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Things don't get any easier for the Pacers, who
host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. Denver has won three
straight, including a blowout victory at Milwaukee on Tuesday
night that put Nikola Jokic in rare company.
Indiana's slide has hasn't changed the attitude or approach of
first-year coach Nate Bjorkgren. He has been patient and tough
with his new team as it works through this rough patch.
"There's nothing that I stay away from," Bjorkgren said,
according to the Indianapolis Star. "You have to be very
truthful. You have to speak the truth to the players on exactly
what you see and how you feel and how they need to get better
and things they're doing well.
"You don't want to hide anything. Players want to be coached,
especially good players. They want to be challenged, so there's
nothing that I sidestep. ... I go right at them on a number of
things."
Other than a 20-point loss at Milwaukee and a 16-point defeat at
Philadelphia, the Pacers have been in every game. They're
getting production from key starters, and they have adjusted to
the in-season trade that sent Victor Oladipo to Houston.
Malcolm Brogdon scored a team-high 29 against the Cavaliers,
hitting 12 of 15 shots from the floor, while Domantas Sabonis
added 18 points, six assists and five rebounds.
A win over the Nuggets would give the Pacers some momentum going
into the All-Star break, but to get they that they will have to
slow down Jokic. In the current three-game win streak -- all on
the road -- he has two triple-doubles and missed another by one
assist.
He hit a milestone Tuesday with his 37 points, 11 assists and 10
rebounds, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only two centers to
record 50 career triple-doubles. And if a couple of bounces went
his way, he could be a lot closer to Chamberlain's 78 career
triple-doubles.
"Nikola has 50 career triple-doubles, but he also has 20 games
(in his career) where he missed a triple-double by either one
rebound or one assist," Denver coach Michael Malone said after
the Nuggets' 128-97 rout of the Bucks. "It just speaks to his
greatness. The guy doesn't get fatigued, he doesn't get tired."
The Nuggets have leaned on their All-Star center because of the
rash of injuries they have sustained. Two starters -- Paul
Millsap (knee) and Gary Harris (thigh) -- have been out an
extended time. Millsap's backup, JaMychal Green (shoulder), is
also out, and Facundo Campazzo and R.J. Hampton missed the past
two games due to health and safety protocols.
Malone has been forced to employ unusual lineups, starting
rookie Zeke Nnaji once and utilizing Vlatko Cancar, who has
played in only 19 of Denver's 35 games.
Jokic is the only Denver player to play in all 35, and his 27.3
points, 11 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game have put him in the
Most Valuable Player conversation.
--Field Level Media
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