The Denver Nuggets were defeated 111-102 by the Los Angeles Clippers in one of the strangest games of the season so far.

Jamal Murray returned to the floor for the first time in a long time, and the Nuggets appeared to be on a roll in the first quarter. Michael Porter Jr. was on fire, and the Nuggets beat the Clippers 36-21 in the first quarter, shooting 8-of-10 from three-point range.

Everything was going swimmingly. Unfortunately, Nikola Jokic forgot how to shoot and kept shooting, shooting, shooting, and shooting some more. Jokic concluded the game with an incredible 32 shots attempted, making only 9-of-32 and attempting only two free throws. Jokic was as aggressive as he’s ever been shooting the hoop, but the results just weren’t there. He finished the game with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, totaling a triple-double but not in a way that helped Denver win.

To put this terrible shooting night in context, it was only the ninth occasion in Jokic’s 617 regular season games that he shot less than 30% from the field while taking at least 10 attempts. In 411 career games, Joel Embiid has only done so 18 times. The Nuggets understand how unusual this is and will not panic. Jokic will be significantly more effective the next time he plays.

Despite the terrible shooting, Jokic finished the game with a +3 after 37 minutes. The Nuggets were outscored by 12 points in the last 11 minutes. The minutes were simply insufficient when the bench entered the game late in the first quarter and again throughout the game. Reggie Jackson did everything he could to keep the club alive, and Peyton Watson’s defense against Paul George and others continued to amaze. However, that group lacked continuity, and the Nuggets lost points in the second unit as a result of poor offense and Clippers runouts in transition.

The Nuggets have used DeAndre Jordan at center numerous times in a row in order to increase defensive rebounds and improve the pick and roll game. There have been some minor improvements, but the previous few of games have revealed several flaws in the strategy. Daniel Theis and Russell Westbrook combined for nine offensive rebounds tonight, while Jordan only had two defensive rebounds. The Nuggets veteran center was only 2-of-6 from the field tonight, with all of his attempts and tips falling squarely at the rim. Other improvements may be made throughout the rotation, but backup center, whether it’s Jordan or Zeke Nnaji, is a question mark.

Jamal Murray returned to the court tonight and played well, scoring 23 points and handing out six assists in 29 minutes. The Clippers, specifically Kawhi Leonard, attacked Murray defensively late in the game. Murray held up very well in those situations and appeared fairly athletic on the court, adding a steal and a block through some hustling defensive plays. The shooting efficiency (23 points on 18 field goal attempts) was only adequate, and Murray will need to improve his outside shooting (2-of-7 from three) and free throw shooting (1-of-1) in future games. Murray, particularly off the bench, must be a scoring leader in lines that include Jordan, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, and Peyton Watson.

Finally, Michael Porter Jr. gets a lot of credit for his shooting performance tonight, as he scored 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from deep. Porter also had nine rebounds and a block, demonstrating that his game was not one-dimensional in any way, shape, or form. Unfortunately, in the second and fourth quarters, the ball never found him. Jokic and the Nuggets were set on running two-man game actions with either Murray or Jackson, leaving Porter to ruminate in the corner for extended periods of time.

That cannot happen, especially because Porter has performed admirably in recent weeks. It must be a mandate to keep him involved offensively, since he is now averaging 39.4% from three-point range this season and is statistically one of the most efficient mid-range shooters as well. When Jokic shoots 9-of-32, he can’t be limited to eight shots in a game. That can’t be Denver’s offensive strategy because it takes away one of the most dangerous aspects of the team’s starting lineup: outside shooting.

The Nuggets will bounce back, but LA Nightlife is back to unbeaten.