Bones Hyland had the right idea. His execution was just poor.
Hyland lofted a full-court, one-handed pass intended for Nikola Jokic with 4:28 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets holding a 111-104 lead. But his Hail Mary attempt was off-target and drifted beyond Jokic’s reach. It wasn’t a fatal gaffe, but one Hyland wished he had back with the chance to put the Pacers in an even deeper hole.
“I just think how you react after a mistake, that’s the most important thing,” Jokic said after the Nuggets’ 125-118 win when speaking about Hyland’s night.
Hyland bounced back from that fourth-quarter turnover — his only giveaway in 27 minutes Wednesday night — by teaming with Jokic on a picturesque dribble hand-off sequence that resulted in an Aaron Gordon dagger 3 with two minutes remaining.
On the Nuggets’ next possession, Hyland beat Goga Bitadze off the dribble, missed his initial attempt at the rim, but got the rebound and finished the Pacers for good.
“I just like his pace, his energy,” Jokic said of Hyland. “I think he’s great for us.”
Hyland has emerged over the month of March as one of the Nuggets’ most integral players. Full stop. He’s averaging 14.3 points this month — the third-most on the Nuggets — in only 21.9 minutes per game to go with 3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and only 1.3 turnovers. In 15 games in March, Hyland’s shooting 39-82 (47.6%) from 3-point range. On the season, Hyland has made 121 triples, the second-most out of all rookies behind Jalen Green (139).
Wednesday night felt like a significant chapter in Hyland’s rookie story. The Nuggets went up 31 in the first half, then let the Pacers crawl all the way back to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Nikola Jokic was dominant throughout, but he was looking for someone else, anyone else, to go with him. He needed a running mate. Who else wanted it as much as he did? In the end, it was the rookie.
Hyland scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half. He also set Jokic up on two-straight Nuggets baskets late in the third.
Then, this read-and-react sequence between Jokic and Hyland in the fourth.
Jokic found Hyland streaking down the middle of the floor on this fastbreak a few minutes later.
“I thought Bones Hyland down the stretch, he does not look like a rookie,” Michael Malone said.
The chemistry between Jokic and Hyland is growing. Fast. And at this point in the season with just five regular-season games remaining, it’s clear that the Jokic’s confidence in Hyland has risen to a new level. Jokic knows they’ll need big-time contributions from Hyland in the playoffs if the Nuggets want to make a postseason run. It’s a proposition that’s going to sit well with the 21-year-old.
Because Bones Hyland is fearless. He’s relentless. He wants all the pressure, all the spotlight, and as much responsibility as Malone will give him. He’s not afraid to make mistakes. He takes every challenge head-on, but also has an understanding that everything still runs through the MVP.
“At the end of the day, I want Jok to trust me,” said Hyland.
With that view, Hyland’s going to be OK.
The obvious silver lining from a regular season without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. for all but nine games has been Hyland’s emergence. With Murray and Porter in the Nuggets’ lineup, Hyland’s role wouldn’t be anything close to what it’s been this season.
It’s a golden opportunity that Hyland has run with and one he’s used to establish himself as a golden piece of the Nuggets’ core and build synergy with his big man.
It’s a connection that’s going to pay off over the coming weeks and for seasons to come.
“Playing with the best player in the world, it feels great because at the end of the day I know he’s going to find me when I’m scoring,” Hyland said. “If I’m not scoring, he’s the same guy. He just wants the best for me and I just want the best for him.”
