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The Denver Nuggets were able to even up their first-round series with a 117-103 Game 4 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
The best-of-seven series is now 2-2, with the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference answering a loss with a win for the second straight time.
Nikola Jokic totaled 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists Saturday to help the Nuggets earn the road win at the AT&T Center, snapping a 14-game losing streak in San Antonio. LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to keep the momentum going for the Spurs.
Big Man Battle Is Fun, but Guards Will Decide Series
If you love watching skilled big men, this was the game for you.
Jokic and Aldridge battled throughout the game, especially in the first half when they combined for 33 points:
NBA @NBA
Aldridge (17 PTS) & Jokic (16 PTS) trade buckets in the 1st half of Game 4! #GoSpursGo #MileHighBasketball #NBAPlayoffs https://t.co/yaZlYlg85I
If you only like big dunks, Aldridge took care of that too:
NBA on TNT @NBAonTNT
LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE WITH AUTHORITY!
#GoSpursGo | #NBAPlayoffs https://t.co/55vhd8cZ5j
These were the only two All-Stars on either roster, and each lived up to expectations in Game 4. Jokic filled up the stat sheet like he has all year while Aldridge nearly matched him while he was on the floor.
As good as they have been, however, these aren’t the players who have been difference-makers in this series.
The playoffs often come down to which team’s star shows up, but this series is based on the guard play and which side does the most damage.
Derrick White was the star for the Spurs in Game 3, scoring 36 points in a surprising performance while DeMar DeRozan added 25. In Game 2, Jamal Murray was lights-out in the fourth quarter on his way to 24 points, while Gary Harris had 23 in the Nuggets win.
Game 1 was about which team didn’t make its shots, as Denver was just 6-of-28 from three-point range, including 2-of-14 from its three starting guards. Murray and Will Barton combined for 32 points on 38 shots in an inefficient game.
This brought us to Game 4, which featured some inconsistent efforts from both backcourts until the Nuggets guards helped pull out the win.
Jokic was dominant in the first quarter, but Denver trailed by 12 because he didn’t get any help. That changed in the second when guys like Murray and Torrey Craig began to knock down open shots, helping tie the game at 54 by halftime.
Murray was a key part of the success in the third quarter, totaling nine points and three assists in about nine minutes of action, including this big dunk:
His effort helped turn a close game into what became an easy victory for the road team. Inconsistency has been a problem for the young guard, which has been on display throughout the postseason:
Isaac K. Lee
@IsaacKLee
Jamal Murray basically oscillates between Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving on a minute-by-minute basis
He only had six points in the Game 3 loss on Thursday.
However, Murray stepped up in a big way when needed on Saturday while finishing with 24 points and six assists. Craig (18 points) and Barton (12 points) also had solid showings in the win. Those three combined to shoot 11-of-15 from three-point range.
On the other end of the court, White was held to eight points after his breakout game while DeRozan totaled just 19 points after scoring 13 in the first half. The former Raptors star was ejected with about five minutes remaining.
Meanwhile, no one could do anything outside of a few feet from the basket:
Kirk Goldsberry @kirkgoldsberry
Spurs went over 2 quarters without a made shot outside the paint. https://t.co/WY0ZQwo7GT
It was a much different story from last game, and it helped determine the final score.
Jokic is obviously an outstanding player who had an incredible game, but his effort alone isn’t enough to beat the Spurs. The same is true the other way with Aldridge, regardless of what kind of numbers he produces.
There are up to three games remaining in this series, and each of them will come down to which guards make a bigger impact.
What’s Next?
The series will return to Denver for an important Game 5 battle, set for Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
from Viral News Updates http://bit.ly/2IxYDHH
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