Sunday’s shellacking over the Blazers wasn’t just about taking advantage of a battered squad. It was about beating and bullying a team that wasn’t big enough, and imposing their own identity on the outcome of the game.
By virtue of his father, who was an assistant on the title-winning “Bad Boys” Pistons teams, Nuggets coach Michael Malone saw how far an identity can carry you.124-92 shellacking of Portland
There were no better examples than DeMarcus Cousins and JaMychal Green, the two Alabama natives who combined for 39 points and 18 rebounds off Denver’s bench. Cousins, now at ease after signing with the Nuggets for the rest of the season, added six assists for good measure. Together, along with Austin Rivers and, on this night, Facu Campazzo, Denver’s reserves tilted the game. Campazzo had been benched in lieu of Bones Hyland, but an ankle injury to the rookie thrust the wily Argentinian back into the rotation. The smallest guy on the court rewarded that trust with seven rebounds.