David Adelman had positive thoughts on the Denver Nuggets' level of play despite missing key players in the team's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Jokic suffered a hyperextended knee in Denver's loss to the Miami Heat last week, sidelining him for a month. On top of that, Jonas Valanciunas suffered an injury as he will also miss a month's worth of contests, leaving a big hole at the center position.
Despite this, Denver competed well against Cleveland despite collapsing down the stretch. Adelman reflected on the loss after the game, per reporter Bennett Durando.
“David Adelman: “Really proud to coach this team tonight.” Said he’s disappointed by the result because the Nuggets played so hard,” Durando wrote.
How David Adelman, Nuggets performed against Cavaliers
David Adelman is right to compliment the Nuggets for putting a tough fight against the Cavaliers despite dealing with significant injuries.
Denver was persistent as the squad led 97-88 going into the fourth quarter. Despite this, Cleveland refused to back down as they ignited a rally in the last 12 minutes, outscoring the Nuggets 25-11 to come away with the victory.
Rebounding and inside scoring made the difference in this matchup. The Cavaliers prevailed in both categories by securing 55 rebounds and scoring 50 points inside the paint. It wasn't the same for the Nuggets as they grabbed 32 rebounds and produced 34 points inside the paint.
Five players scored in double-digits for Denver in the loss. Jamal Murray led the way with 34 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and a block. He shot 12-of-28 from the field, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. Peyton Watson came next with 21 points and four rebounds, Tim Hardaway Jr. had 15 points and two rebounds, while Spencer Jones and Zeke Nnaji provided 13 points each.
Denver fell to a 23-11 record on the season, holding the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. They are 1.5 games above the Los Angeles Lakers and two games above the Minnesota Timberwolves while trailing the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.
The Nuggets will look to bounce back in their next matchup, remaining on the road. They face the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 4 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
