Why the Nuggets took a step "in the wrong direction" in win over Suns

PHOENIX — The Denver Nuggets used a 21-9 third-quarter run to ease past the Phoenix Suns 123-113 Saturday night for their first road win since Dec. 23.

The Nuggets are 7-3 in their past 10 games and are posting the league’s fourth-best offense over that span. But after another night where his team gave up triple digits and saw its opponent convert one uncontested layup after another, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said his team took a step backward in its 10-point win in the desert.

“When we get defense into the game and get it into the game early and we move and share the ball and value it then we become a really good basketball team,” Malone said. “Tonight, obviously was a step in the wrong direction, but thank goodness we were able to get the win while we try to clean up all our breakdowns.”

While Denver’s offense has regained last season’s league-leading form, its defense has suffered. The Nuggets have slipped to the league’s fifth-worst defense over the past 10 games, and on the season are 22nd overall in defensive efficiency.

In its past five contests, Denver has given up 124 points to the Thunder, 108 to the Warriors, 104 to the Hornets, 130 to the Rockets and 113 to the Suns.

“We have to do a better job of containing 1-on-1,” Malone said. “But even after made baskets, we were scoring on one end, made basket, outlet throw ahead layup on the other end. Those are things that drive me crazy. If they’re going to score on us, make them work for it. Don’t have a take it out of the net, outlet, one pass, they get a layup on the other end. We have to hold ourselves to a much higher standard on that end if we’re going to be a team that’s going to be taken seriously.”

The Suns scored 66 of their 113 points in the paint. Many of Phoenix’s field goals Saturday were uncontested too. Malone took issue specifically with the number of blow-bys, drives and easy transition baskets the Suns were able to score.

Trade deadline acquisition Devin Harris, who played his first game with the Nuggets in Phoenix, was already able to point to the Nuggets’ lack of communication on the defensive end of the floor as an issue that needs to be corrected.

“Communication is a big key,” Harris said. “It will take out a lot of mistakes by talking to one another and not assuming on the floor.”

The Nuggets are winning lately by outscoring their opponent. It’s a strategy that worked for Denver in its final 57 games last season when the Nuggets went 31-26 after realigning their offensive philosophy to center around Nikola Jokic.

Denver’s late-season charge got the Nuggets to within one game of the eighth seed a year ago. Malone is still trying to find that correct balance between that league-leading offense and a defense that’s up to his standards.

“We have to understand that with 26 games to go, trying to outscore teams every night will make it really difficult on us,” Malone said.