The Denver Nuggets' season came to a disappointing end on Sunday afternoon. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets lost the final two games of the Western Conference semifinals and blew a 17-point lead in Game 7 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Despite the frustrations of losing a 3-2 series lead, not many analysts and basketball purists expected the Nuggets to be here. With a roster that ranked 29th in the league in terms of NBA experience, few expected Denver to win 54 games and earn the second seed in the West.
Yet these Nuggets appear to have a certain maturity beyond their years — it didn't always emerge, but it carried them a long way. Nikola Jokic averaged nearly 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in his first postseason appearance, and posted 29 points and 13 boards in Game 7.
Still, Denver head coach Mike Malone said that Jokic told the team that the loss was on him, despite being the Nuggets' most productive player.
Jokic did miss a pair of close-range attempts around the basket and also missed a critical free throw late in the game, but he was one of Denver's only bright spots on the offensive end on Sunday afternoon.
The Nuggets shot just 37 percent from the field and were a putrid 2 of 19 from the 3-point line, missing all of their last 17 long-range attempts. Denver point guard Jamal Murray continued his run of inconsistency in the playoffs, shooting 4 of 18 from the field and failing to make a single 3-pointer.
Still, that was the first playoff appearance for nearly every major contributor on Denver's roster, and with Jokic playing at an MVP level on an annual basis, the Nuggets figure to be back in this position again.
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