010 and five game with the Denver Nuggets he is the Futures in your hands presented by Ball Corporation eight of 22 from the field but 22 points 12 rebounds five assists and three crucial crucial blocks he had eight offensive rebounds tonight hands that’s the second most in his career what did

You see that you like I just love his bully ball he just refused to be denied I mean throw it up back on look at all the Blazers around him he just goes up and score but ktie you mentioned eight offensive rebounds so he dominates that

Part of the game but in the fourth quarter had three tremendous blocks two of them led to Fast Break three-point shots AG he’s the star of the game just so tough the way that he just never get gives up on plays and I I have a feeling

That he knew no Nola no Jamal tonight someone else had to step up and his toughness carried this Denver Nuggets team he’s also had two double doubles in the last three games let’s get to our stops of the game because they all feature Aaron Gordon those three blocks

Hands walk me through block weak side comes over help that’s not his man that’s a come over and help and leads to Fast Break three there just getting back in the play catching Portland player not quite ready oh this play that play led to a 24 second violation so three big

Defensive stops by ag ag absolutely put the clamps on defensively in the fourth quarter for the Denver Nuggets let’s talk about play you know what he had to play some sand volleyball for the Olympics you had to go go play that too Aaron just because of that one block

That he swatted out there be great at sand volleyball he does have the vertical he does have the vertical we’ll give him that the athleticism all the above let’s talk about Reggie Jackson and what he did for the Denver Nuggets particularly in the second half he was orchestrating things offensively for

Denver 23 points for Reggie Jackson the nuggets are eight and one when Reggie has 20 or more points how did you see him take over at time tonight well you know what I liked I I like this fourth quarter I mean he he had eight points four assists I don’t know a couple

Steals big plays in the fourth went to the free throw line made some of those um 25 minutes and he plays down the stretch but 23 Point Katie what we had in the pregame show going to games where he started for Jamal this year was averaging about 16.1 and he gets 23

Tonight it’s unbelievable I think he went to the free throw line 11 times too so he was Ultra aggressive particularly in that second half how did you see him kind of take over from an aggression standpoint well yeah tack the rim you the same Twan game was jamala Joker

Tonight two-man game was AG and Reggie and most of the time Reggie was drawing files or getting all the way to the rim and making play but again it’s the fourth quarter plays that are big the Denver Nuggets had seven players finish in double figures in this win in Portland we’re just

Getting started here on the Nuggets lock Nicole yic and Jamal Murray especially on the road um you know that you’re always going to take that you know so proud of our group for you just fighting through it wasn’t easy give them credit you know they came out of halftime with

The head of steam and and got us on our heels and we didn’t play any defense that quarter but down the stretch obviously made enough plays to uh to get get the win so uh I think that’s what um 14- two since the allstar break now which is incredible and uh winning on

The road division opponent and um there’s some good things from tonight and obviously some things that we can clean up but uh I thought Aaron was just Relentless tonight I give Aaron Gordon a ton of credit you know fighting through some of the no calls staying aggressive

Uh 22 points 12 rebounds five assists three blocks and I thought Christian Brown Off the Bench was just phenomenal you know you look look at his game across the board uh 17 points 10 boards six assists two blocks himself um regie made some key plays down the stretch um

So and then Colin had a good stretch in that first half so uh when you’re out with two great players in Nicole and Jamal you need everybody to step up and uh we got contributions from a lot of guys Christian in particular was that Just Energy he just immediately steps on

The court and seems like the energy level of the game raises yeah I think you know energy is one thing obviously playing hard bringing great energy an effort to the game but also like he produced I mean his rebounding you know uh challenged our guys at halftime I

Said listen you guys are playing great defense but we’re ball watching I mean I just showed three Clips at halftime where the shot goes up we’re watching this and they’re all crashing and um you know for him to get five defensive rebounds for Michael to get six Aaron

Six uh DJ helped us on the glass you know but I love the fact that CB was facilitating six assists only one turnover so he contributed across the the whole entire board and that’s not just effort that’s also talent and skill and I I thought CB was just incredible

Tonight one more on CB seemed like he was in kind of a mid-season slump what do you think has kind of turned things around for him uh I think getting back to uh you know who he is you know and not forgetting that and um you know I

Think when we had a conversation probably two months ago and just showing him some clips reinforcing the positive this is how we need you to play it’s not always about percentages and and numbers and stats just about being physical being disciplined being aggressive and playing your game I mean he’s been a

Winner every level he’s been as you know Chris and I think for him just forgetting about some staying confident staying aggressive if I make a shot don’t chop your head just keep on playing and uh you know he just plays in attack mode all the time and uh he’s one

Guy off our bench I never have to worry about if he’s going to play hard and that’s why you know aside from him and Reggie Off the Bench I don’t know who’s going to play in the playoffs I really know I mean but you know CB played in

The playoffs last year he has final experience under his belt and uh you look at his numbers you know post All-Star Break um he’s been shooting the ball lights out but he’s been contributing across the board and that’s been great to see is 61 games in Play to this year 61

I don’t know what’s our record 1521 so we’re going to go 11 hey I don’t know I’m just worried about who do we got when we go home Memphis I’m worried about Memphis right now I believe we have a five-game home stand uh coming up

And you’ll take those one game at a time obviously we have the best fans in the NBA that make ball Arena uh a really tough place to play but we can’t rely on our fans we we got to bring it each and every night and uh once again as you

Mentioned to start this off scott uh to win a game without Nicole and Jamal all the players in that locker room deserve credit uh I told them this morning you know that’s not about who’s not here it’s about who is here we’re trying to achieve something that team’s in our way

And give TR try and that team credit cuz they had a lot of guys out but they play hard every time we played them this year that team played hard and I think that’s a credit to try bips uh coach for years you guys have been the hunter trying to win the

Championship and now that you have you’re sort of the hunted the team to beat how did you adapt to that situation and talking about the playoffs how can we bring that into effect coming the playoffs well yeah that was probably the first uh and most important message that

Training camp back in October was understanding that roles have changed we’ve gone from a team that was hunting um the golden states hunting the moeis hunting the teams that were ahead of us uh to try to bring our first championship back to Denver and we’ve

Done that and so now we’re going to get everybody’s best tonight they had five starters out we got their best um there’s never an easy night when they’re defending champion and I think our guys for the most part at 15 and 21 at 14-2 post All-Star break have really

Understood that and so they I play players deserve a ton of credit for understanding what time of the year it is how important it is to play the right way build the right habits and uh this is a time of year you want to be playing

Your best basketball and uh I don’t know how many teams you can say across the NBA no down our base Tower is under attack an ally has been defeated fire tower is under attack our midle L Tower is under attack are under attack destroyed tower Tower is attack our base is attack

Exe your team has destroyed your Tower our Middle Lane Tower is under attack has defeated our base is under attack your tower has destroyed to for for for for I can’t believe I the a is C it out first [Applause] Al an ally has defeated C it out lane Tower is under attack Lane Tower is under attack Tear it upated Tower is attack En Tower is under attack an enemy has been defeated the defense line has disappeared the ballista our Dragon Tower an ally has been defeated an ally deated our middle L Tower is under attack our SL Lane Tower is under attack our Tower is under attack deated your team destroyed Tower destroyed

Al an enemy has been Defeated enemy kble kill has been deated Al our Slayer Lane Tower is under attack enemy deated Tower is under attack smoke screen Al

FIRST TAKE | Nuggets survive, win over Trail Blazers without Jokic, Murray – Stephen A. reacts