After three straight losses to the Jazz the Nuggets are faced with the end of their season this afternoon (4:30 p.m., TNT, Altitude) unless they can figure out a way to slow down a Utah team that has scored at least 124 points in all four games of the series to date.
To make matters even more unpleasant for the Nuggets is the fact that due to the NBA bubble in Orlando they end up running into members of the Jazz on their off day. On Monday, on the way to his team’s film session, Paul Millsap had to share an elevator with several Utah players.
“It’s really awkward and weird, but it’s the situation that we’re in.”
Millsap, a former member of the Jazz, told The Denver Post of the unfortunate elevator ride.
The primary objective for Denver this afternoon will be figuring out a way to slow down Donovan Mitchell who already became just the third player in NBA playoff history to have two 50-point games in the same series.
“He’s playing out of this world right now.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said about Mitchell.
Denver might get a little help in that regard as injured guard Gary Harris has been upgraded to questionable for today’s game. Although it’s also questionable how effective Harris would be since his last action in an NBA game came way back on March 11, more than five months ago.
Unless Denver manages to rally from this 3-1 deficit it will be hard to consider this season anything other than underwhelming at best. The Nuggets reached Game 7 of the Western Conference quarterfinals a year ago and had their eyes set on bigger and better things this year.
- Nuggets-Jazz results and schedule