The Nuggets were dominated on Sunday night, getting completely outworked from the start, and ended their four-game winning streak with a 110-87 loss to the Hornets at Ball Arena. This one felt like a scheduled loss as Denver was on the second night of a back-to-back, their second one of the week.
Injuries and fatigue finally took their toll as the Nuggets were without both centers, Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas, plus missing Aaron Gordon. They didn’t have the effort or energy; they got smoked on the glass and couldn’t make shots. Down 34 early in the third quarter, David Adelmna saw which way this game was trending and pulled his vets and starters early in the second half.