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The Nuggets have needed a rebounding rim-protecting backup center for a while now. You can’t really expect much more from AG and Will can’t keep producing at the rate he’s been all season every night. AG was ejected with 16 points and 11 boards while shooting 7/14 and 1/1 from 3. Will Barton finished with 10 points shooting 4/15 and 0/4 from 3. While the Nuggets have been without a few key pieces to start the season off Will Barton and AG have stepped up in their absences. Will Barton and Aaron Gordon can’t do it all: Jokic is the anchor of the Nuggets defense so without him the whole scheme falls apart. The Nuggets just didn’t have anyone big enough to control the paint or defend DeAndre Ayton. The Suns were able to get in the paint whenever they wanted. Three Takeaways: The defense is bad without Jokic: This game evolved into garbage time very quickly after the initial run from the Suns. Mikal Bridges, DeAndre Ayton, and JaMychal Green were the only starters for either team to play in the 4th quarter. The Suns end the 3rd and begin the 4th on a 12-0 run. Any hope of Denver pulling a comeback off was gone. Aaron Gordon was ejected after earning 2 technical fouls over an offensive foul on Cam Payne late in the 3rd. But as soon as Denver went on a run Coach Monty Williams called timeout and the Suns immediately brought the lead to 15 again. Will Barton appeared to land awkwardly after a foul and was favoring his quad/groin area, he got up and waved off the trainers to stay in the game. The Nuggets were able to bring it to a 9 point game after back-to-back 3’s from Monte Morris and JaMychal Green during the 3rd quarter. The Nuggets looked far more engaged on the defensive end after halftime, I’m sure Coach Malone had some choice words for the team in the locker room. Mike Singer reports that the X-rays were negative.ĪG getting with it /Wjl6DYUpeV- Denver Nuggets November 22, 2021 48-28 Suns after one.īones Hyland went to the locker room after just entering the game in the first quarter, he appeared to hurt his ankle. It was obvious the Nuggets needed a big inside presence tonight, there was no defensive anchor. That’s the second-most points scored in the first quarter in Suns history (the first most was also against the Nuggets). The Nuggets defense was abysmal in the first, they gave up 48 points in the first quarter. There’s just only so much he can do when the Suns shot 77% from the field and 87% (7-8) from 3 in the first quarter. Aaron Gordon tried his best to keep the Nuggets in the game with 9 first-quarter points. The Nuggets just had no answer for Ayton in the paint. The Suns jumped out to an early lead led by a strong start from Jae Crowder and DeAndre Ayton. The Nuggets have dropped 4 games in a row and are now in 6th place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets were down by more than 25 points at one point and it was pretty clear they were going to lose this game after the first quarter. The Nuggets defense left a lot to be desired thus losing this game 126-97. With Nikola Jokic out for a second straight game many Nuggets fans wrote this game off, they were right.