DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 23: Mason Plumlee #24 of the Denver Nuggets dunks the ball against the Orlando Magic on November 23, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Denver Nuggets worked the Orlando Magic in a post-Thanksgiving showdown. The Magic were never able to find their rhythm as they fell behind.
Denver Nuggets
112
Orlando Magic
87It felt like the Orlando Magic were constantly scrambling. Trying to keep track of the Denver Nuggets’ cutters and ball handlers as Nikola Jokic passed out dimes from the high post to find open shooters. The Magic were trying to keep up. Their defenders rotated to try to cover and collapse the paint or to reach out to those shooters.
Often they were too late. Or sometimes too many. And Denver just fired the ball to the open man. Or, worse, they would fire the ball at the hoop and let Nikola Jokic or Mason Plumlee collect the rebound. By the end of the game, the Nuggets were just running circles around a tired and scrambled Magic team in a 112-87 win at the Pepsi Center on Friday.
It is not quite back tot he drawing board for the Magic. But this was reminiscent of their first eight games rather than the last 10 when the team seemed more tied together on both ends.
The Magic seemed a step slow and a bit off on both ends as they tried to recover and chase the Nuggets seemingly from the very beginning of the game.
Denver did a good job making sure Orlando’s offense never found a rhythm. The Magic shot 40.5 percent from the floor and just 8 for 32 from beyond the arc. Orlando got just nine points on 3-for-15 shooting from Evan Fournier and D.J. Augustin combined. That is no formula for success.
Denver did a good job hedging on screens and forcing Orlando ball handlers to take an extra beat away from the basket. It disrupted a lot of the rhythm for the team and discouraged the ball movement that helped the Magic build leads at home the last week. Orlando still had 24 assists on 32 field goal makes, but the team obviously needed a whole lot more of the latter.
The Nuggets dominated the offensive glass. Even their mistakes turned into points. Denver had 12 offensive rebounds turned into 23 second-chance points. Essentially every Nuggets offensive rebound turned into points. And Orlando did not do a good job limiting interior passing, giving up 64 points in the paint.
It was a formula that led to the Magic getting beat in almost every hustle statistic. And Orlando gave up a scoreline to match.
Terrence Ross finished the game with a team-high 18 points. He made his first seven shots and first four 3-pointers, finishing 7 for 8 from the field and 4 for 5 from beyond the arc. The Magic broadcasters were rightfully calling for the Magic to run more plays for him or at least keep him involved.
But as the Nuggets expanded their lead in the fourth quarter (it was a 12-point deficit after three), they changed their defense to disrupt even his rhythm. Denver switched every screen involving Ross and always had a body on him. Orlando could not get him free.
Isaac seemed off the entire night. His jumper looked out of rhythm. The confidence that has helped Isaac have a stellar season so far seemed to disappear. He hit just 2 of 10 shots and just never looked completely right. In one instance, he passed up an open 3 to drive into the defense and take a pull-up jumper. That might have helped him get into a rhythm — and that shot looked a lot more fluid than his other — but it was still a miss and a mistake.
Isaac had a few nice steals and deflections. He still largely makes a positive impact. But this was something of a step back for him.
He finished with 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting. He added nine rebounds and five assists. In fact, it felt on some occasions he was a bit too unselfish trying to pass the ball when he had the opportunity to finish. The Nuggets could have run away with this one a whole lot earlier if it were not for Aaron Gordon.
Granted, Gordon still had his missteps. He struggled a bit with Paul Millsap‘s physicality. And he set a poor tone defensively when he got caught trying to go for a steal, allowing Millsap a clear path to the basket. He was good on the glass, but he obviously could have helped a bit more.
Fournier did not do any of that in this one. He scored just five points on 2-for-10 shooting. His first make came in the second half when he finally took the ball to the basket and finished at the rim. There were a few occasions where Fournier forced shots and offense. And plenty more where he shot off balance. They were not good looks.
He continues to look good as a playmaker. He had five assists in the game. So when he got in the paint, he kept the ball moving. But that was few and far between.
The Nuggets deserve all the credit for knocking the Magic off rhythm. They used their length to swarm ball handlers and slow the offense down, quickly rotating back as the Magic tried to figure out what hit them. Mason Plumlee and Trey Lyles attacked the interior and made Mohamed Bamba‘s life very hard. Not that the Magic offered much resistance.
Denver was the more aggressive and physical team throughout the night. They took the Magic to task all night and never truly relented. Denver needed some time to race ahead and get past Orlando. But it was inevitably coming with the effort the Nuggets put into the game.
The Orlando Magic next head to Los Angeles as they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon.