Although they may have made progress in their ability to compete with mediocre teams, the Portland Trail Blazers are still far behind the best teams in the Western Conference after their last two games.
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Blazers 146-117 at Ball Arena on Monday night, showcasing their dominance.
The Blazers also lost point guard Scoot Henderson to a right ankle injury in the fourth quarter and center Deandre Ayton to a calf ailment in the third.
With 40 points, including 25 in the first half, Nikola Jokic led all scorers. Denver shot 65.9% from the field and scored 88 points in the paint. Christian Braun scored 26 more points.
Only 55 points were scored by the Blazers’ starting lineup, with Anfernee Simons scoring the most (17). Donovan Clingan, a rookie center, scored a career-high 21 points on 8 of 8 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds after coming off the bench. Dalano Banton, the backup, had six assists and scored 22 points.
Coach Chauncey Billups of the Blazers told reporters that the game was exciting. Until, of course, the fourth quarter, I believed we were still in it for the majority of the evening. However, we performed admirably. The first quarter was difficult, and the third quarter was undoubtedly difficult as well. However, we couldn’t get them to miss us because we were within striking distance.
Denver had an early and consistent advantage in this contest.
In the first half of an NBA basketball game on Monday, February 10, 2025, in Denver, center Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, on the right, attempts to shoot a basket over Deandre Ayton of the Portland Trail Blazers, on the left. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo) APAP
In the first quarter, the Nuggets made 15 field goals, dished out 11 assists, and shot 75%. The Blazers closed the gap to within 61-53 in the second quarter after trailing by 15 points in the first, but the Nuggets embarked on a 9-2 run to take a 70-55 halftime advantage. In the first half, Denver shot 69%.
The third quarter was when the Blazers’ offense really took off. Portland made 5 of 10 three-pointers and shot 54.2% from the field, led by 12 points by Clingan. However, the Nuggets shot 64% and outscored the Blazers 42-37 in the quarter.
Before the fourth quarter, Denver had a 112-92 lead.
IMPORTANCE OF IT
The Blazers (23–31) were only three games out of tenth place in the Western Conference going into Monday after winning ten of their previous eleven games before losing to Minnesota on Saturday.
On a night when Golden State (27-26) defeated Milwaukee 125-111, San Antonio (23-28) defeated Washington 131-121, and Sacramento (27-26) defeated Dallas 129-118 in overtime, they were defeated by the Nuggets (35-19).
The Warriors and Kings are tied for ninth place, four games ahead of the Blazers as a result of the flurry of activity.
INJURIES
Kris Murray (left quad contusion), Robert Williams III (right knee pain), and Jerami Grant (right knee soreness) did not participate. Henderson, who was substituted for Grant by Billups, finished the game with three assists and six points in just twenty-four minutes.
UPCOMING
The Blazers visit the Nuggets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
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Aaron J. Fentress | [email protected]|@AaronJFentress (Facebook), @AaronFentress (Instagram), and @AaronJFentress (Twitter)
