Denver Nuggets: 4 Notable trends in Denver’s Game 1 win

Donovan Mitchell flipped the switch:

The Nuggets most likely absorbed the heaviest haymaker in Donovan Mitchell’s arsenal, winning a contest in which Utah’s guard poured in a career-high 57 points on 19-of-33 shooting. Mitchell’s performance was a significant storyline, as he was phenomenal throughout this game, even though he likely won’t repeat this level of stardom in the series.

Hidden behind the fanfare, however, was Mitchell’s rough first quarter, in which he scored just two points on 1-of-5 shooting. He appeared rattled by Torrey Craig and the Nuggets’ defensive schemes early in the contest, which helped Denver jump out to a nine-point lead.

Was Denver doing something correctly in the first quarter? And how did the wheels fall off? These questions will be top of mind as the Nuggets examine ways to make life less comfortable for Utah’s All-Star guard.

Mitchell had his A-game for the majority of Monday’s contest, and Denver must hone its defensive schemes to better contain him. Nonetheless, the Nuggets should feel good about overcoming Mitchell’s scoring outburst to win the game.

Michael Porter Jr.’s performance:

It was an interesting outing for Michael Porter Jr., as his performance was effective in many regards, but didn’t pack the punch most have come to expect from him.

Porter served as a strong floor-spacer, shooting 3-of-7 from beyond the arc and pacing a Nuggets team that had four players drain three or more 3-point shots. Distance shooting has been problematic for Denver at times, but this wasn’t the case Monday, as the Nuggets nailed 22-of-41 from 3-point range (53.7 percent), thanks in part to Porter.

The paint tells a different story, however. Porter shot just 2-of-6 inside the arc, finishing with only one offensive rebound and zero free-throw attempts – just the second time in his past eight appearances he’s failed to visit the charity stripe.

Porter needs to work with coaches to determine his interior-exterior balance leading up to Game 2. He also must perform better defensively, as he was pulled late in the fourth quarter after Utah burned him on multiple pick-and-roll switches.