The Denver Nuggets have lost four of their last five games.
The Denver Nuggets dropped a heartbreaker Monday night in a 119-117 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers and as the Nuggets have now lost four of their last five games, the cracks in the roster after suffering so many injuries this season have started to show.
The Nuggets have been one of the most, if not the most, injury-riddled teams in the NBA this season. Each of their starting five have suffered injuries throughout the season that's kept them from forming real chemistry together and even their crucial support pieces like Peyton Watson have gone down.
Even now that some of their key players like Nikola Jokic and Christian Braun have made it back into the lineup, the minutes restrictions they have to play on makes finding a consistent rotation a difficult task for Denver head coach David Adelman.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and center Jarrett Allen (31) defend the final shot by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesFinding a Rotation
"It's not a fun thing for anybody," Adelman said. "If I get Jamal out, Nikola starting quarter's helps us, but it also breaks up his minutes."
It's a learning process for Adelman this point trying to find what works for his team and while there were flashes of success for Denver early on in the game, the consistency of the team fell apart as the game went on and the Cavaliers charged ahead for the win.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Thomas Bryant (3) defends on Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images"It's just where we're at right now. It's not why we lost the game, it's just a weird rhythm to how we're playing right now... If we scored 120 I'd feel great about the rotation but we didn't. We lost by two and I can't stand it," Adelman said.
Jokic led the team in scoring with 22 points in 33 minutes while both Braun and Julian Strawther were right behind him with 20 points each. The game looked like it was in the Nuggets' hand, but the Cavaliers matched the Nuggets in points in the third quarter and outscored them by seven points in the fourth to come away with the win.
Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) reacts in the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesAdelman Looking to Recover
Adelman took Monday's loss especially hard and repeatedly mentioned that he wouldn't be able to sleep after the loss.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesDespite all their injuries, the Nuggets have still managed to be one of the most successful teams in the Western Conference and have a chance to contend against the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder.
With the All-Star break coming up, Adelman will be taking the time to go over a new offensive scheme and try to find a rotation that keeps his team in the game and keeps them healthy at the same time.