Things were looking good for the Nuggets after three quarters on Friday night. They held a 10-point lead in their NBA Cup opener in Portland heading into the fourth, but came apart on the defensive end, allowing the Blazers to explode for 38 points in the final frame, ultimately beating the Nuggets 109-107.
The Blazers are a nice up-and-coming team, with solid defenders, but they don’t have the offensive firepower to be doing this to a good defensive team. Which can only lead to the conclusion that right now, the Nuggets are not a good defensive team.
The good news is that we’re barely a week into the season, and the Nuggets have played just five games.