Defending champion Nuggets dominating again: ‘We’re feeling good’

They still don’t get any attention from the national media, but the reigning champion Denver Nuggets are beginning to hit their stride yet again.

How so? Well, how does winning 14 of 18 sound? That includes a 117-109 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

Oh, by the way, center Nikola Jokic is shooting a scorching 81 percent from the field over the last nine games. Out of his last 105 shots, he’s missed just 20. Against the Pacers, he went 12-of-13 from the field.

Jokic is an MVP-caliber player, obviously. But the Nuggets are so much more.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” forward Michael Porter Jr. said. “We’re about what you can expect with a vastly different bench lineup than last year coming off a championship and a short summer. Obviously, we’d love to be No. 1 in the west, but we’re a couple of games behind it. We’re feeling good. Guys are healthy. That’s all you can ask for.”

• The Pacers still did not have injured guard Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring), but the game featured the top-scoring offense (Indiana) vs. the No. 2 scoring defense. “It was just a point of emphasis to get back,” guard Jamal Murray said. “We knew that’s what they do and they do it really well and they’ve been doing it all season.”
• Pacers wing Bruce Brown made his lone appearance of the season in Denver after being a member of the Nuggets’ title team. He was presented with his championship ring and received plenty of applause. “It was more than I expected,” Brown said. “I didn’t know the crowd was going to cheer like that. I almost started crying, but I had to hold it in because I told one of the fans I wasn’t going to cry, so it was tough. I loved it, though.”