NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from the Denver Nuggets win over the Sacramento Kings

The Denver Nuggets withstood a heavily-offensive first half by the Sacramento Kings and brave through eventually to come up with an impressive 117-113 road victory.

Denver coach, Mike Malone, who is also a former Sacramento coach and did not have the best exit from the franchise, had some words for his former team before the game even kicked off:

"I hope they give Dave [Joerger] a chance and don't screw it up for him."

The West leaders bested the hosts to take their fourth consecutive win and in the process, handed the Kings their third straight loss. This was Denver's eight win over the previous ten games as they lead the three-game season series 2-0 against the Kings.

Denver won four straight before dropping a couple to the Clippers and Spurs, but look solid again across their last four games, as they now lead the Warriors and Thunder by 1.5 games on the West leaderboard. They have provided the very first signs of any clear demarcation in the West this season, separating themselves from the pack with a 25-11 (0.694) win-loss record to their name.

On the other hand, the Kings have now lost four of their last five matchups, dropping down to the ninth spot out West. They currently possess a 19-19 (0.500) record, now seven games behind the West leaders in the Nuggets.

Let's draw out some key takeaways from this impressive Nuggets road win over the tumbling Kings.

#1 The Joker impresses with a double-double while Murray takes care of the offence down the stretch

Nikola Jokic is averaging a double-double for the second consecutive season

Jokic dropped 10 of his 26 points in the first quarter, also adding 13 rebounds and six assists to finish with an imposing double-double. While the Joker shot 10-of-18 from the floor, Jamal Murray was busy stacking up a game-high total of 36 points on 12-of-24 shooting and netting six threes on the night.

Murray squeezed in 17 points in the final period, which included a couple of dagger threes in the dying minutes to take the game away from the hosts once and for all.

What preceded Jamal's heroics was a strong 31-point third quarter which brought them back into the ball-game,

"Loved the effort to start that third quarter ... and get right back into the game. Then, obviously, Jamal went into the phone booth and came out like Superman in the second half.", said Mike Malone after the game.

#2 Iman Shumpert might have just had the worst night of his career

Iman Shumpert was traded to the Kings by the Cavaliers in February 2018

Iman Shumpert was not able to cross the 10-point mark in the last couple of games he had played prior to this one. But nobody expected him to end up scoreless in this one against the Nuggets when his team needed all the help they could get.

Coach Joerger entrusted Shump with 22 minutes of playtime and a spot on the starting lineup (something he so rarely received back in Cleveland) but what ensued thereafter was a 0-of-7 night from the field including 0-of- 5 from the three-point line.

Three assists and a single rebound is all Iman could contribute in this loss to the Nuggets, as he averages a near-career-high 9.3 points per game this season.

Shumpert recently received probation (but no jail time) for his arrest in Georgia back in 2016, the charges being DUI due to drugs, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and failure to maintain a lane.

#3 The Kings shot better, committed fewer turnovers, but still managed to lose the game

Bogdanovic hit a highlight buzzer-beater against the Lakers a few days ago

The Kings took 90 shots from the field as a collective unit, and made 45 of them, putting together a noticeable 50 percent shooting performance for their home audience. They also shot 42 percent (13-of-31) from the three-point line in contrast to Nuggets' 35 percent (14-of-39) showing from deep.

Piling up 36 points in the second quarter, Sacramento ended the half with a 66-53 cushion, only to be outscored 18-31 in the upcoming third period, which proved to be the beginning of the end.

Six of the Kings players ended up scoring in double digits, led by Buddy Hield's 29-point showcase, as the team committed just 8 turnovers, drawing 14 out of Denver at the same time.

There's nothing really coach Joerger can do at this point in time after such a tough loss, but to try and make the sure that the effort is sustained for times when luck is on their side, as he said after the game.

"I'm trying to keep our guys very positive at this point. I'm very proud of our group and the effort that we're giving and the learning that is happening because of competition."