Who would have thought the Denver Nuggets’ dynamic duo of Reggie Jackson and DeAndre Jordan would dominate a team with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook before the season started? Nobody would have believed that scenario before the season, yet the Nuggets’ team and coaching staff did.
Reggie Jackson has already stepped up huge in Jamal Murray‘s absence this season. In his 11 starts this year, he’s averaging 15.6 PPG and 5.2 APG while shooting 52.7% from the field and 43.2% from the 3-point line. Last night was more than stepping up, it was domination. He was easily the best player on the court throughout the contest. He added 35 points on 15 of 19 shooting while also dishing out 13 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds.
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Although Jackson controlled the game throughout and played one of his best games of his career, the Nuggets wouldn’t have won without the contributions of DeAndre Jordan. The 35-year old veteran proved he can still contribute to winning basketball. Jordan had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists going up against his former team.
Jordan scored above 20 points for the first time since March 24th, 2019 where he was also opposing the Los Angeles Clippers as a member of the New York Knicks. The vet hasn’t had the opportunities to see the floor as often the last couple of seasons. His dominance last night could change that. His chemistry with Jackson is obvious as the two combined for five alley-oops.
Other takeaways from the game
Paul George and James Harden were complete non-factors in the game. They combined for only 17 points on a combined 5-20 from the field. Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac and Russell Westbrook led the way for the Clippers, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the former Clippers.
The Nuggets also saw some key contributions from some of the younger players including Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson, who provided spark and energy from off the bench. Watson had some clutch buckets to help seal the victory for the Nuggets. Michael Porter Jr. also drilled the dagger 3 to seal the victory with just over a minute left in the game.
The Nuggets can use this victory as a huge momentum swing in starting a new win streak. With Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon likely coming back in the next couple of games, this game was perfect for the Nuggets to build off of.
