National Basketball Association

Denver Nuggets Drop Their First Preseason as Russell Scores 33

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:43 p.m. ET

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Oct 9, 2016; Ontario, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Tarik Black (28) is defended by Denver Nuggets forward Jarnell Stokes (12) at Citizens Business Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets played the LA Lakers for the second time in three days, and they came up short due to a late Laker run. They lost 124-115.

While several positives can be taken from this game, the bottom line is that Denver allowed D’Angelo Russell to score 33 points, and that is unacceptable. Whether it was Murray, Mudiay or any Nuggets, it seemed the outcome was the same, a Russell bucket.

Along with that, the Nuggets allowed Lou Williams to go on an absolute tear throughout the fourth quarters.

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Overall, the Nuggets played a decent game but were outdone by Russell and Williams who combined for 58 points.

Key Player Rundown:

One key for the Nuggets was that Emmanuel Mudiay snapped out of a slow preseason start. While not having a great game, the sophomore point guard scored 14 points, had 7 assists, and posted a +6 +/-.

Oh, and this was the Nugg Love play of the game.

Juancho with the JAM in traffic https://t.co/7oPqWtN2tu

— BSN Nuggets (@BSNNuggets) October 10, 2016

Although the team took a lose, every Nuggets started posted 0 or + +/- total. This is an encouraging stat as most of the starters faced the Lakers started.

Oct 7, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) loses control of the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Tarik Black (28) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Rooks Grades

Every Nugget rookie saw 20 or more minutes on the court, and they all were impressive in their time.

Jamal Murray- C+

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The sharpshooting Jamal Murray had maybe his worst preseason game. He was only able to score 6 points on 3-8 shooting, and he had 4 turnovers while posting a -15 for +/-. Murray should be able to turn this around on the 12 against the Timberwolves, but as for now, this was an unappealing and unusual statline from Jamal Murray.

Juancho Hernangomez- A

Juancho has quickly turned into a fan-favorite, or maybe he is just a favorite of mine. The Spaniard put up 13 points on 6-10 shooting. He also snagged 9 rebounds and committed only 2 turnovers. Oh, and hopefully you watched his emphatic slam in the slide before. Juancho has proven to be stronger than he looks, and he should continue to excel throughout the Nuggets preseason. It is also key to note that he played 25 minutes tonight.

Malik Beasley- C

Overall, Beasley had a mediocre game, but he missed some open shots and made some rookie mistakes. He scored only 3 points in 20 minutes and shot a dismal 1-7 from the field. With no assists and one rebound, Beasley must start to impact he game more in order to earn more minutes. Beasley should get better, and the hype around this young college standout should still be great.

Conclusion

Throughout this game, Denver showed an inability to guard the Laker guard, and it overall doomed them into their first preseason loss. They will be back again on Wednesday against the Timberwolves. They will look to go to 3-1 in what will be another “fountain of youth” game.

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