True Nuggets fans endure, even when the Heat dissipates.
Pre-Game Thoughts: Will we finally see my dream lineup tonight (any lineup that does not include Jameer in it?) New features evolve daily in TPM land and tonight's game is no different. Now included are super-subtle, mid-nickname, often muti-hyphenated sarcasm-itallic-fonts!!! Oooh... AaaH! There is also an Easter-egg ('tis the season) for my friend Alex, who couldn't possibly be less of a Nuggets fan, And would not have read this if not for my linking it to him, and in all likelihood still won't. I suppose I could have just as easily gone with "Gargantuan Charlie Day", but we don't go for base hits 'round these parts ('tis the season.)
Denver Roster:
Will "The People's Champion" Barton,
Juancho "No Room For A Nickname" Hernangomez,
Mike "The Human White Flag" Miller
Michael "Mr Imagination" Malone
Miami Roster:
Goran "The Dragon" (why mess with a splendid nickname?) Dragic
Wayne "Call Me Duke And I'll Box You Out" Ellington
Tyler "Oh Goodie... Denver, Member-Berry #2" Johnson
Rodney "Stick A Celery Stalk In My Stink Star" McGruder
Josh "Gargantuan Version Of My Buddy Alex" McRoberts
Willie "What? You Talkin' 'Bout Willis?" Reed
Okaro "Not Quite Whiteside" White
Update: There is no way in hell Alex is wading through all of this tripe, even for validation.
Qtr1- Murray gets the start for Jameer, and the Nuggets are running early (shocker) as a result. He and Harris also do a far better job of making up for the defensive liabilities of the other three starters, or to put it more accurately, they create less liabilities for these non-defensive-minded bigs. Big Honey is sweet early on. Johnson & Johnson, Kozmiski's nightmare check in together at the 6 minute mark. A Mudiay sighting at the 5:30 mark! The perimeter defense is like night and day sans-Jameer, as is the ACTUAL (not metric) pace of the game. Jokic checks out with 11-5-3 on 5-6 shooting and 1-1 at the line, at the 3 minute mark. This team is FINALLY fun to watch again, and Denver leads after one 37-30.
Qtr2- Finally getting a taste of a Mudiay/Murray back court in extended minutes tonight. Lots of Chandler iso in the 2nd, and why not? It's working. As I've discussed before, it is valuable as a change of pace in getting the other players some much needed rest so they can put forth more effort defensively. Ally is rocking the leather pants and gaudy bling in Miami tonight. And we have the Avs game for about 3 seconds. Ok, back to Nuggets. Whew! Scared me! My Nuggs ain't much, but no one should be subjected to this season's Avs. Mudiay is flat out ballin' tonight. Jokic is as brilliant offensively as he is horrendous defensively tonight, which is usually only the case against athletic bigs such as tonight. Super-imaginative bounce pass by Murray on the break illustrates his pg instincts, but Harris is unable to finish. 13-8-5 for Jokic, and Denver leads at the half 68-58.
Halftime: I had to start watching about a half an hour late as I was in involuntary "friend indeed" mode unexpectedly, so I apologize for not including foul trouble in tonight's recap thus far, but with the help of commercial breaks I may catch up by game's-end.
Qtr3- Gallo is leading the charge here in the 3rd, as the Nuggets are up ten at the 9 minute mark. The refs are letting them play, and the Nuggets aren't adjusting (deja vu), as Miami cuts it to 2 at the 7:30 mark. Mudiay is in for Murray at the 5:30 mark to try & right the ship, up 2. He's done exactly that with his penetration, distribution and pace. I'm all caught up at this point through expert remote-clickery & multi-tasking, and can report to you that not a single player for either team is in foul trouble, Gallo leads 4 Nuggets in double figures with 22 & Dragic paces three heat in double figures with 20. According to Marlowe, if Miami makes two more 3's they will win. Dragic is getting into Gallo's face right now after an air ball. Nothing to see here. For a 2nd time, Mudiay draws a foul on a 3 attempt. He's 9-10 from the charity stripe on the night. I can not emphasize enough just how much more fun this team is to watch when you replace Jameer with these two young, 7th picks in the past two drafts for Denver, who leads after three 93-87.
Qtr 4- I really like Tyler Johnson. Even swap for Jameer? So many pogo sticks on this Miami squad. Ok, what was (bold Itallic. That's my new thing for emphasizing a word/phrase. Ya dig?) an evenly called, "let things go" game, has starkly shifted in favor of Miami, and these refs are risking losing control if things continue to get chippy. Miami is a difficult team to officiate with their defensive aggression, but a foul is a foul, and what's not is not. The Heat have taken their first lead of the game, 94-93 at the 10 minute mark, as Big Honey checks in. Miami makes their 10th 3, so they win. Murray with a blocked shot followed by a steal, but shows his youth by turning it over on an out of bounds 3 point attempt. Mudiay and Jokic are getting much better in the P&R defensively, with familiarity. Richardson picks up his 4th foul and could basically be called on every play defensively. The refs ONLY call fouls when players accentuate right now. Denver should be going to Gallo! Miami now has 5 in double figures, to Denver's 4. The Nuggets are up one with 5 to play.
Dragic is pretty annoying to play against. I'd love to have him on my team though. He's basically evil Ginobili. He should have a sinister mustache. Gallo makes an iso jumper to extend the lead to 3, with 3:30 to play. Jokic has a 2d with 7 assists & 2:30 to play, up six now after a Gallo 3. Richardson hits a three, but Mudiay answers on the other end with an uncharacteristically silky jumper. Denver is up 2 with less than a minute to play when Jokic drills a clutch J. Miami has the ball down 4, with :17 to play. Tyler Johnson cuts it to 1 on an equally clutch 3 with :10 to play. If Gallo is inbounding, Malone and I will have words. Jokic inbounds on another in a long history of absolute shit inbounds plays by Malone & after several pins fall down the alley, it results in Gallo getting fouled, but they had one to give, running only 6/10ths of a second off the clock. Denver attempts 2 more Malone specials and are forced to call a time out on each! That would be illegal in the NFL. They finally get it in, on the 3rd attempt, the obvious play, a pick to allow Murray to run into the back court, and he drills both FT's to extend the lead to three. Richardson misses on the subsequent 3 attempt and that's your ball game. Mudiay is a +21 TPM and was instrumental in the Nuggets victory tonight, on both ends, something no one has ever uttered about Jameer. Nuggets win 116-113.
Final Thoughts- THE JANIGHTMERE HAS ENDED! Mudiay has been freed! I truly believe the Nuggets lost out on the playoffs, the day that Jameer replaced Mudiay as a starter. Tonight's game, and the small sample size in TPM is circumstantial evidence, but evidence none the less. Jokic finally hit's the 13 per game TPM mark. Great win for the good guys.
