No Lillard-no problem as Blazers hand Nuggets sixth straight loss

DENVER — Energy and effort, two words ranking high in coach Michael Malone’s vocabulary bank when describing a losing Nuggets effort, as Portland — without starting point guard Damian Lillard — easily extinguished the Denver Nuggets 112-106.

“I thought we had no energy, no effort, very flat,” a frustrated Malone said after his team dropped the second game to Portland in under a week’s time. “As a coach, I can’t coach effort. It’s something that I can’t do. We didn’t defend, were just a bad team right now.”

C.J. McCollum, who scored 29 points the last time these two teams met, once again did the heavy lifting for the Blazers. McCollum finished with 25 points, 18 of which he scored in the first half.

“We have no answers for [McCollum], we can’t guard him. He gets wherever he wants to go,” Malone said. “Too many breakdowns on the defense. I have to do a better job of game planning and helping our guys out, because what were doing right now is not working. They have beaten us handily two times without their best player.”

The lackluster defensive effort and lack of energy may have had to do with last night’s overtime loss in Golden State, where the Nuggets definitely did show the energy and fight Malone is looking for. As the second half wore on, it was evident Will Barton, Danilo Gallinari and Jameer Nelson — who played 50, 41 and 46 minutes respectively against the Warriors — were running out of gas.

“We expended so much energy last night in overtime game, then you fly back get in at 3:30 [a.m.], and I think we were gassed tonight,” Malone said. “Guys that are usually energy players for us came out flat as a pancake – which is no excuse, everybody has to travel in this league.”

Barton, who has brought energy off the bench consistently all year, had just five points on 2-10 shooting and looked visibly tired throughout most of the game. Gallinari, who shouldered the load on offense and finished with 29 points, had the fatigue get to him as well. The career 85 percent free-throw shooter shot 11-16 from the line, and as a team Denver shot 31-48, just 64.6 percent from the stripe.

“I did a terrible job at the free throw line,” Gallinari said. “It was the first time in my career I shot free throws like that.”

If you’re looking for positives to take away from this game, look in the direction of Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic, who in his second game back, was a force on the block for the Nuggets and is rounding into shape despite a minutes limitation set at 15 at the moment.

Nurkic finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds in 14:39 and did get to the line nine times, but converted on just four of those free throws. Once Nurkic exited in the third quarter and neared his limit, Denver lost their presence on the glass and Portland took advantage.

“Right now 15 minutes is his limit and he maxed out those 15 minutes,” Malone said. “He did a great job of getting to the foul line, didn’t convert all those, but he was an animal on the boards. Scored down low and he did some good things defensively. Hopefully his limit restriction will increase where we can keep him out there [for] longer stretches and as he continues to get in game shape, he’s only going to improve.”

When Nurkic and specifically Gary Harris were on the floor, who was switched onto McCollum and held him to seven second half points, the Blazers seemingly got anything they wanted on offense.

Gerald Henderson got to his spots in the half court, finishing with 19 points; while Allen Crabbe put pressure on Denver’s other guard, scoring 14 points including 11 in the second half.

Kenneth Faried, who was wheeled off in a stretcher last night in Golden State, started and played 27 minutes – scoring 13 points and grabbing nine rebounds and showing no ill-effects after last night’s scary neck injury.

“Our defense right now is my biggest concern,” Malone said. “We have very few guys that can defend and that makes it hard every night – and if you can’t contain the basketball in the NBA, you’re in for a long night.”

WHERE/WHEN

Pepsi Center / Jan. 3 2016 / Game No. 35

STAR OF THE GAME

In his second game back from a right ankle sprain that sidelined him for six contests, Gallinari had another effective offensive game, scoring a game high 29 points. Gallo was able to get to the line at will as he’s done all season.

PLAY OF THE GAME

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME

A 17-8 Portland run to start the fourth quarter, right when Denver was feeling the effects of a back to back, put the Nuggets away for good.

BY THE NUMBERS

In two games since returning from that ankle injury, Gallinari is averaging 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and shooting 54.8 percent from the field.

In three games against Denver this season, McCollum is averaging 23.3 points on 54.9 percent shooting.

QUOTE OF THE GAME

Malone on Denver’s six-game losing streak and fourth straight loss at home:

“We are in a very, very bad spot right now and we have to find a way to stay together [and] try and dig ourselves out of that hole because no one is going to feel sorry for us in this league.”

WHAT’S NEXT

The Nuggets travel to Minnesota and Memphis before returning home for an eight game homestand as the schedule lightens up a bit through the end of January and beginning of February.