Game 3 between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers came down to the wire on Thursday night with the Nuggets going up 2-1 in the series. It was a hard-fought battle and Portland has to make an adjustment soon, or else they'll fall 3-1, which could be detrimental to their playoff hopes.
Portland knew this would be a tough series coming into it. Nikola Jokic is continuing to play like an MVP candidate as he's leading his team through it all. Look for Denver to continue to lean on their superstar center, as he gives them their best chance of success.
Game 3 was close throughout as the Nuggets only beat Portland in a few categories, free-throw shooting, assists, and three-point shooting. Outside of those areas, Portland was neck and neck with their opponent. With that said, here are three key adjustments Portland must make after losing Game 3 prior to Blazers-Nuggets Game 4.
Stop committing so many fouls
The Denver Nuggets took 27 free-throw attempts compared to Portland's 13. For this reason, the Blazers gave the Nuggets 22 free points on the night, which ultimately led to their demise. Jusuf Nurkic fouled out with 8 minutes left on the clock, giving the Nuggets a massive edge in the final minutes of the game.
Not fouling Jokic is much easier said than done, but if the Trail Blazers hope to even up the series they need Nurkic on the court. Enes Kanter can't guard Jokic to save his life, which means Nurkic is their only hope. Had Portland committed fewer fouls, we may have seen a different outcome on Thursday night.
Switch up the defensive game plan
Defense has never been a strong suit of Portland but if they hope to get out of the first round they have to find a way to slow down Denver. The Nuggets seemed to score at will in Game 3, as Jokic went off for 36 points. Additionally, the Nuggets shot 52.6% from deep, causing Portland headaches throughout the night.
Denver's role players have stepped up in a big way, which is also a point of concern. The Trail Blazers can't allow Austin Rivers, a guy the Nuggets signed in late April, to drop 21 points on them as if he's the main scoring option. Portland should highly consider slowing down the role players and forcing Jokic to do it all himself. If they can make it a 5-1 game, then they could have the edge for the rest of the series.
Hit the threes
Typically we see Portland dominate from beyond the arc, but not in Game 3. The Trail Blazers went 14/45 (31.1%) from deep on Thursday night, which is just unheard of for this roster. For whatever reason, Portland was ice cold outside of the paint, which ultimately led to their downfall.
It was likely just an off night for Portland, as the law of averages could wind up playing in their favor for Game 4. If the team can't hit the deep ball, then they have to rely on Jusuf Nurkic. He happened to be in foul trouble in Game 3, which created the perfect storm for Denver to take advantage of. Look for the Trail Blazers to bounce back from three-point range, as their offensive scheme consists of steady shooting.
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