The Hornets came into Denver hoping to win five consecutive games for the first time since 2018. The Nuggets weren’t having it as they breezed past the visitors in a 129-104 win.
There was plenty of buzz, pun intended, around Rookie of Year frontrunner LaMelo Ball’s first trip but it was another young, rising player who stole the show in Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets’ second-year forward was dominant from tip-off, leading his team with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Nikola Jokić picked up his 10th triple-double of the season, putting up 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists on 5 of 7 shooting.
Terry Rozier paced the Hornets with 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 7 of 13 shooting. He, Ball and Malik Monk were Charlotte’s only three players to reach double-digit scoring on the night.
The contest was close in the opening 12 minutes as Denver and Charlotte traded buckets before the home walked away with a one-point lead at the end of the first quarter. The Nuggets would seize control in the second quarter as they opened with a 11-3 run. They wouldn’t look back as they lead by as many as 34 points.
The Nuggets will now host the Bulls (7 p.m. MT, ALTITUDE) in search of their third-straight win.
Here are the takeaways:
MPJ is on fire
Michael Porter Jr. might be in the best stretch of his young career. That’s how good he’s been lately.
The 22-year-old entered Wednesday night’s outing having averaged 19.3 and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 62.0 percent in his last six games. He was once again electric Wednesday as he hit 3 of 6 from downtown and finished shooting 64.7 percent.
The Hornets had no answers for Porter Jr., who seemingly got to the rim whenever he wanted. The forward only missed one attempt in the paint. If this form continues in the second half, it wouldn’t be far-fetched for Porter Jr. to get some consideration for Most Improved Player. It’s an impressive run for the former lottery pick.
"This is going to sound funny, he had 28 points, he 13 rebounds, but what impressed me more than anything was his defense on Gordon Hayward," Nuggets head coach Micheal Malone said. "Gordon Hayward is having a phenomenal year for Charlotte, he's a big part of the season they're having, but I was really impressed with some of Michael’s defensive possessions...I was really impressed and pleased with Michael’s defense."
Porter Jr. acknowledged he entered Wednesday's contest wanting to be aggressive on both ends.
"I just think defensively, against Gordon Hayward; he's a great player and I just came into the game with the mindset of helping our team on that end," Porter Jr. said. "The stuff on the offensive end took care of itself. But I would say [defense is] the thing I'm most proud of myself for.”
Defense steps up again
The Nuggets were dominant on defense in the fourth quarter of their win against the Pacers. Malone’s team picked up where they left off against Charlotte.
This was a defensive clinic by the home team, who held the Hornets to just two double-digit scorers in the opening three quarters in Rozier and Ball. With the game already decided at that stage, Malik Monk managed to put up 16 in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets’ reserves.
Charlotte, a top-six team in three-point percentage, only shot 31.6 percent from behind the arc and shot 42.6 percent in the first three quarters. Denver did most of its damage in the second quarter, where it contained the visitors to just 36.8 percent.
Joker makes history…again
Jokić had arguably the quietest triple-double of his career, but he wrote his name in the franchise’s records when he collected his 10th rebound early in the third quarter.
With the center already having 12 points, the rebound gave him his 228th double-double. The number sees him climb ahead of previous franchise leader Dikembe Mutombo, who was sitting on 227. Although Jokić was quiet in scoring, he played a significant part in the team racking up an impressive 37 dimes on the night.
"Everybody knows Joker is going to do what he does every single night. He had a triple-double and we already know he should be the front-runner for MVP," Porter Jr. said. "I'm proud of him and he can do it all. If he wants to score 30, he could score 30 every single night. But he makes sure we get involved and we find our rhythm and that's what great players do. The ball has energy and he's one of the best to find his teammates. I don't think he's had a bad game yet this season.”