Nuggets outlast Blazers 108-104

“He’ll be better”, Kidd said Thursday morning, comparing Mudiay to himself.

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (3-4): Rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay has been thrown into the fire and is averaging 12.7 points and 5.6 assists through seven games.

“When I’m aggressive and not playing like a robot, good things happen for me and my teammates”, Mudiay said. “It hasn’t been easy for him”. Mudiay got the first one when Lillard drove to the basket with 2:02 left and Denver leading 100-97.

The Nuggets second unit helped them briefly take control of the game.

“Defensively, it starts with me”, he said. Hickson. As Harrison pointed out, Malone does want to push the ball and has barked to the media about his team as a whole (not individuals) needing to get into offensive sets quicker after opponents make a shot and to push the ball after missed shots more often. So far this young season, Lillard is scoring way above his career average at 27.5 points per game, including three games where he went for 30 or more.

Portland, which blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead in a 120-103 home loss to Detroit on Sunday, led 80-79 after the third quarter Monday.

I mean, it’s not discouraging because it’s so early, you know what I mean? Sometimes the bigs have to give us stunt, give us more time to get back up to our man. Other times it’s the pick-and-roll coverage being good enough and then they throw it to the weak side and the weak side isn’t where the weak side should be. He committed more than two turnovers just twice in the first seven games despite logging 22.3 minutes, including several nights with a big fourth-quarter role. Lillard would get his numbers in his adidas D Lillard 1 Veteran’s Day sneaker, but sadly for the Blazers it wasn’t enough for the win as the Portland fell to 4-4.

Denver grabbed the lead for good on a dunk by Hickson with 4:17 remaining. Al-Farouq Aminto tops in rebounds while Mason Plumlee averages 0.7 blocks per game. They had low enthusiasm and couldn’t get anything going on the offensive end – two attributes you don’t expect to be exhibited at home.

Emmanuel Mudiay had been feeling a little boxed in.

With Denver up 106-104, Mudiay connected on two free throws.

Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hit a soft jumper at the rim with 17.5 seconds left. He hit four free throws down the stretch after starting the game 1-for-7 from the foul line.

The most underrated part about all of this is the job that coach Terry Stotts and his staff have done, trying their hardest to put out the most competitive team possible on the floor. “But I think our inconsistency with defense, rebounding, finishing possessions, keeping the ball out of the middle; we’ve got to get better with that”. But then in the final minute of the third, Lillard scored six consecutive points including a four-point play. It will be especially challenging for Denver as post players Joffrey Lauvergne, Wilson Chandler, and Jusuf Nurkic are expected to miss the game and fellow big man Nikola Jokic is questionable heading into the game with a lower back strain. NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe was in attendance.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Mikkel Boedker scored on a breakaway 1:18 into overtime after an atrocious turnover by Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, and the Arizona Coyotes snapped Anaheim’s four-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory Monday night.