National Basketball Association

Denver vs Portland: 2 Things the Nuggets Must Do to Win

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 29, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) dribbles the ball as Portland Trail Blazers forward Mason Plumlee (24) defends in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

After another loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Denver Nuggets now travel to Portland to play the Trail Blazers.

Last night, the Denver Nuggets lost to the Detroit Pistons for the second time this season. The game was the second of only a two game series, which means that the Pistons have already swept their regular season series against the Nuggets.

The game was another heartbreaking loss for the Nuggets, and you can read more about it in a post by Taylor Hunt, right here.

Up next for the Nuggets is another bout with Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.

This will be the second of a four game series between the Nuggets and Blazers, and will be played at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

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This game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:00 PM, Mountain Time.

Even thought it’s still very early in the season, expect this game to be another hard-fought battle like the first time these two played. With that in mind, here are a few things the Nuggets should do if they want to win this one.

Nov 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) shoots the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves guard Kris Dunn (3) in the second half at Target Center. The Nuggets won 102-99. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Confidence baby, CONFIDENCE!!!

It’s seems as if over the bast few games or so, Emmanuel Mudiay has been playing with a fiery passion like we’ve never seen in him before. Honestly, he looks like the kid who was projected as the top prospect in his high school class.

He’s been incredibly aggressive on both ends of the floor, which has led him into becoming a vital part of the Nuggets starting line-up. I know that he probably wasn’t going to lose his starting job anyway, but now he’s definitely earned his place.

Mudiay has been shooting more frequently than he normally does, and before his aggression kicked in that would have been a bad thing. Not Anymore. He has greatly improved his jumper, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Nuggets.

Denver seems to keep finishing their games within a margin closer than what they’d like. They’ve had a few too many heartbreaking losses in the final seconds of games, and having a player like Mudiay can really help them down the stretch.

He’s shown that he’s no longer afraid to shoot in crunch-time, which is exactly the kind of player this young Nuggets core has been waiting for.

Now, I may be getting a little too ahead of myself, but that’s just how impressive he’s been lately. So here’s hoping he can keep his confidence up going forward, because Denver is really going to need him to show up against Lillard and the Trail Blazers.

He’ll be matched up against one of the most talented guards in the NBA, and he should definitely have the ball in his hands if they need some last second shots.

Finishing off a Familiar Foe

Do you remember earlier, when I said that the Denver Nuggets have had a few too many losses in the final seconds of some games? Well, the Trail Blazers happen to be one of those teams.

The two teams last played on the night of the Nuggets season home-opener. If you haven’t seen the highlights of the game, then let me just tell you this: it was a heart-breaker.

It was a fantastic game, and it ended in an absolutely fantastic way in overtime. Unfortunately, it was Damian Lillard who made the last second floater, and it was Denver Nuggets who walked away in defeat. But that doesn’t take away from how well the Nuggets played for most of the night.

They just didn’t manage to play their best basketball for four quarters and an overtime. But that’s okay, because now they have a shot at redemption.

The Nuggets need to start the game aggressive, and stay that way if they want to prove themselves against a prospective playoff team. Which means playing much better than they have their last two games. They’ll need to cut down their turnover totals and pass with efficiency.

That may seem like a lot to ask, but this young core seems like they want to surpass all expectations. They can do just that with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.