Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman addressed his team’s 142-103 defeat to the New York Knicks Friday at Ball Arena, emphasizing accountability and the need for competitive effort.
Adelman commented on the team’s effort after Jamal Murray’s exit: “Yeah, that’s not why we got our ass kicked. It was just because guys just let go of it. I’d say three minutes to go in the third quarter all the way through the fourth, outside of DaRon Holmes, I’d say nobody really competed. And so you don’t have to call a timeout. You just let it play out.”
The Nuggets struggled offensively, shooting 37% from the field and 20% from three-point range. Adelman highlighted missed opportunities: “Eight for 40 from three. I’m guessing 27, 28 of them were wide open. We did get good looks, just didn’t shoot the ball well tonight from the free throw line either.”
Murray exited before halftime with a sprained ankle, finishing with 12 points. “No, I mean, they’re going to check on it tomorrow. It’s really sore. You guys all know Jamal, he’s when he sprains his ankle, he usually comes back and plays,” Adelman explained. The coach stressed the importance of competing despite injuries: “If you’re not going to compete, you know, bad things are going to happen. But either way, regardless of how we lost or whatever it is, it’s good to have them back.”
Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson returned from injuries but struggled to find rhythm. “Aaron was on an emotional high, but he’s still trying to find a rhythm in a real game. I thought Cam showed signs in the second half. Spence struggled with the foul trouble,” Adelman said. He added that rotations and minutes adjustments are part of reintegrating players: “It doesn’t matter who comes back. Everybody forgets that when Jokic came back he was trying to find his rhythm even him.”
Adelman addressed Spencer Jones’ foul trouble and the learning curve for young players: “He’s got to tow the line with aggression in the right areas…just learning as he goes. This will be another good tape for him to sit down, watch with our coaches.”
On handling the blowout loss, Adelman emphasized professionalism: “No, I think we watch the film schematically. I just told them in the locker room it’s disappointing. You don’t have to yell and scream when you talk to adults. You can just tell them the truth.” He reflected on the broader context of the season: “We didn’t drop to ninth in the West. It was a really bad loss…a game where we just totally let go of it the last 15 minutes and get blown out does not sum up the team.”
Adelman also noted defensive breakdowns against New York: “They defensively got into us, so they pushed us out on the floor. Outside of Nikola being really special in that quarter to keep it somewhat close, they just beat us on both ends of the floor. When you play really good half-court defense and give them second and third opportunities on a night when they’re really shooting the ball well, then you’re asking for something bad to happen.”
Denver will look to regroup before Monday’s road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Adelman remains confident in his roster’s ability to recover: “I have great faith the guys will bounce back. They’ll understand what they have to do better as a team.”
