Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman addressed his team’s 119-117 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday at Ball Arena, emphasizing both effort and missed opportunities. “This is a tough loss. It’s one of the ones you’ll remember at the end of the year,” he said, reflecting on a game Denver led by double digits in the fourth quarter.
Adelman discussed his approach to utilizing Nikola Jokic in the post. “He was aggressive to go down there. A lot of times we run the pick and roll. When he feels like he has an advantage, we’re going to go down there. That’s what he does,” he explained, noting Jokic’s 22-point, 14-rebound, 11-assist performance.
The coach highlighted the team’s shooting struggles. “We created a lot of open shots. The 41 threes was a good number tonight just because of the way they guarded. We just didn’t have a great shooting night, and that continued late game when they decided to double him.” Despite multiple bright spots, Adelman said turnovers and offensive rebounds by Cleveland kept the Nuggets in a constant fight.
Christian Braun’s performance drew praise. “CB was a bright spot. He shot it with more confidence. He missed a couple in a row, then made two in a row. We’re going to need that from him,” Adelman said, referencing Braun’s 20 points in 32 minutes.
On closing-line decisions, Adelman explained, “Tim had made three threes. He’s been in this league and switching onto Harden, switching onto Donovan, he’s done it. I was comfortable with that.” He also reflected on minutes management: “It really screws your rhythm… part of it is if I get Jamal out, Nikola’s starting quarters helps us, but it also breaks up his minutes.”
Julian Strawther’s development also drew attention. “Julian’s rhythm has been really good. He’s confident shooting the ball, which is allowing him to get downhill to his right hand and score. I thought he competed defensively throughout the night,” Adelman said, emphasizing the guard’s progress.
Adelman acknowledged the impact of fatigue across the league and the importance of the upcoming All-Star break. “It’s enormous for us… we have to prepare like we did every other game. We’ve got to be ready to go on Wednesday and try to find a way to win that game to feel good about ourselves going into a break,” he stated.
Defensive consistency remains a focus. “Choppy. A lot of it because of playing different ways with different lineups… we have to find a way to do both. Offense and defense,” Adelman said. He closed with frustration over the loss: “Just a really tough loss. In the NBA, you have these. It sucks. I will not sleep tonight.”
Denver (34-20) fell to 4-1 in its last five games, while the Cavaliers improved to 33-21 with eight wins in their last nine. Cleveland will host Washington on Wednesday, and Denver faces Memphis in their next matchup.
