There won’t be a third chance to test the theory this season, but when the Nuggets play the Hornets, the games seem to follow an algorithm.
It takes the Nuggets 24 minutes and a halftime wake-up call to start taking Charlotte seriously. Once they do, order is restored.
For the second time in 10 days, Denver used an alarmingly lopsided third quarter to vanquish the Hornets, winning 111-93 on Monday night to bounce back from its worst loss at Ball Arena in four years. In Charlotte on Dec. 23, the second half started with a 25-1 Nuggets run bolstered by 17 consecutive stops.