Just in for the NBA standings 2023, Denver’s pride, the Nuggets, have astonished the audience with their impressive 18-point first-half lead. However, a quick plot twist came in after the Lakers turned the tables in the second quarter.
This reduced their deficit to 63-54 by halftime and initiated the second half with a 4-0 run, ignited by an Austin Rieves steal from Jamal Murray. This prompted a swift timeout called by head coach Michael Malone.
The bucker ignited a 7-0 run for the Nuggets and set the tone for the rest of the evening. It wasn’t actually the runaway Nuggets win that it threatened to be in the first quarter. Specifically, it was the fact that the Nuggets was responsive every time the Lakers made a move, leading to this challenging yet close standing.
Malone, on the other hand, commended a group that includes all five starters from the previous year’s championship campaign for their composure in Tuesday’s victory.
“I just told our players [I] was so proud of them,” Malone said after the game. “Because you go through such an emotional night where you’re receiving rings and then you’re raising a banner and then you have a team coming on that wants to come out here and give you a loss on your home court.
“We got off to a great start. Our starting group looked like they didn’t miss a beat.”
The Lakers narrowed the margin once more, intensifying the pressure in the fourth quarter. They combined a 13-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters, with a powerful LeBron James drive to the hoop, bringing them within three points at 87-84. This standing made the crowd even more vigorous.
Gordon dished the ball to Christian Braun on the baseline. Braun quickly scanned the court, and his eyes locked on Jokić, wide open beyond the 3-point line. Jokić, the Nuggets’ star, smoothly grabbed the pass, locked onto his target, and drained the shot. It was a game-changing play, propelling Denver ahead 97-90 and putting the Nuggets firmly in the driver’s seat. This kind of electrifying teamwork is what fans love about the game.
During the late fourth quarter, the Nuggets fans serenaded the Lakers with a chant of, “Who’s your daddy?”
“That’s over, man. That’s in the past,” Malone said of the championship run. “To be a part of a ring ceremony, to be a part of a ceremony where you’re raising a championship banner. That is special. And you soak that in. But then you’ve go to turn the page.”
“As I said to you guys and I told our team, we have a bull’s-eye on our back. We’re going to get the best from everybody.”
Murray expressed the same feelings as his head coach.
“We won,” Murray said of the championship. “It was amazing. It was a lot of fun over the summer. But we want to be champions again. Next summer comes, I want to have that same feeling. It’s about getting over this one and trying to get the next one.”
The match ended with 119-107, in favor of the Denver Nuggets.
Stay tuned for more updates about NBA standings this 2023!
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