2021 NBA Playoffs: Nuggets turn up aggression, down Blazers

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone’s reputation precedes him. 

After their Game 1 victory over the Denver on Saturday, Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard said he expected Malone to harangue his team and challenge them to play better in Game 2. 

The Nuggets responded accordingly, playing a feistier brand of basketball to defeat the Blazers 128-109 and tie the series 1-1. 

“They just brought more energy to the game with their physicality and the deflections,” said Lillard, who scored 42 points and dished out 10 assists. “Tonight, we didn’t play well enough to overcome that.” 

The whole game was scrappy and emotions often spilled over throughout the matchup. Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic fell on the court after a push from Blazers Carmelo Anthony; Blazers CJ McCollum and Nuggets Facundo Campazzo got into a shoving match, and McCollum received a technical foul; Blazers assistant coach Nate Tibbetts argued with Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. after he pushed Blazers Jusuf Nurkic. 

The game was aggressive – and Malone loved it.

“It was chippy,” Malone said. “That’s the way it should be. We’re both playing for something.” 

The contentious game motivated the Nuggets to play harder. Even when the Blazers went on runs – like Lillard’s 20-point explosion in the second quarter to pull the Blazers within four – they responded. 

“When they started picking up their aggressiveness, we did too,” said Jokic, who finished with 38 points on 15 of 20 shooting. 

The Nuggets went on an 8-0 run to end the second quarter and push their lead back up to 12. The Nuggets lead didn’t fall below double digits after that point. 

The teams head to Portland for Games 3 and 4. Malone said it was a great win for his team but remained even-keeled.

“We didn’t get too down after Game 1. We didn’t get too high after Game 2.” Malone said. “We have a lot of work to still do.”