The Denver Nuggets’ turning point of the season came on December 8th, 2022, when they narrowly beat the Portland Trail Blazers with Jamal Murray hitting the game-winning shot. This was the night that head coach Michael Malone realized Jamal Murray was back to his pre-injury form, and the team jelled as a whole. The Nuggets went on to spend over 100 days at the top of the Western Conference standings and comfortably secured their spot in the playoffs. They advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2020 after beating the Phoenix Suns 125-100 in Game 6 of the semifinals. The Nuggets play with a swagger that belies almost any Nuggets team in franchise history and are confident in their ability to win a title.
As detailed in a report by The Athletic, the turning point for the Denver Nuggets’ season came on December 8th, 2022, when they narrowly defeated the Portland Trail Blazers thanks to a game-winning shot from point guard Jamal Murray. This was the moment that head coach Michael Malone realized that Murray was truly back to his pre-injury form and the team began to jell as a whole.
From that point on, the Nuggets quickly ascended to the top of the Western Conference standings, spending over 100 days in first place. They played basketball at a consistently high level, comfortably jogging their way to the regular-season finish line. This is a reminder of why the regular season still matters and how a random December game can be crucial to a team’s success on a macro level.
On Thursday night, the Nuggets dominated the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, winning 125-100 and advancing to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2020. They scored 17 consecutive points to bridge the first and second quarters, scored 81 points in the first half, and led by 30 at halftime. Their performance was so impressive that the home crowd at Footprint Center booed the Suns into the locker room at halftime.
The Nuggets play with a swagger that belies almost any Nuggets team in franchise history. They know how well they’ve played all season and are now just seeing many in the outside world catching up. When asked if they can win a title, the look they give you will tell you what they think of the question. It’s not arrogance; it’s confidence in their abilities.
As detailed in Murray, the Nuggets have believed that they can be this good since 2019; they just needed to be healthy. What the Nuggets have accomplished this postseason could be a harbinger of things to come, and they are a team to watch in the Western Conference finals.