The Denver Nuggets lost for the fourth straight, falling 125-120 in a close match Sunday night. The defeat dropped their record to 47-32, and their failure was at a critical moment, with only two games dividing Game 3 into the Western Conference standings.

Nikola Jokic Another great performance without Jamal Murray, with 41 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists. Christian Braun also scored 30 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory.

The Nuggets led 99-98 with 15 minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers took a 113-104 advantage with a 15-5 run. Pascal Siakam Myers Turner Obi Toppin leads the Pacers with 24 and 22 points respectively.

These are three gains from the Nuggets’ loss to the Pacers.

3 Things We Learned from the Denver Nuggets’ Loss against Indiana Pacers

#1. Jamal Murray, Miss Nuggets

Jamal Murray signed a major extension in the offseason, cementing his role as the second option for the Nuggets, who has not had in the last five games, including losing to the Pacers.

Without him, the Nuggets have been working hard to replicate his contribution. Murray averaged 23.8 points, 6.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds since February.

#2. Nikola Jokic can’t do all the heavy work

Nikola Jokic has another major performance, with an average loss of 45.0 PPG, 12.3 RPG and 10.7 APG over the last three games. This included a 61-point, 10-hit 10-assistant game and a two-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

While Jokic continues to come up with superstar numbers, he needs a reliable second option. Recently, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon Intensified, but none of them were always outstanding.

#3. Nuggets need to strengthen defense

There is a lack of defense from the Nuggets, and players lack rotation and effort to stop the Pacers. The Nuggets have been unable to replicate a strong defense since losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to help them win the championship in 2023, which is obvious tonight.

The Nuggets gave up 15 3-pointers in 44 attempts and allowed the six Pacers players to score in double figures. Even with a 55-47 advantage in rebounding, they couldn’t make sure the key defense stopped when counting and allowed the Pacers to shoot 59.6% from the field on a 2-point attempt.

The Nuggets’ path forward will only get tougher as their next three games are targeting the teams competing for playoff positions – the Sacramento Kings, the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets. Only the game against the Grizzlies will be at home.