In the NBA, there is always a mentality of the next person. With Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter out of the game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, the Denver Nuggets need other players to contribute in time, and this is the result of their 101-98 victory.
Denver had a slight advantage in the middle of the first quarter, and Wil Barton's 8 points boosted a 10-6 lead. With the Nuggets leading 23-20 in the second quarter, Button scored 10 points and two assists. Rookie bone Hyland scored three points and two assists when he came off the bench in this section.
As Hyland continued to launch a second-line offense, Denver extended its lead to 30-22 early in the second quarter. The rookie guard sent 4 assists in the first 9 minutes of the game, most of which were Zeke Nnaji, who had an early chance when Jokic missed Wednesday's game. However, the Indiana scored 16-4 to cool Denver's momentum, and the Pacers took the lead late in the first half. Monte Morris sent the two teams into the locker room with a three-pointer in the last second, where they tied for 44.
Indiana used a hot three-pointer early in the third quarter to regain the lead, and Miles Turner used three blocks to show off his rim protection during this period. However, just like the first half, Button continued to play for Denver. The veteran's 7-0 mini score gave Denver a 57-56 lead. Hyland and Nnaji's blow helped the Nuggets lead 69-65 into the final game.
The two teams exchanged buckets to open the fourth quarter, and Denver led 79-78 with 7 minutes remaining in the game. Will Barton returned and continued to make two three-pointers to help Denver extend the lead to four points with less than five minutes left. Indiana slowly regained one city, and with less than a minute left, the Nuggets' lead was reduced to two points. Jeff Green's timely block and Barton's another tackle gave Denver some breathing room with 27 seconds left in the game.
Here are the three main points of Wednesday's victory.
Button's strong start continues
When the Nuggets needed him most this season, Button did. The 30-year-old player set a career high this season and continued the hot start of the season with 30 points and 6 rebounds on Wednesday night. Button also made six three-pointers in this victory.
Without Jokic and Porter, Denver's offense desperately needs some shooting opportunities, and Button provides this. Button's unique combination of scoring and organizational skills makes him an incredibly versatile and valuable player for the Denver team, which was demonstrated on Wednesday night.
Hyland and Nnaji drove the success of the second group
As mentioned earlier, the Nuggets' rotation has changed with Jokic's departure, which provides Najib with an opportunity to fill up some of the bench time.
It didn't take long for Hyland and Najib to establish a chemical reaction on the court on Wednesday night, because Hyland often arranges second-year big men to conduct high-quality observations around the rim. Hyland performed well in Wednesday's game because he found himself holding the ball more often than usual, which provided rookies with an opportunity to demonstrate his offensive ability.
In the end, Hyland scored 12 points and 4 assists in 22 minutes of playing time, while Najib scored a career-high 19 points and 5 rebounds. For Denver's young players, opportunities like Wednesday's game do not appear often, so the situation provides them with valuable playing time against Indiana.
Defense strengthened again
Continuing the trend at the beginning of the season, Denver relied on the Pacers' defense to keep Indiana at 98 points. The Nuggets managed to force turnovers and took advantage of the other end of the court, which helped the understaffed Mile High team produce some easy offenses.
Indiana ended the game with 15 turnovers, and Denver scored 15 points from these turnovers. The Nuggets continued to thrive on the defensive end, which helped them achieve a 7-4 record.
Denver returned to the game on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks (7 p.m. ET).
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