Nuggets Face Adversity After Four-Game Losing Streak

DENVER, Colo. — The Denver Nuggets are struggling to find their rhythm after a series of tough losses, dropping their fourth consecutive game on Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers. The team has been reeling since a painful double-overtime defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 2, where they narrowly lost 140-139 after a series of crucial errors.

During that game, the Nuggets were poised for victory, but a missed uncontested layup followed by a foul on a 3-pointer at the buzzer saw the Timberwolves steal the win. This defeat extended Minnesota’s winning streak over Denver to six games, thwarting a remarkable 61-point performance from Nikola Jokic, who had tried to carry his team to victory.

In the immediate aftermath, the Nuggets faced the San Antonio Spurs without any of their five starters and fell short once again. The situation got no better in their next outing against the Golden State Warriors, where despite an explosive 44-point first quarter, they succumbed to the pressure and lost.

“I don’t know if I would say there’s been a hangover,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said following the Indiana game. “We were up by 13 tonight. We weren’t able to hold on. We got to find a way to get this out of our system.”

The loss to the Pacers, which ended 125-120, highlighted the team’s growing challenges as they committed three crucial turnovers in the closing minutes of the game. Adding to their woes, point guard Jamal Murray missed his fifth consecutive game due to a pulled right hamstring, further complicating the team’s efforts to regain momentum.

When asked about Murray’s possible return before the playoffs, Malone expressed cautious optimism, saying, “Hopefully he’s able to be back by then.”

Ranked fourth in the Western Conference playoff race, the Nuggets find themselves perilously close to an eighth-place finish, merely half a game ahead of teams vying for a play-in spot. While their recent performance has raised concerns, Jokic remains hopeful. “We’ve lost four in a row, in a bad moment, so I think we’re a little bit down,” Jokic acknowledged. “But a win can always cheer us up or make us feel better about ourselves.”

Christian Braun, who contributed a career-high 30 points against the Pacers, emphasized the team’s potential to turn things around. “We get to the playoffs, I know this team can compete with anybody,” Braun said. “But we’ve got to go in there with momentum. We must find a way to get back to who we are and right some wrongs in these last three games.”

The Nuggets’ schedule doesn’t get any easier as they prepare to visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday before hosting the Phoenix Suns on Friday. They will conclude their season with a final game against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.