The Denver Nuggets continue to be a team that is up, then down, then down again, then slightly up, then down for a third time. The latest kick in the teeth has been injuries to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray which kept them both out of Denver’s last game. Jokic will be out again tonight. Working in the Nuggets favor? Tonight they play the Portland Trail Blazers. Don’t get it confused though, Portland is not a bottom feeder anymore. While they aren’t likely to be headed to the playoffs this year, the Blazers have won three in a row and topped the 30 win mark for the season. They are in fact still in contention for the final play-in spot since neither the Phoenix Suns nor the Dallas Mavericks seem all that interested in seizing it. It’s a game Denver should win when healthy, but they’ll need to bring focus and effort to overcome the injuries plus a team playing very well right now.
Who: Denver Nuggets (46-26) at Portland Trail Blazers (31-39)
When: 8PM MDT
Where: Screw you Moda, I’m still calling it the Rose Garden. Portland, OR.
How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not condone piracy, unless it’s the romanticized 17th century type. Altitude TV, Altitude+, Altitude Radio 92.5FM, NBA League Pass for those not in the Nuggets Market.
Rival blog: Blazer’s Edge
PositionNuggetsBlazersAdvantagePGRussell WestbrookAnfernee SimonsEvenSGChristian BraunShaedon SharpeNuggetsSFPeyton WatsonToumani CamaraEvenPFMichael Porter Jr.Deni AvidjaNuggetsCAaron GordonDonovan ClinganNuggetsBenchJalen Pickett, Zeke Nnaji, Spencer Jones, Vlatko CancarScoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, Duop Reath, Kris MurrayBlazers
Injury report: Christian Braun – probable (foot), Aaron Gordon – probable (calf & ankle), Jamal Murray – questionable (ankle), Nikola Jokic – out (ankle), Julian Strawther – out (knee), DaRon Holmes II – out (achilles), Trey Alexander – out (G-League); Jerami Grant – doubtful (knee), DeAndre Ayton – out (calf), Robert Williams III – out (knee), Jabari Walker – out (concussion).
The thing to watch for: scoring help
Aaron Gordon has been balling in Jokic’s absence but he can’t do it alone. Russell Westbrook played great against the Warriors but failed to replicate the performance against the Lakers. Christian Braun returned to the lineup against L.A. but it was clear he’s fighting through that foot injury. All that amounted to the second highest scorer against the Lakers being…checks notes…Jalen Pickett. Listen, I think Jalen’s development has been great this season and he’s proven himself as a rotation level player, but if he’s your second highest scorer you’re not going to win very many games right now. Guys have to step up in Nikola’s, and potentially Jamal’s, absence. I’m looking at you Michael Porter Jr.
The thing to remember: Portland is favored
With Jokic already out the Nuggets come into this game as road underdogs. It’s been a bit since Denver wasn’t favored against a team with a losing record. The spread highlights just how injured the Nuggets are. Their top two players are missing games, two other starters are playing on injuries, their scorer off the bench is out, their defender off the bench just got back from multi-week injury and the back end of their rotation is currently being filled out by a two-way player and a guy who is coming off two major knee injuries. Yikes. At this point Denver’s primary goal should be health. If anyone is questionable, including Jamal tonight, the best course of action may be to opt for rest and let playoff seeding shake out where it may.
The thing to bet: Aaron Gordon over 19.5 points (+115)
With Jokic and potentially Murray out I expect AG to take on a large portion of the scoring load once again. Twenty points doesn’t seem like a large ask even if Jamal plays as well. +115 seals the deal for me.
