The Denver Nuggets avenged their blow out loss on Wednesday by extinguishing the Atlanta Hawks 133-115. They handed the Hawks their 6th straight home loss which they had not done since since 2006. The bench was the story tonight. They were on fire early and it continued throughout the game. They scored 51 points tonight behind Hyland’s career-high 24 points. He shot 8-11 from the field, 4-5 from three, and chipped in 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
Although Trae Young scored 34 with 10 assists, the Nuggets defended him well tonight. A significant amount of his points were in garbage time. Denver held him to 12-27 from the field and 1-6 from three. The Nuggets begin their three game road trip with a win, but their next task is against the East leading Brooklyn Nets. That game is on Sunday at 5:30 PM.
1st Quarter
- Denver’s energy levels were lively early. They were aggressive towards the basket which opened up two threes from Jokic and Green. Their 5-6 shooting opened a 12-3 lead
- Following a Nate McMilan timeout, the Hawks regained their offensive rhythm. Five Trae Young points assisted a 14-2 scoring run as they climbed within one, 17-16
- Atlanta gained their first lead of the game with a John Collins three. The Nuggets went scoreless for 5 minutes, they committed 5 turnovers which the Hawks turned into 8 points
- Denver’s guards off the bench helped them regain the lead 26-24. Bones Hyland hit his first three of the game and Rivers finished with a layup in traffic
- Facu Campazzo ended the quarter with a rainbow three and the reserve unit would score 10 points in the quarter
Score: 29-26 Nuggets
Scoring leaders: Jeff Green - 8, Collins - 10
2nd Quarter
- Facu Campazzo forced Atlanta’s 6th turnover with a steal and an assist to Cancar on the fast break. Bones Hyland then hit a mid range shot as the Nuggets would open the quarter 2-2 shooting
- Both teams continued to trade baskets but the Nuggets bench remained active offensively. Austin Rivers provided effective minutes shooting 2-3, and Bones had 12 points midway through the 2nd
- Denver stretched their lead to ten, all with Jokic on the bench. Every player seemed to play their role well. Facu threw in 4 assists with 7 points as he helped the Nuggets play downhill, convert layups, and kick out to open shooters
- Through the first half, Campazzo and Hyland combined for 8-11 shooting and 22 points
- The Nuggets starters filtered in with 6:00 remaining and they ballooned the lead to 16. They began a 9-0 scoring run, the majority coming from Aaron Gordon’s 4 points
- Aaron Gordon erupted in the 2nd with 10 in the quarter. His two consecutive threes gave Denver a 70-48 lead
- This first half was the best the Nuggets have looked in a long time. They were clicking on both ends of the floor and had 4 players in double figures
Score: 72-54 Nuggets
Scoring leaders: Hyland - 15, Collins - 12
3rd Quarter
- Although Jeff Green did open the quarter with a three, Cappella forced Jokic’s 4th foul of the game a minute into the quarter. The following possession, Barton hit his second shot of the game as he put the Nuggets up 23
- Denver’s offense remained scorching hot especially from the three-point line, but the defense committed 5 fouls within the first 4 minutes, and the weak side defense was slow to help on multiple Young to Capella lobs
- The Hawks defense switched to a zone to confuse Denver and it did because the Nuggets were reluctant to drive into the paint and stagnant on the perimeter. Atlanta constructed a 12-4 scoring run to bring the score within 14 at 89-75
- Atlanta sought redemption at the free throw line. They attempted 14 free throws in the quarter, ten of those were makes. They gained momentum several times throughout the quarter but the Nugget offense would not yield
- The Nuggets benched closed the quarter emphatically. The pace ramped up with help from Facu, but Austin Rivers contributed with a beautiful reverse layup and a contested three
Score: 106-87 Nuggets
Scoring leaders: Jeff green - 20, Young - 24
4th Quarter
- Bones Hyland began the 4th with two straight layups. One off a Facu assist in transition, the other via a Jokic bounce pass to the paint
- Trae Young scored four straight points to decrease the Nugget lead to 19 but the Hawks appeared depleted because every time they found some momentum, Denver snatched it right back
- What ensued throughout the quarter was the story of the entire game. Once the Hawks went on a scoring run, the Nuggets matched it and then exceeded it.
- Trae Young would be the high scorer in the game but the Nuggets defended him well tonight. He had a bunch of garbage time layups in the 4th because Denver offered him easy layups instead of threes
- The white flag was officially raised by the Hawks at the 4:00 mark. Jokic would get much needed rest as he only played 26 minutes tonight
Score: 133-115 Nuggets
Scoring leaders: Hyland - 24, Young - 34
Stat Leaders
Points: Young - 34
Assists: Young - 10
Rebounds: Capela - 11
Silent Hero of the Game: Jeff Green - 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 8-13 shooting and 4 made threes