The Portland Trail Blazers suffered a crucial Game 3 loss to the Denver Nuggets 120-115 with MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic having a big game, finishing with 35 points.
Here are 6 takeaways from the loss:
1. First half 3-point shooting for Nuggets
The Blazers came out in Game 3 and really had a tough time defending the Nuggets beyond the arc early in the game. Coming out the gate, the Nuggets were a perfect 8/8, which eventually led to them only missing two 3s in the first half, pushing their lead to 10. Luckily, a late push at the end of the second quarter saved the Blazers.
2. Poor first half shooting for the Blazers
While the Nuggets shot the lights out in the first half, the Blazers couldn’t mirror their performance. Early in the game the Blazers tried to get the offense going, which they did, but they just couldn’t connect from beyond the paint in the first quarter. While the Blazers jumped out to an early lead, the poor shooting led to the Blazers losing the lead.
