Jonas Valanciunas Urges Nuggets to Bring A-Game Every Night

The Denver Nuggets couldn't get it done for game five of their regular season campaign vs. the Portland Trail Blazers on Halloween, falling short of a fourth-straight win, 117-119, in a night summed up to a lack of execution in the fourth-quarter, leading to a stong comeback effort from Portland to claim a 1-0 start in the NBA Cup Group Play.

It's a sentiment that head coach David Adelman shared after the game; too many mistakes piled up from start to finish of the night, Denver couldn't close out at the right times, and it ultimately led to the disappointing end result being what it was.

Similar thoughts would also stem from veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas after the Nuggets' loss post-game––echoing that, in order to win in the NBA, it's an every-night business. When you're a step short, challenging opponents are going to capitalize.

"We've got to bring our A-game every night," Valanciunas said post-game. "There's a bunch of tough opponents around. We've got to value the ball, we've got to do little things. It comes down to little things."

"Save the ball, rebound the ball, it comes down to all of that."

Jonas Valanciunas Says Nuggets Need to Bring Their A-Game

Oct 31, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) passes the ball during the first half against Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

On Valanciunas' part, he played his typical role in the 11 minutes he was on the floor to log 10 points, three rebounds, and one assist, emerging as one of six Nuggets who were able to find their way into double figures.

But even with the love being spread offensively for the Nuggets, it was far from their best performance on that side of the ball. Denver connected on six of their total 25 threes (24.0%), lost the turnover battle 16-12, and wasn't enough to put the pieces together for a win.

For Valanciunas, finding those steps forward after a bleak performance starts with the basics: less turnovers, more buckets. But of course, that's a task much easier said than done.

"Turn the ball over less, score more easy layups. It's on all of us... Value the ball, play together. Simple to say, but not as simple to do."

There's a long season ahead for the Nuggets, and a year bound to have many more mistakes to come for both Valanciunas and the rest of the roster.

But still, in the first 10 games of the year, though, it's the perfect time for those flaws to be worked out, improvements to be made, and that chemistry to continue building for this new-look roster to reach its aspired ceiling in due time.