“We have to bring our focus, be connected, you know, take the day tomorrow to get mentally right, physically right, prepare, fly to LA, and get a win” said Nuggets head coach David Adelman after the team’s 105-102 loss back in Game 2 of the playoff series. With a plan like this, you would have expected the Nuggets to come back better prepared, right? Instead, Nikola Jokic and Co. secured a 2nd consecutive loss, and that too by a 117-83 score, aka a 34-point margin! The same team that established a 50-32 win record in the regular season is now in danger of getting eliminated in the playoffs’ 1st round! Therefore, while Nikola Jokic has faith in his teammates, he cannot let the recent loss slide without making a necessary demand.
The Serbian was neutral throughout the post-game presser. He wasn’t happy with how things went, of course, but he was still highlighting optimism that things will get better for the Nuggets squad in the upcoming games. This is why, when asked if he had to tell anything to the Nuggets locker room going into Game 4, Jokic said, “I didn’t say nothing”. Having gone through a whole regular season, what else could be said at this point that hasn’t been reiterated hundreds of times?
However, Jokic indirectly did send a message to the Nuggets locker room by adding, “I mean, I think everybody needs to step up. You know, they were better than us today, uh, in every aspect of the game. Like, so we need to be as a…. more as a group, and to play together, and play more like fighter basketball. Not…. we cannot back down, we need to attack.”
If losing by a 117-83 score tells something, it is that the Denver Nuggets certainly did not attack well. The Clippers held Nikola Jokic and co to 40% shooting in total, and 27% from the 3-point line. As highlighted by NBC Sports, the Nuggets squad scored less than a point per possession for the game. To his credit, Nikola Jokic led the team by setting an efficient triple-double of 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists. Take him out of the equation, however, and the rest of the Nuggets shot 34.9%. From their bench, Denver had just 6 points.
Apr 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) at the free throw line during overtime against the LA Clippers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
As for being better “in every aspect of the game”, Kawhi Leonard and Co. certainly proved that through their offense. Given that the Nuggets were reportedly a “middle-of-the-pack team” for much of the ongoing tournament, while the Clippers’ amazing offense was marked with the team going 17-3 in the final 20 games, one of them should have been careful on the defensive end.
Instead, they allowed the Clippers to record a 132.9 offensive rating, with 3-pointers raining and 18 of them hitting the mark. Derrick Jones Jr. and Nicolas Batum each hit 4 3-pointers, while Kawhi Leonard once again led the scoring effort for the Clippers with his 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. The players were on a roll, and the Nuggets’ lack of proper defense only helped them.
In light of all this, the most that the Nuggets can do is “step up”. Fortunately, the team might have realized that they can do it. After all, nothing but optimism is preventing the Nuggets locker room from breaking out into chaos.
Despite 2 Consecutive Loses, David Adelman Highlights Optimism in Nuggets Locker Room: “right a lot of wrongs”
Having made a promise after Game 2, it certainly would have been awkward for David Adelman to see it collapse in the next game. Fortunately, the Nuggets-Clippers playoff series is not over yet. Nikola Jokic and Co. need to win just one more game to get to the level of their rival, after which it is a race for who can accumulate 2 wins the fastest. Both losses provided the team with plenty of things to be careful about going forward. That belief makes the head coach think that not all hope is lost.
During the post-game presser, a reporter highlighted how the Nuggets were able to come off a mid start in the regular season to secure the 4th seed in the Western Conference table. However, adversity is hitting again, leading to speculation about whether everything is all right in the locker room.
In response, Adelman stated that “No, those guys were, they were good in there. I mean, they’re obviously not happy with the result. I mean, we’re…. but we’re down 2-1, uh, in a series that the first two games were very competitive. This game was not. Uh, but you can come back Saturday, and you can write a lot of wrongs. And you can find yourself back 2-2 going home to Denver, with two days off to, you know, sit, get guys going, and you know, reassess injury issues, and all that kind of stuff”.
‘Not our standard’: David Adelman reacts to Nuggets’ Game 3 blowout loss to Clippers https://t.co/OyPr4kdnLg
— TalkBasket (@TalkBasket) April 25, 2025
David Adelman took over when only three games were remaining in the season for Denver. He had suffered just one loss up until Thursday night’s game. Now, with his first blowout, Adelman would be receiving a wake-up call, both to him and his team. Sports columnists like Mark Kiszla have already begun questioning whether David is the right man to continue coaching the Nuggets.
Therefore, the upcoming Game 4 will not just be any playoff game. It will be among 1 of last 2 chances for the Denver Nuggets to save their skin. It remains to be seen whether the players and the coach will rise to the occasion.
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