The Nuggets defeated the Pistons 134-121 today, finally ending their embarrassing two-game losing streak. The Pistons have been in good form recently, but they were still no match for the Nuggets, as the gap in strength between the two teams is significant. After being hammered by the Cavaliers last time, even Jokic, known for his good nature, got angry, saying that the team was struggling so much, why should they win? Today, Gordon didn't play, and Malone wasn't stubborn in starting the lineup, putting Westbrook in when needed, directly forming a backcourt with Westbrook and Murray.
On the front line, Braun and Porter were promoted to the No. 4 position, with Jokic at the No. 5 position. In fact, the Nuggets' biggest problem this year is still their poor defense, and they won today solely through offensive play. Despite winning, the Nuggets also allowed the Pistons to score 121 points. For a championship-contending team, the Nuggets' defense this year is not up to par. Losing Pope and Brown has been extremely damaging to the Nuggets, and if they had known it would be like this, they would have done everything to keep Pope and Brown instead of dismantling the championship-winning squad.
The Nuggets' victory was undoubtedly due to Westbrook's contributions. In the first half, the two teams were not far apart, and the Pistons, led by their ball-handling core Cunningham, played fiercely. Ivey finished the game, CC organized and connected with his teammates, then Harris and Hardaway spread out on one side, and Duren dunked. The Pistons have a good combination of one star, three shooters, and one dunker. Jokic took the initiative to attack from the outside at the start of the game, shooting flawlessly from beyond the arc, finishing and passing inside, and Porter scored 8 points in a row, giving the Nuggets the advantage. However, the Pistons' substitute Beasley became a trump card, and the Pistons led 38-36 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Westbrook began to show his vitality, dominating the game with Porter, and the Nuggets led 31-23 in the quarter. Not only was the offense smooth, but the defense also locked down the Pistons. In the third quarter, Westbrook led the Nuggets to widen the gap, and he was very skilled at playing mind games. First, he entangled Cunningham with a death grip, making the young player very frustrated, and he angrily pushed Westbrook, resulting in a foul call. Then Westbrook exchanged words with Stewart, who was caught by the referee and received a technical foul.
Relying on Westbrook's improved defense and energy, plus the firepower output from Jokic, Murray, and Porter, the Nuggets went crazy in the third quarter, scoring an astonishing 47-28 in the quarter, with the lead reaching 25 points. In the fourth quarter, the Nuggets relaxed a bit, and the Pistons kept countering to close the gap to 7 points. Fortunately, Malone brought on the starters in time to stop the decline, and they eventually won against the Pistons without too much trouble. In terms of statistics, Cunningham had 17 points, 8 assists, and 2 rebounds for the Pistons, Ivey had 17 points, Duren had 12 points and 7 rebounds, and Wallace only scored 7 points.
Finally, the Nuggets delivered the performance that fans had been expecting, with both Jokic and Murray delivering explosive performances. Jokic had 37 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, Murray had 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, and then Porter scored 26 points. Westbrook started for 30 minutes, shooting 4-for-6 with not many attempts, but he recorded comprehensive data of 8 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals. His plus-minus was the third highest among the starters, which shows the value of Westbrook. Ultimately, the Nuggets brought in Westbrook to add a superstar with a $3 million minimum salary.
Because although Westbrook is on a minimum salary, he has already delivered superstar-level performances in 7 games this season. It's like the Nuggets are betting 3millionfora50 million annual contribution. However, to fully utilize Westbrook's "lottery machine" function, the Nuggets desperately need Murray to deliver on his max contract value. If Murray can consistently perform at today's level, the Nuggets could potentially dominate the league. Why are the Nuggets struggling? It's because Jokic is desperately holding onto the base, while Murray is lying flat with inconsistent form. Currently, the Nuggets are sixth in the West, and they really need to find ways to step up their game. When Gordon returns, the Nuggets will aim to climb into the top half of the standings.