The Nuggets are now playing Rock Paper Scissors to decide shots
Jan 24, 2024, 1:39 PM | Updated: 5:14 pm
The Denver Nuggets have an excellent problem and an enjoyable solution for it.
Both Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jamal Murray are in the top 25 of free throw shooters in the NBA by percentage this year and each have had strong careers knocking shots down from the line. The two also happen to play most minutes for the Nuggets so when a technical foul is called on the opposing team and Michael Malone can send anyone on the court to the line, who does he pick? It’s likely going to be one of the two. Does he let his star guard get a freebie to reward his level role player?
As it turns out, the decision is out of Malone’s hands, it’s literally in the hands of KCP and Murray—and some fate.
In the third quarter of Tuesday’s Nuggets-Pacers game, Indy coach Rick Carlisle was ejected, giving the Nuggets two free throws. So KCP and Murray went hands up and dueled with a friendly game of Rock Paper Scissors to see who would get the shots.
The only logical way 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/CNN67HhtSi
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 24, 2024
KCP won the game and then knocked down both free throws. The Nuggets needed them too. The team led by just two with moments left in the contest when Nikola Jokic chucked in a dagger three to cement the score at a 114-109 Denver win.
KCP is 63 of 70 from the strip this season and a career 81.8% shooter. Murray is 90 of 102 and a career 87.1% shooter. You can never have too much shooting in the NBA, and when you do—there’s now an elegant solution for who gets the ball.
