Reeling Nuggets cling to hope they can straighten themselves out

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets haven't been the same since blowing a chance to beat their nemesis in double-overtime on April 2.

They've dropped three straight since a 140-139 heartbreaker that the Minnesota Timberwolves stole from them after Russell Westbrook missed an uncontested layup to seal it, then fouled Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a 3-pointer with a tenth of a second left and Denver clinging to a one-point lead.

Alexander-Walker sank two free throws to run Minnesota's winning streak over Denver to six games and ruin Nikola Jokic's career-best 61-point performance that night.

The Nuggets lost to San Antonio the next night with all five starters sitting out, then dropped a game at Golden State despite a 44-point first quarter. On Sunday night, they blew a 13-point first-half lead and committed three crucial turnovers down the stretch in their 125-120 loss to the short-handed Indiana Pacers that saddled the Nuggets with their first four-game skid of the season.

“I don't know if I would say there's been a hangover,” coach Michael Malone said. “We were up tonight. We got up by 13. We weren't able to hold on. We were up in Golden State, weren't able to hold on. So, I don't know if it's a hangover necessarily, but whatever it is we've got to find a way to get this out of our system.”

They'll likely have to do it without point guard Jamal Murray, who missed his fifth consecutive game with a pulled right hamstring Sunday night.

Asked before tip-off Sunday if he expects Murray to be back in action by the playoffs, Malone said, “hopefully he’s able to be back by then.”

But where will the Nuggets be?

Anywhere from Ball Arena to a play-in game.

Denver is still in fourth place in the Western Conference playoff race but just a-half game out of eighth place with three games remaining.

“We've lost four in a row, in a bad moment, so I think we're a little bit down,” Jokic said. “But a win can always cheer us up or make us feel better about ourselves.”

Christian Braun, who scored a career-best 30 points against the Pacers but got tangled with Jokic on a crucial turnover with 15 seconds left and the Nuggets down two, said he trusts the Nuggets can still straighten things out in time to make a run in the postseason.

“We get to the playoffs I know this team can compete with anybody," Braun said. "We've got to go in there with momentum. We've got to go in there playing the right way. We've got to find a way to find some toughness.

“We've got to get back to who we are and we've got to find ourselves in these last three games. Like I said, it's not over or anything like that. But we do got to get some momentum.”

The Nuggets visit Sacramento on Wednesday night, then host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night before wrapping things up Sunday at Houston.

Westbrook saga

Before the game, Malone said the reason he's stuck with Westbrook despite his blunders of late is that he looks at his whole body of work this season, not the last week's foibles.

“We wouldn’t be where we are right now, in fourth place with four games to go, if it wasn’t for Russell this year,” Malone said.

After the game, the Nuggets said Westbrook had been admonished by the league for declining post-game interviews and that he was available in the locker room.

But Westbrook's comments recalled Marshawn Lynch's “I'm just here so I won't get fined,” routine.

Q: Is there a sense of urgency in this locker room to avoid the play-in?

“I don't know, man, you know, unsure.”

Q: Malone mentioned your value as a veteran. What can you draw from to help this team?

“I don't know. I don't have the answer for you, man. I wish I did. But unfortunately, I don't.”

Q: What's frustrating you most right now?

“Um, probably just losing.”

Q: Where's the confidence this group can figure something out these next three games?

“I hope it's high. I can't speak for everybody in the locker room. But my head stays high, get ready for Wednesday.”

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