NBA, Denver Nuggets – New York Knicks, 12/16/2019 -

After a series of 10 consecutive losses, the New York Knicks now have two wins in a row. They defeated the Golden State Warriors 124-122 in overtime and the Sacramento Kings 103-101 on the road. This is the first time since last season that the Knicks have won two games in a row. It's hard to say whether this is just a temporary breakthrough or if the team has genuinely started playing much better under head coach Mike Miller. However, considering that this team's potential is not very high, winning two consecutive away games is somewhat surprising. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets played their last two games at home and defended their home court quite convincingly. They crushed the Portland Trail Blazers 114-99 and then followed up with a 110-102 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Will the Nuggets be able to extend their winning streak at home, or will the Knicks manage to surprise and take a victory from Denver?

Denver Nuggets

This will be the second consecutive game for the Denver Nuggets. Last night, they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-102. The victory was largely contributed by Serbian player Nikola Jokic, who seems to be getting into better shape recently. In the game against the Thunder, Jokic added 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists, and all five starting players scored in double figures.

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Of course, it's still early in the season and many things will change, but it's interesting to note that the Nuggets play much better and more productively when the game is at a higher pace. According to NBA.com, the Denver Nuggets are second to last in the entire NBA league in terms of pace, and their offense is also disappointing. Overall, the Denver Nuggets are ranked only 18th in the league in offensive efficiency, scoring 107.2 points per game. The Denver team has won only 7 out of 12 games when they had fewer than 98 possessions per game, scoring 106.6 points and having a +2.2 point advantage. In comparison, when they increased the pace and had more than 98 possessions per game, the Nuggets won 8 out of 11 games, averaging 108.4 points and winning games by an average margin of 7.6 points.

The Nuggets are also one of the best defensive teams in the league, allowing only 102.5 points per game on average, ranking 2nd in the entire league.

Denver Nuggets Leaders:

Nikola Jokic – 16.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists. The start of this season was not the most successful for this big man, considering the high expectations placed on him. However, recently Jokic's form seems to have improved, and since the Nuggets' success is unimaginable without good play from the Serbian, Nuggets fans should be pleased.

Jamal Murray – 17 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists. This is the statistic of the player who promised to represent the Canadian national team at the Olympics. Like the entire Nuggets club, the start of the season was not very confident, but there are no questions about this player's potential, and Murray's game should only improve as the season progresses.

Will Barton – quite unexpectedly becoming one of the most important weapons for the Nuggets, the guard averages 15 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Barton is a guard who plays well both offensively and defensively, so it's no wonder that his importance to the team grows with each season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHvVuI2sA64

New York Knicks:

After a tough start to the season, the Knicks team finally showed signs of life. The victory against the Kings on the road with a score of 103-101 was the second in a row for the New York team, and Elfrid Payton contributed the most to it, scoring almost half of his points in the 4th quarter. At one point in that game, the Knicks were trailing by as much as 16 points, but thanks to the efforts of Julius Randle (26 points, 9 rebounds) and Marcus Morris, they managed to come back and win the game.

Returning from injury, Elfrid Payton is gradually becoming one of the most important players on the team, and it seems that the new coach also favors this player. Payton gets along well with all the team's players and is described as a good teammate, so his integration into the team after returning from injury could have significantly contributed to the Knicks finally starting to win games.

The New York Knicks currently have 2 consecutive wins and a total of 2 wins and 2 losses after David Fizdale's dismissal. With the change of coach and Mike Miller taking the helm, the Knicks have started to show more desire to win, especially noticeable at the end of games. It's hard to say whether the new coach's strategies worked or if there were just talks in the locker room, but the situation is changing for the better. One of the moments highlighting this was the 4th quarter in the game against the Kings. The Knicks, who have been characterized by poor defense in the 4th quarters this season, managed to stop the Kings, who scored only 21 points in the 4th quarter, shooting 36.4% from the field.

New York Knicks Leaders:

Marcus Morris – 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds. The controversial transfer of this forward to the Knicks, after rejecting an agreement with the Spurs, was one of the most talked-about moments of the offseason. However, Morris has a lot of freedom in this team, so he can gather better statistics and sign a more lucrative contract next season, so the further it goes, the fewer questions this forward's decision raises.

Julius Randle – 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. The forward, who struggled at the start of the season, is becoming increasingly difficult to stop. Randle mentioned that if Payton had not been injured, his integration into the Knicks' game would have been much smoother, but it is clear that Randle's statistics should improve by the end of the season.

R.J. Barrett – 14 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. The rookie, who was selected with the third pick in the 2019 draft, has enough freedom to showcase his full potential, but he is struggling to get going, and it is hoped that this is just first-season uncertainty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8JFbCw0UgA

Prediction

After two consecutive wins, the Knicks should enter this game with confidence. However, they face one of the toughest road trips to Denver, where the Nuggets have lost only 3 times this season. Statistically, the Knicks always have problems on the road against the Nuggets, as they have lost 11 consecutive games in Denver, not winning there since the 2006 season. Although this will be the second game in two nights for the Nuggets players, the team has enough players in rotation to confidently handle one of the Eastern Conference's underdogs at home.