Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman had plenty to process after his team erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit and beat the Portland Trail Blazers 137-132 in overtime Monday night at Ball Arena.
Adelman said the night had an unusual feel from the opening minutes, even as Denver kept generating quality looks. Portland made a franchise-record 25 3-pointers, and Adelman said that changed the rhythm of the game.
“It was a weird game energy-wise,” he said. “Let’s be honest, they made 25 threes, people. It wasn’t like we didn’t shoot it well. We had 12 turnovers for the whole game. We shot 101 shots. So we had a ton of good looks.”
The Nuggets still needed late stops to turn the game around, and Adelman pointed to their work on the glass and in the paint. He said the defensive rebounding became especially important once Denver began to chip away at the deficit.
“I thought the defensive rebounding for us, especially late in the game, was key,” Adelman said. “Everyone staying in the paint, possessing the ball.”
Denver’s offense, which entered the night as the league’s No. 1 unit, eventually caught up. Adelman said the group never lost belief, even while shots were not falling as expected.
“With our team, we’re the number one offense in the NBA,” he said. “I always say that we’re going to make shots at some point.”
Adelman also explained that the missed shots seemed to affect the Nuggets mentally early, though the group recovered as the game tightened.
“I thought the missed shots got to us a little bit mentally,” he said. “But as that game carried on, you knew there was a run in us.”
That run arrived behind Nikola Jokic, who finished with 35 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for his 33rd triple-double of the season. Adelman said the unit that opened the fourth quarter helped set the tone for the comeback.
“The group that started the fourth quarter kept us in the game,” he said. “They brought energy.”
Portland still led 115-99 with 8:13 left in regulation, but Denver’s response forced overtime and extended the Nuggets’ season-best winning streak to nine games. Adelman said the finish reflected the team’s trust in one another.
“It says a lot about the group,” he said. “They just find a way, especially as of late.”
Adelman also praised Aaron Gordon’s evolution as a shooter, calling his development “a testament to his professionalism” and saying, “It’s become a weapon.”
