I need to update my stock-photo database.

Who wore it better?

The Band is back together!

Nuggets vs Lakers:

When last these two teams faced off, the Nuggets enjoyed double digit TPM performances from four players lead by Jamal Murray's +21 (more on him later), en route to a back and forth, 125-116 victory. In that game, Luke Walton did not take kindly to Murray's trash talk at the end of the game and fired back at him. All fairly innocuous if you ask me.

I am on record as saying I didn't care for Murray showing up Ball by dribbling around him at the end of the previous game but a coach has to have a thicker skin than to think trash talk, no matter what is said during a basketball game, or demonstrating pleasure after breaking a big man's proverbial ankles, is ever uncalled for.

What WAS uncalled for, was Pope aggressively shoving an off-balance Murray out of bounds and into a fan, which is what initiated the talk to begin with and we can likely expect this and more when these teams meet up on unfriendly grounds tonight.

The thing is this: Murray is the type of player who relishes exactly this type of scenario (no, he's not Kobe Bryant but Lakers fans can't so quickly forget enjoying his showing players up on a regular basis). Jamal may be the only player on the Nuggets roster that relishes playing the villain and he unquestionably plays better when angry.

This makes for an intriguing side-drama element to the game but the real story is the hotly contested Western Conference playoff race, where the Nuggets have a good chance of finishing as high as third overall and a better chance of not even qualifying. It's insane how close seed's 3-10 are at this stage of the season.

If the Nuggets expect to pull out a victory against this improving Lakers team in LA, they have GOT to figure out a way to impede Julius Randle and Big Honey needs to do a far better job of sticking to Brook Lopez. The Lakers big men are gifted offensive players who have thus far scored at will against the sub-par Nuggets defense.

Go Nuggets!

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And now what none of you come here for; how about some basketball nerdery?!?!

(After these messages... Er Nicknames)

Coach: Luke "Zero Tolerance For Trash Talk Unless It's Kobe" Walton

Denver Nuggets Roster

Coach: Michael "Mr Imagination" Malone

Update: Lydon is out for the year after tearing up his knee in the G-League, Chandler is probable with the ever-present hip issues and Craig is out with a G-League loop-hole related injury for Denver. As for the Lakers, Ingram is out with a groin injury.

Data: Open this link in a new tab for the definition of TPM™

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TPM™ Game 68 LAL

Jamal Murray: +20

Devin Harris: -1

Monte Morris: N/A

Gary Harris: +6

Will Barton: +7

Malik Beasley: N/A

Torrey Craig: N/A

Wilson Chandler: +30

Juancho Hernangomez: N/A

Richard Jefferson: N/A

Paul Millsap: -2

Kenneth Faried: N/A

Trey Lyles: -11

Darrell Arthur: N/A

Tyler Lydon: N/A

Nikola Jokic: +9

Mason Plumlee: +3

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Total TPM™ starting Game 1 vs. Uta

Jamal Murray: 67 Games +754

(RIP) Emmanuel Mudiay: 42 Games +396

Devin Harris: 12 Games +29

Monte Morris: 3 Game +20

Gary Harris: 64 Games +943

Will Barton: 67 Games +777

Malik Beasley: 55 Games +88

Torrey Craig: 26 Games -31

Wilson Chandler: 61 Games +449

Juancho Hernangomez: 22 Games -20

Richard Jefferson: 18 Games -3

Paul Millsap: 24 Games +208

Kenneth Faried: 32 Games +25

Trey Lyles: 61 Games +415

Darrell Arthur: 17 Games +3

Tyler Lydon: 1 Games -3

Nikola Jokic: 61 Games +971

Mason Plumlee: 60 Games +228

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Avg. TPM™ Per Game

Jamal Murray: +11.25

(RIP) Emmanuel Mudiay: +9.43

Devin Harris: +2.42

Monte Morris: +6.67

Gary Harris: +14.73

Will Barton: +11.60

Malik Beasley: +1.60

Torrey Craig: -1.19

Wilson Chandler: +7.36

Juancho Hernangomez: -0.91

Richard Jefferson: -0.17

Paul Millsap: +8.67

Kenneth Faried: +0.78

Trey Lyles: +6.80

Darrell Arthur: +0.18

Tyler Lydon: -3.00

Nikola Jokic: +15.92

Mason Plumlee: +3.80

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TPM™ Per-Minute Splits Through Game 63:

*Credit DomP on the Spreadsheet. It's as if my (nerdy) baby (TPM™) learned to speak

Analysis:

Qtr2- The Nuggets had better realize that all of their Western Conference adversaries, in terms of playoff seeding have won tonight. Jokic is in to start the 2nd; a gamble to say the least but perhaps a necessary one. Denver cuts it to nine after a Jokic steal nets a layup by Ill-Wil at 11:15. Barton's brain is elsewhere tonight. Jokic picks up his THIRD ticky-tack foul and he's done for the half! Uh-oh! Plumlee is starting to provide some rim protection but this is not vs the starting front-court for LA. Zubac nets his third foul and he grabs some pine. Barton is ice cold (1-8) but it's not stopping him from taking terrible, contested shots from near and far. The Lakers lead is still eight at 6:45. The starters - Jokic are now in and quickly cut it to three. The combination of Jokic's defensive absence and Plumlee/Millsap's renewed focus vs the LA bigs has energized the team, as they are down by just one at 5:42, on the strength of a 17-5 run. LA still has yet to score in the paint in the 2nd QTR at 4:45. The correlation between Big Honey's liabilities defensively and this result is unquestionable.

Flop of the century by The Pontiff should yield a letter from the NBA as he draws a foul vs Murray. Why is Ball shooting threes? 'Sap is really starting to get the better of Randle defensively, which is obviously a welcome sight for the good guys. Gary seems to be mentally residing in a similar head-space as Barton. Lopez is finally cooling off from downtown. Haywood Workman is doing the Nuggets zero favors tonight. The LA lead is three with 1:10 to go. Ill-Wil cuts it to one and in so doing becomes the first Nugget to reach double figures. He's followed in short order by Murray who sinks two from the charity stripe, giving Denver the lead and joining Chandler in double digits. Kuz' scores on a fluky play and LA re-takes the lead heading into the break. Denver is paced in TPM by Murray +13 & Chandler +17 as they trail 47-48 at the half.

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Halftime: Smoke break? Stupid question, stupid section.

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Qtr3- Malone has to realize that the time for calling stagnant, predictable dribble hand off plays on the perimeter, is over and they need to feed Jokic in the post, where he's not at risk of screening fouls. Let him work his magic down low, where the Nuggets are at their best. Gary FINALLY drills one and from about 40 feet. Denver scores the first five and have a four point lead at 10:45. Ball is STILL shooting and bricking threes. Chandler is pwning all comers offensively, as Denver leads by 5 at 8:34. Kuzma is the Lakers entire offense and the reason they are keeping pace at the moment. What I HOPE are sarcastic chants of M!V!P! are trickling down as he shoots a free throw.

Murray drills another three and the lead is 10 at 6:02. "You won't like me when I'm Angry"-The Blue Arrow (in reaction to all of the SS&R hulk memes... probably). Gary is the third Nugget to reach double figures. I never knew before tonight what a world class flopper Pope was. So... props I guess? Kuzma has a 2D for the Lakers. A four point play for Big Honey results in an 11 point lead, as he becomes the 4th Nugget in double digits. Lopez picks up his 4th foul and is forced to sit. Denver's bench unit all check in at this time along with Ill-Wil. Jokic has an outside shot at a 3D in what would essentially amount to about one half of play, with an impressive line of 13-7-5 in just 18 minutes thus far. Denver is paced in TPM by Murray +14 & Chandler +29 as they lead 82-77 after three.

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Qtr4- The still-seething Isaiah is still debasing the officials and he earns a T, which Barton inexplicably takes/makes. He's 1-11 from the field and missed the last T he inexplicably took. Denver has three quick fouls and they lead by just three at 10:45. It's gonna have to be a short blow for the starting five of the Nuggets. I'm not entirely certain why Jokic isn't playing to start the 4th, having played just 18 minutes and sorting out his foul dilemma. What I am certain of is that Lyles is getting lit up tonight. Barton FINALLY hits a layup, of the &1 variety and the lead is four at 9:29. The Blue Arrow and "Gary Harris" check back in at this point. Where is Big Honey? Lyles is mercifully replaced by Ill-Wil. Plumlee nabs his fifth foul and Malone is about to be saved from himself. Jokic FINALLY comes in at 8:24, up just two. The Anchorman checks in (again mercifully) for Barton at 8:02. Ball FINALLY sticks a three (1-6) and the Lakers lead by one at 7:40. If the Nuggets lose, the biggest culprit is Malone's stubborn rotations and play-calling. He seems to give no credence to the very real, unquantifiable factor that is momentum. Both teams will be in the bonus with their next foul. Kuz' fouls 'Sap and the Nuggets are in the bonus.

LA takes a 5 point lead on the strength of a 9-0 run. Two straight threes by Kuzma and the Lakers lead by 7 at 4:58. Barton checks in and immediately turns it over on an out -of-timeout play call. Gary fouls Randle and now both teams are in the bonus. He misses both and the lead is four at 3:22. Make that six after a Thomas (who hasn't sat in ages, Malone) bucket. It's not looking good for Denver who trail by seven at 1:45 after yet another Thomas bucket. LA is on a 21-10 run. Barton turns it over yet again and the Nuggets go to the Hack a Ball strategy, which can only be deployed because he had the ball. He misses both. Murray is utterly and completely hacked, leading to a steal and layup going the other way. He is then intentionally fouled by Randle and getting no respect from the officiating crew. He hits two in what was ruled a standard foul and the lead is seven with 1:03 to go. It's down to the foul game and that's all she wrote. Chandler has a 2D for Denver. Randle, realizing the game is running out of time decides to go fake tough guy on Jokic, and the ref was too close to see the foul. This results in a double T?!?! This has been an exceedingly poorly officiated game but the Nuggets lost this one all on their own. Denver is paced in TPM by Murray + 20 & Chandler +30. The Lakers, based on the fan reaction, win their Superbowl for the year, 112-103.

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Final Thoughts: Momentum, Momentum, Momentum!

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We Suck Again!

Denver Nuggets Silver Screen and Roll