Nuggets find their footing after uneven opening stretch

The Nuggets opening stretch of games offered comebacks, letdowns, and excitement, and the team now looks forward after beginning with a 3-2 record.

The Nuggets’ first five games offered a little of everything: an offensive stall in Oklahoma City, an overtime comeback at home, a lopsided loss to Golden State and two road victories that steadied the start of the season. Denver emerged 3-2 and ninth in the Western Conference, with enough encouraging performances to offset some, but not all, of the concerns raised along the way.

The most recent week ended better than it began. After the Warriors handed Denver a 20-point defeat Monday, the Nuggets recovered against New Orleans and Phoenix. Including the season opener and home opener, the five-game stretch showed a team still searching for consistency, particularly defensively.

Denver averaged 114.0 points while allowing 115.2, leaving it with a minus-1.2 scoring differential despite its winning record. Those numbers reflect the uneven results: convincing offensive stretches mixed with prolonged lapses.

There were individual accomplishments worth celebrating, too. Nikola Jokić reached 200 career regular-season triple-doubles, while Jamal Murray and Christian Braun combined for 70 points in Phoenix. The task now is turning those standout nights into something more dependable.

Denver’s season began with a defensive effort good enough to give it a chance, but an offense that could not finish the job.

The Nuggets led Oklahoma City 48-44 at halftime before being outscored 52-36 after the break. A 16-point third quarter allowed the Thunder to take control, and Denver never found enough scoring to recover.

Aaron Gordon provided the brightest offensive performance, scoring 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and collecting six rebounds. Jokić and DeMar DeRozan added 13 points apiece. Gordon’s efficiency stood out on a night when Denver managed only 84 points.

Oklahoma City received 21 points from Jalen Williams and 12 points and 17 rebounds from Chet Holmgren. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 17 points on 6-for-19 shooting, ending his streak of 141 consecutive games scoring at least 20. Even with Denver limiting the Thunder’s leading scorer, Oklahoma City found enough production elsewhere.

That was the frustrating part for the Nuggets: they created an opportunity against a difficult opponent, then watched it disappear during a poor offensive second half.

The home opener delivered a victory, although Denver took the most difficult route available.

New Orleans shot 65.9% in the first half, built a 23-point advantage and still led by 19 entering the fourth quarter. Denver finally changed the game by outscoring the Pelicans 37-18 in the fourth, then 15-9 in overtime.

Murray led the comeback with 42 points, six assists and three rebounds, shooting 12-for-25 overall and 8-for-16 from 3-point range. Jokić supplied 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, making 12 of 23 shots and scoring eight points in overtime. Their combined 77 points carried an enormous share of the offense.

Rookie Trevon Brazile contributed 17 points, seven in the extra period. For New Orleans, Trey Murphy III scored 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting, while Dejounte Murray added 22 points, six rebounds and six assists.

The finish demonstrated Denver’s resilience and late-game firepower. The first three quarters demonstrated why neither should become a nightly requirement.

Two nights later, Denver could not produce another comeback.

Golden State made 22 of 44 3-point attempts, shot 54.1% from the field and outrebounded the Nuggets 50-36. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg delivered 31 points and 12 rebounds, helping the Warriors earn their first victory of the season.

Stephen Curry scored 24 points, 21 after halftime, and finished 8-for-8 from the field. Golden State poured in 74 second-half points, transforming a close game into a comfortable win.

Jokić finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists. Gordon scored seven before exiting following a double technical in the fourth quarter. Denver had enough passing and scoring to remain competitive early, but not enough defensive resistance to sustain it.

The rebounding deficit compounded the shooting problem. Against an opponent making half its 3-pointers, Denver could scarcely afford additional chances.

The return meeting with New Orleans looked considerably different from the home opener.

Denver never trailed and built a 22-point second-quarter lead. Jokić finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the second player in NBA history to reach 200 regular-season triple-doubles. He remained second on the all-time list, nine behind Russell Westbrook’s 209.

Murray scored 23 points, Gordon added 15 points and 11 rebounds, Braun contributed 12 points and Brazile scored 11. Denver made 12 of 31 3-pointers, or 38.7%, compared with New Orleans’ 7-for-30, or 23.3%.

The Pelicans cut the deficit to five in the fourth quarter behind Zion Williamson’s 25-point night. Murray answered with a 3-pointer and a layup, and Braun later made consecutive 3-pointers off DeRozan assists to help settle the outcome.

It was not flawless, but it was a more controlled win, and a welcome response to Monday.

Denver closed the stretch with its strongest backcourt scoring display.

Braun scored 22 first-half points, making eight of 10 shots and all six of his 3-point attempts before intermission. Murray then scored 28 of his 39 points after halftime, finishing 10-for-18 overall and 7-for-9 from deep. Braun ended with 31.

The Nuggets made 20 3-pointers at a 52.6% clip. Jokić added 18 points and 10 assists, and all five starters scored in double figures. Denver led 103-93 entering the fourth and stayed ahead throughout the final quarter to win its NBA Cup group-stage opener.

The scoring distribution was encouraging. Denver did not need Jokić to dominate the points column when Braun and Murray were supplying that much offense.

Ninth place is an early snapshot, not a verdict. Still, Denver’s 3-2 record and negative scoring differential suggest there is work to do before the Nuggets can expect to climb consistently. Oklahoma City’s ability to win the opener despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s poor shooting offered a useful benchmark: strong teams need ways to survive an uneven offensive night.

The upcoming schedule brings Portland to Ball Arena on Monday, Nov. 2, followed by Toronto on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Denver then faces Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Mexico City.

Those games offer a chance to extend the two-game winning streak and improve the home record. The priority should be less dramatic than another scoring explosion: protect the glass, avoid extended lapses and make opponents work for their points. Denver has already shown it can recover. The next step is giving itself less to recover from.