The level of concern surrounding the Nuggets after an 0-2 start is hard to pin down.

In one moment, Nikola Jokic said the time had passed for the Nuggets to figure things out.

“Probably yesterday,” Jokic said after Denver’s 109-104 loss to the Clippers on Saturday at Ball Arena.

The next moment, Jokic — who followed up a triple-double on opening night with 41 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block — was joking about what the most important thing the team can accomplish on its first road trip of the season.

“Party every time when we go out. I really don’t know,” Jokic said.

“We just want to win one game. Hopefully, we can do that.”

Jokic wasn’t the only one sending mixed messages regarding the level of concern, as the Nuggets wait for Monday’s opportunity to get a win in Toronto. Nuggets coach Michael Malone believes the issues that plague the Nuggets — poorly timed turnovers, a lack of defensive discipline, and stretches of offensive ineffectiveness, especially when Jokic rests — could be quick fixes.

“These are all things that we can clean up,” Malone said. “Hopefully, we can start off in Toronto doing that.”

Moments after mentioning the Nuggets are trying to implement two new players into the rotation, Malone took a less forgiving approach.

“We all know for who we are, for where we’re at, there are no silver linings or moral victories,” Malone said. “We’ve got to get a win. I just hope that this feeling of being 0-2 fuels us to be even more motivated, come out just really hungry and desperate and urgent and sustain that for as close to 48 minutes as possible. That’s our challenge right now.”

The insurmountable challenge against the Clippers was slowing down Norman Powell in the clutch. Through three quarters, the Clippers guard had 15 points on 12 shots. He went 8 for 9 from the field in the fourth quarter, including a perfect 4-4 from 3-point range, to finish with a team-high 37 points. The Clippers’ go-ahead bucket in the final minute was Powell’s final 3, and he ended the game with a couple of late free throws to make it a two-possession game.

“When a guy has a fourth quarter like that, it’s on me to make sure that we’re doing something to get the ball out of his hands, and I didn’t do that,” Malone admitted. “So, I take ownership of that, and I have to do a better job.”

The most consistent voice belonged to Jamal Murray. After making just one of his first five shots, Denver’s starting point guard bounced back and finished with 22 points on 14 shots to go with five assists, two rebounds and two steals. He agreed with Malone that the issues causing Denver’s 0-2 start were fixable.

“I have so much confidence in the guys. Obviously, I have a more in-depth picture of us than everybody looking from the outside in. We’ve won a championship with most of the guys that have been here. We’ve been together for a while. We have trust in everybody,” Murray said.

“We’re gradually getting better. It’s just not translating into wins yet.”

CLIPPERS 109, NUGGETS 104

What happened: The Clippers closed the first quarter on a 9-2 run and lead by eight to start the second. Denver closed the gap to 48-42 by halftime and regained the lead in the third quarter, starting the fourth with a one-point advantage. The Nuggets led by three in the final minute, but Normal Powell’s seventh 3-pointer of the game flipped the lead, and his free throws with five seconds left sealed Denver’s 0-2 start to the season.

What went right: After the cold start, Denver managed to finish the game 40% from 3-point range. Nikola Jokic did the heavy lifting, making 7 of his 12 attempts, while Jamal Murray (3-6) and Julian Strawther (2-2) also made multiple 3s. On the flipside, Michael Porter Jr. missed all six attempts, while Russell Westbrook went 0 for 3.

What went wrong: Denver’s offensive woes were jarring for most of the first half. The Nuggets had just one assist in the middle of the second quarter, started 2-12 from 3-point range and didn’t surpass 25 points until there were fewer than five minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Highlight of the day: It wasn’t clear if Nikola Jokic shot or passed the ball a couple of minutes into the fourth quarter, but Aaron Gordon made sure it didn’t matter. Jokic drove into the lane and tossed up a floater. If it was a shot, it was an air ball. If it was a pass, it was a perfect lob to the front of the rim where Gordon elevated and put down a reverse dunk. The official scorer leaned pass, giving Jokic an alley-oop assist.

Up next: The Nuggets start their first road trip of the season Monday in Toronto.