Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman criticized his team’s start following Sunday night’s 127-115 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
“Their ability to get to the free throw line kind of set the tone for the game,” Adelman said. “Yeah, they were the aggressors from the start. Our energy was lackluster, embarrassing to start this game.”
Adelman acknowledged that the Nuggets improved as the game went on but stressed the importance of starting strong. “I thought we picked it up as it went, but the game was out of control at that point. They started feeling good about themselves. Guys started making threes. The 41 points in the third quarter really speaks to that.”
The coach also addressed the team’s professionalism. “You can’t come out with an unprofessional approach and we did put ourselves up against it. This is the NBA. Everybody can get hot…we didn’t—we were not ready to play and we were not ready to play. Very disappointing performance from our guys.”
Adelman pointed out that the start was uncharacteristic for the Nuggets. “This is the first time all year I felt like that. I walked in at halftime and it just felt like the effort wasn’t good enough. We were only down seven. It was a disconnected group to start, and I thought as the game went on, they got it together, but when you’re up against it like that, you put yourself in a tough situation.”
Regarding player workload, Adelman said the team would consult the medical staff for back-to-back management. “We’ll talk about it with the medical staff. I got to be careful with Jamal [Murray], CB [Christian Braun], and Aaron [Gordon]. They came back, and they looked good in moments, but also very tired. We have to take a serious look at tomorrow to make sure we’re taking care of our guys the right way.”
Despite the Nuggets’ struggles, Adelman highlighted positive individual performances. “Tim [Hardaway Jr.] has 26 points, plays out the game, veteran player, never stopped competing. Jamal [Murray] had 16 assists, getting doubled every time down. Those guys were impressive as the game went on, but collectively, not good enough.”
Brooklyn’s offense was led by Michael Porter Jr., who scored 27 points with 11 rebounds and five assists in his first game against his former team. Noah Clowney added 22 points, while Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe each scored 17 to help the Nets secure their first win in four games.
The Nuggets fall to 23-12 overall and 1-2 since Nikola Jokic’s injury, with Monday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers looming as Denver looks to rebound.
