Video: Pierce Reacts to Loss Against Nuggets

Lloyd Pierce addresses the media following the Hawks' 123-115 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

The Hawks fell short to the Nuggets on Monday night, 123-115, as Nikola Jokić bulldozed his way to a career-high 47 points on 16-of-25 shooting to go with eight rebounds and five assists -- all without turning the ball over. The Hawks never went away, even as Denver seemed to find its stride on offense, and only in the final two minutes did the game feel truly out of reach for Atlanta. 

Amid Jokić's comically dominant performance, Will Barton jaunted his way to 28 points, nine rebounds, and five assists (on his 29th birthday, no less) while Trae Young led the Hawks with 28 points and 12 assists. Kevin Huerter pitched in 22 points toward the Atlanta effort. 

As a team, the Hawks played well offensively, scoring nearly 1.24 points per possession. But the Nuggets -- who scored just over 1.28 points per trip -- were more disciplined, made a late push, and had the best player on the floor. Denver turned the ball over just four times, which made the Hawks' respectable 10 giveaways seem especially costly. 

After the game, Lloyd Pierce discussed his team's effort in the loss, Jokić's brilliance, and much more: 

The loss dropped the Hawks to 8-29 on the season. They will remain at home to take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.