DALLAS — 13 instances in 13 video games because the All-Star break, the Denver Nuggets have held a lead within the final 30 seconds of regulation.
They’ve solely misplaced two of these video games due to three photographs by three of the perfect shot-makers on this planet.
Kyrie Irving’s 21-foot hook shot along with his off hand (the left) to beat Denver could be probably the most miraculous buzzer-beater of the 2023-24 NBA season, if Max Strus hadn’t occurred to swish a full-court heave three weeks earlier. With that in thoughts, the Nuggets locker room wasn’t notably troubled by the 107-105 loss Sunday, even when gamers shared a shocked admiration of Irving and his well-established expertise for ambidextrous circus photographs.
“If any person could make that shot, it’s undoubtedly him,” Nikola Jokic mentioned. “I’m sort of shocked, sort of not. He’s the man who could make that shot for positive.”
Jokic was the defender contesting Irving’s game-winner from behind the suitable elbow. The low-percentage shot was a results of respectable protection by Denver on the ultimate out-of-bounds play, which may have gone to Irving or Luka Doncic. Each Dallas guards began in a cluster of our bodies on the left wing, however Kentavious Caldwell-Pope fronted Doncic successfully sufficient and lengthy sufficient to power the ball to Irving. He was coming round a display screen down on the baseline. Jokic acknowledged it and reacted.
“It was the identical motion that they run, after which the continuation might be Kyrie coming with a pin-down from the nook,” Jokic mentioned. “Me and (Aaron Gordon), we switched it, and I imply, Kyrie made a very robust shot.
“I believe I used to be there. I used to be contesting the shot.”
Michael Malone was displeased by the consequence however content material with how Denver guarded the play. From the visiting bench, nevertheless, the Nuggets nonetheless felt a collective sense of dread as soon as the ball acquired over Jokic’s attain. Reggie Jackson, who was in the identical draft class as Irving, had a sense it was getting in.
“Some of the gifted, expert gamers to ever play our sport,” Jackson mentioned.
“I (freaking) hate Ky,” joked DeAndre Jordan, Irving’s former teammate. “I really like him. He’s extraordinarily gifted. So if anybody’s gonna make that shot, it’s in all probability him.”
Doncic had tied the sport with 24.2 seconds left on a deep 3-pointer, which Dallas additionally generated utilizing a sideline out-of-bounds play. Gordon had gotten caught beneath a display screen, and his contest was too late on the prime of the important thing. (Doncic deflected credit score, marveling about Irving’s buzzer beater as an alternative: “I don’t suppose individuals understand how robust that shot is.”)
The 5-0 closing run by the Mavericks snapped a five-game win streak for Denver, mirroring Kevin Durant’s late game-tying three that pressured extra time and broke up a six-game surge earlier in March.
The sheer audacity of Irving’s shot coupled with the statistical anomalies that value the Nuggets the sport from a extra holistic perspective have been sufficient to alleviate concern within the minds of group leaders. The Mavericks out-rebounded Denver 59-37 for a 23-6 edge in second-chance factors. Within the 2024 calendar yr to date (34 video games), it was the primary time the Nuggets misplaced a rebounding battle by double digits and the fourth time they misplaced a rebounding battle by 5 or extra — versus seven video games throughout that stretch during which they’ve out-rebounded the opponent by double digits.
Then there was Jokic’s 6-for-16 sport, his sixth-worst taking pictures share of the season. And Murray’s 7-for-20 clip, his third time this season taking pictures 35% or worse on 20 or extra makes an attempt.
“You take a look at the wins, bro,” Murray mentioned. “We’ve been successful, and two losses, looking for a typical denominator, like, bro hit a left-handed floater from the highest of the important thing going away from the basket. It’s an incredible shot. And we performed horrible up till the final couple minutes, so we’re combating and we have been simply glad to be in that place, the way in which we performed all through the sport.”
Jokic summed up the Nuggets’ destiny on a memorable afternoon in Texas extra succinctly: “That’s basketball. We made a pair robust photographs. Jamal made an enormous three. They made an enormous three. That’s the great thing about basketball.”
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