The Denver Nuggets brought in a secret weapon in Bol Bol as they came up with an 89-82 win over the Washington Wizards.
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With a starting line-up of two power forwards and three big men, the Nuggets dismantled the Wizards behind an impressive Bol stat line of 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks. The rookie Bol did everything out there, including off-the-trailer dunks and pull-up three-pointers like this one:
BOL BOL HAS ARRIVED
Block and then the pull up three pic.twitter.com/2N8JdYFgO3
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 22, 2020
All-Star center Nikola Jokic put in his usual all-around numbers of 16 points, 7 boards and 7 dimes, while newly-acquired guard Troy Daniels had a game-high 22 markers. After a Moe Wagner dunk, the Wizards actually tied the game with a little below three minutes left in regulation. But Daniels put the game away after sinking two consecutive triples, leading the Nuggets to their first scrimmage win in the bubble.
It remains to be seen if Nuggets head coach Michael Malone will utilize this all-big man starters for the long run, but it’s also important to note that their backcourt tandem of Jamal Murray and Gary Harris didn’t play today. It’s not known why Malone didn’t field in Murray, but Harris just arrived at the bubble last Sunday so it’s expected that the team is not rushing him to play right away.
On the other hand, another rookie showed off as Rui Hachimura’s near double-double stat line of 18 points and 9 rebounds led the charge for the Wizards. Troy Brown Jr. stuffed the stat sheet with 12 markers, 6 boards, 5 assists and 3 steals, while veteran guard Ish Smith came off the bench to put up 10 points and 3 dimes.
The season restart will be a tough stint for the Wizards as they are heavily-depleted at all fronts. John Wall, who has been sitting out for almost two years, will not play in the resumption. Upcoming free agent Davis Bertans also opted to sit out, along with star shooting guard Bradley Beal.
SCORES
Nuggets (89) – Daniels 22, Jokic 16, Bol 16, Grant 10, Millsap 8, Cook 8, Plumlee 5, Vonleh 4
Wizards (82) – Hachimura 18, Brown Jr. 12, Smith 10, Napier 9, Wagner 8, Robinson 7, Pasecniks 7, Bonga 5, Bryant 4, Grant 2, Schofield 0, Uthoff 0
