The Denver Nuggets (14-24) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (17-20) 95-92 on Sunday night
In a game between two struggling teams, it was clear to see why in this game. Both teams really struggled with their strokes in this matchup, as the Nuggets shot 42 percent to Charlotte's 36 percent. The fourth quarter was especially ugly, as the teams combined for 29 points in a display of inefficient. There's not much to differentiate the teams in the stat sheet and it was as simple as the Nuggets getting out to a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter and holding on for the win. Charlotte shot 11-for-45 in the second half and that ultimately cost them the game.
The Hornets have now lost eight-straight games and are really struggling on the road with a 4-13 record. The good news here is that Nicolas Batum returned from his four-game absence from a toe injury to tally nine points, six rebounds and seven assists in the defeat. The backcourt was terrible for the Hornets tonight, as Batum, Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lin combined to go 6-for-29 from the field while scoring just 22 points. The one bright spot was Jeremy Lamb, who amassed 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench. The Hornets will look to get out of this rut on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks.
Denver needed this win desperately and what makes it even better is that it came at home. This team was just 5-11 at the Pepsi Center prior to this win and they need to make that home venue a safe haven if they want to have any success this season. Emmanuel Mudiay returned for this game after dealing with an ankle injury for some time and played an astounding 39 minutes, totaling 11 points, six assists and four rebounds. Danilo Gallinari was the hero though, as he scored 27 points in the win. He is now averaging over 25 points per game over his last six games. The big surprise was a nine-assist performance from Nikola Jokic, who is proving to be a nice asset in the frontcourt for Denver. The Nuggets will look to build off this win in a tough matchup, when they host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in their next game.
