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The Denver Nuggets put forward a lackluster effort in their Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. However, head coach David Adelman was happy with the bounce-back effort put forth by his team in Game 4. Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon led the way as Denver regained home-court advantage in the first-round series.
The Nuggets are one of the more experienced teams in this year's postseason. They took care of business in a close game despite needing a last-second dunk from Gordon to seal the win. Adelman saw a change in attitude from his squad that he liked, according to DNVR Nuggets writer Brendan Vogt.
“…when you lose a game like you did in Game 3, you don't just lose on the scoreboard, you feel like you got punked… we had to respond,” said Adelman about how his team walked away from a loss in Game 3. “Today was completely different. I saw something in our players' eyes.”
Adelman wasn't able to put his finger on what exactly had changed for his team, but he wants it to stick around. After being held under 85 points in Game 3, Denver came back with a vengeance. They held Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers under 100 points for the first time in the series and walked away with a gritty win.
While Jokic led the way with 36 points, Gordon proved yet again how crucial he is to the team. His defense and rebounding put him in the right places late in the game, and his put-back sealed the deal. However, Gordon almost left the game after a scuffle between members of both Denver and Los Angeles.
The altercation might have been exactly what they needed to match Los Angeles' intensity. The Denver Nuggets have momentum on their side as the series shifts back to their home court for Game 5.
