Philadelphia 76ers vs Denver Nuggets
When: 3/30/2021 9:00 PM
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: -175
PREDICTION: Philadephia 76ers, Denver Nuggets

Oddsmakers currently have Denver Nuggets listed as 4 point favorites versus the Philadelphia 76ers while the game’s total is sitting at 221.

After one game with Aaron Gordon in the mix, it looks like the Denver Nuggets made a smart move in acquiring the young forward.

The second test comes Tuesday night when Denver hosts the Philadelphia 76ers in a matchup of teams with title aspirations.

The Nuggets increased their chances when they acquired Gordon from Orlando last week, bolstering their frontcourt and adding another scoring option as well as a versatile defender. Gordon made his Denver debut Sunday night in a win over Atlanta and he came away impressed with his new squad.

“I see no limits for this team. It looks like we have all the pieces for this team, we have depth,” Gordon said after scoring 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting in 21 minutes. “We’re covered in a lot of different spots. As long as we’re working together there’s no stopping us.”

The Nuggets expect there to be some growing pains as Gordon becomes integrated into the system, but they also know there isn’t much time left in the regular season. Denver has only 26 games left, and in the tight Western Conference and a constant shifting of positioning, time is not a luxury.

“Our guys understand with (26) games to go, you look at the standings, it’s going to be a really tight race and every game counts, but It’s not going to happen overnight,” coach Michael Malone said. “Aaron Gordon is not going to fit in seamlessly tonight and be like, ‘yep, we got this,’ it’s going to take a little bit of time and we understand that.”

The Nuggets face a Philadelphia team that sits atop the Eastern Conference but with little margin for error. The Sixers are 10-2 in March but are in a stride-for-stride race with Brooklyn, which was 9-2 in the month heading into Monday night’s game with league-worst Minnesota.

Philadelphia players are well aware of the standings.

“I look at the standings, I know where we are, I know the race,” Tobias Harris said. “I’d be lying to you if I said I don’t look at the standings. I look at the standings every day; it is just something that I do.”

Being locked in such a tight battle with the Nets doesn’t bother Harris.

“I look at the standings and say, ‘We need a win,'” he said. “If it was any different, I would look at it the same exact way.”

The Sixers have stayed atop the Eastern Conference despite not having Joel Embiid for most of the month. Embiid was having an MVP-caliber season before a bone bruise in his left knee has sidelined him for the past eight games. He’s also likely to miss Tuesday’s game, too.

They had a four-game winning streak snapped Saturday night at the Los Angeles Clippers, the fourth of a six-game road trip that has touched down in New York (Knicks), the Bay Area (Warriors), Los Angeles (Lakers and Clippers), Denver and finishes in Cleveland on Thursday night.

Denver, meanwhile, is settling in for plenty of home games. Sunday’s win over the Hawks was the start of having seven of eight at home, with only a one-game trip to Los Angeles to face the Clippers in the next two weeks.

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CLEVELAND vs DENVER
When: 2/10/2021 9:00 PM
Where: Ball Arena, Denver

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: -9.5
PREDICTION: DENVER , CLEVELAND

Oddsmakers currently have the Denver Nuggets listed as -9.5 point favorites versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the game’s total is sitting at 225.

The Nuggets have gone 5-6 in home games. Denver ranks third in the Western Conference shooting 38.2% from downtown, led by JaMychal Green shooting 46.3% from 3-point range.

The Cavaliers are 3-8 in road games. Cleveland is 4-11 in games decided by at least 10 points.

The matchup Wednesday is the first meeting this season for the two teams.

TOP PERFORMERS:

Nikola Jokic leads the Nuggets with 8.5 assists and scores 27.5 points per game. Jamal Murray is averaging 14.6 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 38.0% over the last 10 games for Denver.

Collin Sexton leads the Cavaliers averaging 23.6 points and collecting 2.4 rebounds. Andre Drummond is averaging 11.4 rebounds and 16.2 points per game over the last 10 games for Cleveland.

LAST 10 GAMES:

Nuggets: 6-4, averaging 115.1 points, 46.7 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 8.3 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.8 points on 47.1% shooting.

Cavaliers: 2-8, averaging 103.4 points, 41.7 rebounds, 21.6 assists, 7.1 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.9 points on 49.6% shooting.

INJURIES:

Nuggets: Greg Whittington: out (knee), PJ Dozier: out (hamstring), Gary Harris: out (left adductor).

Cavaliers: Larry Nance Jr.: out (finger), Matthew Dellavedova: out (concussion), Kevin Love: out (calf).

BOTTOM LINE: Cleveland will try to break its five-game road skid when the Cavaliers take on Denver.

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MILWAUKEE vs DENVER
When: 2/8/2021 9:30 PM
Where:

TV: 9:30 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: DENVER , MILWAUKEE

Oddsmakers currently have the Milwaukee listed as 4 point favorites versus Denver, while the game’s total is sitting at 233.5.

Giannis Antetokounmpo arrives in Denver with the Milwaukee Bucks and brings with him two MVP awards.

Nikola Jokic is making a case for succeeding Antetokounmpo for the NBA MVP, and can burnish his resume when the Nuggets host Milwaukee on Monday night.

Jokic has played at an elite level for a few years but has reached another tier with his performances this season. The Denver center is coming off a career-high 50-point game in a loss at Sacramento on Saturday night, which came six days after he tied his previous career best of 47.

Even with those performances the Nuggets has dropped two straight and would like to avoid a third against one of the title contenders. Denver is playing short-handed in the backcourt, which is one reason Jokic carried the offense on Saturday.

“More impressive than the 50 points, the 12 assists and the eight rebounds was his approach, his mindset, his leadership,” Denver coach Michael Malone said after Saturday’s loss. “He knew we were undermanned. He understood how important this game was. Nikola goes out and does his job. He doesn’t care. We lost the game, that’s all he’s going to care about.”

The Nuggets were without guards Gary Harris (adductor strain), Jamal Murray (left knee), P.J. Dozier (hamstring) and Facundo Campazzo (right knee) in Sacramento, which meant more playing time for rookies Markus Howard and RJ Hampton. The two might see extended time Monday if Murray stays sidelined.

Murray, Harris and Campazzo are considered day-to-day. If they cannot play, Hampton has shown he can handle the increased time, especially on the defense end.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been considered like a defensive specialist or anything,” Hampton said Saturday. “I feel like I’ve always been capable of it. I feel like there’s two positions in basketball — on the court and off the court. If coach needs me to play defense, that’s what I’m going to do.”

The Bucks have a healthier lineup and have won four straight after posting back-to-back victories at Cleveland. Like Jokic, Antetokounmpo leads his team in scoring, rebounds and assists, and has a strong supporting cast as well. The next step for him is reaching the NBA Finals and winning a title, and Monday can serve as a measuring stick.

Milwaukee is 9-40 all-time in games played in Denver and lost both matchups last season, the second coming just before the pandemic put the NBA on a pause last March. The Bucks are looking forward to seeing a different opponent.

“I’m just pleased with the way the guys executed and played,” Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said after Saturday’s win. “Back-to-back, same team, those are never easy.”

Monday’s matchup is the start of a four-game Western Conference road trip for Milwaukee, which is 3-4 this season against the West. Denver starts a four-game homestand, with the first two against the Eastern Conference.

The Nuggets will host an Eastern Conference team for the first time this season and are 3-1 against the East. They were scheduled to host Detroit last week but it was postponed due to health and protocol issues with the Pistons.

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DENVER vs SACRAMENTO
When: 2/6/2021 5:05 PM
Where:

TV: 5:05 PM
LINE: 3.5
PREDICTION: SACRAMENTO , DENVER

Oddsmakers currently have the SACRAMENTO listed as 3.5 point favorites versus the DENVER, while the game’s total is sitting at 230.

The Denver Nuggets’ second-half struggles continue to hinder their efforts to move into the upper tier of the Western Conference standings.

After leading by 12 at the half, the Nuggets were outscored by 33 points in the second half of a 114-93 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. The Lakers shot 66.7 percent during a 37-17 third quarter in their favor, and the Nuggets — who have shot 46.4 percent over their past 10 games — lost their shooting touch (33.3 percent) in that period.

The Nuggets will look for a more complete effort on Saturday when they travel to Sacramento to play the Kings, who have won the first two meetings between the teams this season.

Denver has a 3.7 net rating overall per NBA Advanced Stats but is allowing teams to shoot 50.6 percent in the third quarter and have a minus-8.5 net rating in that period. The Lakers closed the third with a 15-0 run.

“It so much worse than what it is when we beat ourselves,” said Jamal Murray, who finished with 20 points against the Lakers. “We go up in the half and then we just get lazy, lackadaisical. We turnover the ball and we don’t get back. It’s all of the stuff we’ve talked about since training camp. … It’s stuff we need to focus more on.”

The Nuggets were without Gary Harris (left abductor) and PJ Dozier (hamstring) against the Lakers. Monte Morris finished with 16 points, but Nikola Jokic was held to 13 points and 10 rebounds after a 47-point, 12-rebound outburst in the previous game against the Jazz.

Jokic is averaging 26.1 points and 11.7 rebounds and Murray is averaging 19.0 points and 4.5 assists per game.

“Offensively, we just didn’t move the ball enough,” Murray said. “They just ran us in that second half with layups, dunks.”

Sacramento is in the midst of its best stretch of the season, winning five of its past six games including a 116-111 home win over the Celtics on Wednesday.

De’Aaron Fox had 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to go along with 11 assists, Buddy Hield had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Harrison Barnes scored 24 points.

“We found a way to grind that one out,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “The first half was kind of survival mode. We couldn’t make any open shots, we were missing layups, we weren’t attacking. Our guys found a way. Not the prettiest of wins, but what a gutsy performance by our guys.”

One of the keys for the Kings has been the quick rise of rookie Tyrese Haliburton, the 12th overall pick in the draft.

Haliburton, named the Western Conference rookie of the month, finished with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting and is averaging 11.2 points and 5.4 assists off the Kings bench.

Fox (22.3 points per game) had 24 points in the Kings’ 125-115 win over the Nuggets in Sacramento on Dec. 29 and is the catalyst for a squad sporting a 112.0 offensive rating.

But holding down opponents has been the issue for Sacramento, which has a 117.2 defensive rating.

“Defensively, that has to be our hallmark,” Barnes said. “When we don’t, it gets ugly.”

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DENVER vs LA LAKERS
When: 2/4/2021 10:05 PM
Where:

TV: 10:05 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: LA LAKERS , DENVER

Oddsmakers currently have the LA LAKERS listed as -6 point favorites versus the DENVER, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel says his club remains a work in progress. Despite owning one of the NBA’s best records at 16-6, Vogel believes the Lakers can improve.

“We’ll continue to stick to our process and hopefully get better as the season goes along,” Vogel said.

The process will get a test Thursday when the Lakers open a five-game homestand against the Denver Nuggets in a matchup of Western Conference contenders.

The two teams will meet for the first time since the Lakers captured the conference finals 4-1 over the Nuggets last season.

Los Angeles completed a 5-2 road trip by beating the Atlanta Hawks 107-99 on Monday. Anthony Davis scored 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting with three blocks, and LeBron James contributed 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Lakers, winners of 10 of their last 13 games. Montrezl Harrell, who made eight of nine shots, added 19 points and Dennis Schroder chipped in 16.

The Lakers’ bench sparked an 11-0 run to start the fourth quarter to give the Lakers a double-digit advantage before James hit some clutch buckets and free throws late to hold off the Hawks.

“The group plays hard and they’re scrappy defensively,” Davis said of the reserve unit, which featured Harrell, Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker. “Everyone does their jobs. … That group is a special group. And it’s our job to come in when that group does its job to finish it off for them and secure the victory.”

The Nuggets have been on a four-day break after Monday’s contest at home against the Detroit Pistons was postponed because the latter did not have the required eight players available due to the NBA’s safety and health protocols.

On Sunday, the Nuggets earned a 128-117 win over the Jazz, ending Utah’s 11-game winning streak. Nikola Jokic tied a career-high with 47 points on 17-of-26 shooting, making all four of his 3-pointers. He also had 12 rebounds and five assists.

“I think the main thing is just to win the game,” said Jokic, who scored 33 points in the first half, according to the Denver Post. “I’m gonna score however much I need to just to win the game.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone removed Jokic from the game with 1:39 remaining much to the disappointment of his teammates, who wanted the center to score 50 points. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray objected with humor by tossing the basketball toward Malone.

“I love the fact that he’s even thinking about that, trying to get his teammate to 50,” Malone said.

Will Barton scored 18 points, connecting on 5-of-6 3-pointers, and Murray added 16 points and five assists for the Nuggets, who have won six of their last seven contests. The Nuggets converted 54 percent of their shots from the floor and made 18 of 28 3-pointers (64.3 percent).

Denver guard Gary Harris (left adductor strain) left the contest after the first quarter and did not return. He will not play vs. Los Angeles.

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DETROIT vs DENVER
When: 2/1/2021 9:00 PM
Where:

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: DENVER , DETROIT

Oddsmakers currently have the DENVER listed as 9.5 point favorites versus the DETROIT, while the game’s total is sitting at 220.5.

The Detroit Pistons have just five wins, but two of those have come in the last week against Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Beating good teams is usually a confidence boost, but in the first of a five-game Western Conference road trip, Detroit fell flat at Golden State. It doesn’t get easier when the Pistons face the Nuggets in Denver on Monday night.

It will be the second of back-to-back games for the Nuggets, who beat the Utah Jazz — Detroit’s opponent on Tuesday night — 128-117 and are playing their third game in four days.

Monday’s game will be the first in Denver for Pistons forward Jerami Grant since he spurned the Nuggets’ contract offer and signed with Detroit for the same money. One of the reasons Grant had for accepting the Pistons’ three-year, $60-million offer was to be one of the top offensive options, something that was not probable with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. on Denver’s roster.

Grant leads Detroit in scoring at (23.5 points) and in shot attempts (17.3) per game.

Grant had 18 points in the 27-point loss to the Warriors, a game in which the Pistons had difficulty finding their rhythm.

“I’m confident we’ll find it,” said Josh Jackson, who scored 17 in the loss. “I’ve been around this group of guys for a while and one thing I’ve learned is they never lay down or never give up. I’m not worried.”

Detroit should be worried about stopping Jokic, who tied a career high with 47 points in Sunday’s win that ended Utah’s 11-game winning streak. Jokic has notched a double-double in all 20 games this season.

Jokic had time to go for 50 points but he went to the bench with the game in hand. His teammates were more interested in him getting there than Jokic.

Jokic’s former backup, Mason Plumlee, can help with the scouting report for the Pistons but it might not matter, according to Denver’s Will Barton.

“He’s just different with his demeanor and approach to the game,” Barton said of Jokic. “A guy that really just wants to make the right play every time. When he turns that aggressive there’s nothing no one can do.

“We definitely wanted the big fella to get 5-0.”

The Nuggets will be playing their seventh game in 11 days and might have to do without their best perimeter defender in Gary Harris. Harris played just nine minutes in the first quarter on Sunday before leaving with a left adductor strain.

Coach Michael Malone did not provide an update on Harris’ condition in Sunday’s postgame availability.

Denver has been banged up lately; it is already without PJ Dozier, and Murray is playing with a sore left shoulder. But Malone was happy with the contributions he from other players, such as Barton, JaMychal Green and Facundo Campazzo, on Sunday.

“You don’t beat the best team in the NBA with just one player,” Malone said. “It takes a team effort and I thought we got a lot of guys stepping up.”

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UTAH vs DENVER
When: 1/31/2021 3:30 PM
Where:

TV: 3:30 PM
LINE: 1
PREDICTION: DENVER , UTAH

Oddsmakers currently have the DENVER listed as 1 point favorites versus the UTAH, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.5.

Friday night in San Antonio, the Denver Nuggets came within a quarter of sweeping a five-game road trip and extending their winning streak to six games. It was an impressive run, but not as impressive as what the Utah Jazz have been doing lately.

Utah has reeled off 11 straight wins, the past two without Donovan Mitchell and Derrick Favors, and at 15-4 own the best record in the NBA. The Jazz will put that streak on the line when they visit the Nuggets for an early afternoon matchup on Sunday.

Mitchell (concussion protocol) and Favors (lower back soreness) haven’t played since last Tuesday but traveled to Denver on Friday while their teammates were completing a two-game home sweep of the Dallas Mavericks. Their status for Sunday is unknown.

If one or both can’t play, it will be tougher to beat a Nuggets team that has found some footing over the past few weeks, but Utah has played well without them, too. Different players have stepped up in their absence, giving the Jazz a boost against the Mavericks.

“It does bode well for us when we know that guys like Don can miss a few games and we can still win, and especially with Fav out,” Mike Conley said after Friday’s 120-101 victory. “It’s tough to lose those guys, not have them, but for us to come out and play against a good team, and not only just a good team but two times in a row, and come out with wins, just says a lot about our team and our resiliency.”

Denver has found some of that resiliency after starting the season with four losses in the first five games. The Nuggets won 10 of their next 13 before falling 119-109 to the Spurs on Friday night. Nikola Jokic continues to play at an MVP level, notching his 19th straight double-double to start the year.

He was averaging a triple-double for the season but his assists totals have fallen off. Over the past six games Jokic is averaging just 5.3 per game and is now third in the league at 8.7 per game.

The good news for Denver is Gary Harris seems to have broken out of an extended offensive slump. Harris is known for his defense but the Nuggets need his scoring, too. In the past nine games, he has hit 46.5 percent from 3-point range.

“The one thing that I love about Gary Harris is that every night, he doesn’t complain,” coach Michael Malone said. “He embraces the challenge of guarding the other team’s best weapon. And that’s every single game that we play.”

If Mitchell doesn’t play Sunday, it will make Harris’ day a little easier on the defensive end and give Denver a chance to even up the season series. Utah won the first matchup, 109-105, in Denver on Jan. 17. It was a continuation of the budding rivalry that started in the first round of the postseason near Orlando last summer when the Nuggets rallied from 3-1 down in the series and won Game 7 to advance in the Western Conference playoffs.

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OKLAHOMA CITY vs DENVER
When: 1/19/2021 9:00 PM
Where:

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: -10
PREDICTION: DENVER , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the DENVER listed as -10 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 220.5.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were warmed up and ready to play the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night when the game was abruptly postponed due to contact tracing issues with the Sixers.

So instead of a chance to get over the .500 mark, Oklahoma City had an impromptu practice to get ready for a road matchup with the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.

The gap in the schedule might have been welcome for some, but chances are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would have preferred to play. Gilgeous-Alexander has been surging recently, averaging 25.2 points over the last five games, including a 33-point effort in a comeback win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.

He hit 13-of-19 shots in the victory but wasn’t completely satisfied with his big night.

“I still had a few mishaps and mistakes there down the stretch and that can’t happen if we want to be the best basketball team that we can be, so I’m going to go back and watch film and learn from them,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

Gilgeous-Alexander is part of a makeover by Oklahoma City over the past few years. The team traded point guard Chris Paul to Phoenix in the offseason and sent Steven Adams to New Orleans in a four-team deal that netted George Hill, four other players and draft picks. The Thunder also moved Danilo Gallinari to Atlanta in a sign-and-trade deal.

Revamping the roster has made the Thunder much younger and prone to bouts of inconsistency, much like the young but playoff tested Nuggets. Denver has won the Northwest Division the last two seasons but has put in uneven performances while adjusting to roster changes.

Sunday night was an example. The Nuggets had chances to beat Utah at home but missed several layups and had defensive breakdowns that let the Jazz leave town with a 109-105 victory. The only thing Denver has been able to bank on every night is the play of Nikola Jokic.

The 7-foot Jokic is averaging a triple-double 13 games into the season (25.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 10.3 assists), and has not had a down game this season. He has five triple-doubles and double-doubles in the other eight games.

Despite those gaudy numbers, he has yet to help his team string together three consecutive victories this season.

“I think it is what it is; I think that league is even,” Jokic said after the loss to Utah. “It’s really tough to have a big winning streak, because you can always have an off night. Maybe if you’re really good. Some teams are having, I don’t know how many wins in a row. For us, it’s hard, because we have to play really, really good to win games.”

The Nuggets should get a boost later in the week with third-leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. expected to return from COVID-19 quarantine. The 6-10 forward has missed the last nine games but head coach Michael Malone said he is hopeful Porter will return when the team hits the road on Friday.

He won’t be available Tuesday, but if all goes well he will play Friday at Phoenix.

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UTAH vs DENVER
When: 1/17/2021 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: -1
PREDICTION: DENVER , UTAH

Oddsmakers currently have the DENVER listed as -1 point favorites versus the UTAH, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.5.

A rematch of one of the more compelling playoff series from The Bubble will take place Sunday night when the Denver Nuggets host the Utah Jazz.

This will be the first time the Northwest Division rivals play each other since the Nuggets stormed back from a 3-1 deficit — and a double-digit deficit in a must-win Game 5 — to stun the Jazz in a classic, seven-game series at the beginning of the 2020 playoffs.

That first-round series between the Nuggets and Jazz featured a high-scoring duel that won’t soon be forgotten between All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell of Utah and Jamal Murray of Denver.

Mitchell averaged 36.3 points against Denver in the playoffs, including scoring outings of 57, 51, and 44 points. The former Louisville standout averaged 52.9 percent shooting and dropped in 33 3-pointers in the series.

Murray had two 50-point performances against Utah and averaged 31.6 points on 55 percent shooting.

That epic first round included a Game 5 win that required Denver to rally from of a 15-point deficit in the third quarter to avoid elimination. Murray fired in nine 3-pointers in a 119-107 Game 6 win, and the Nuggets survived a grind-it-out, 80-78 defensive battle in Game 7 to advance. Denver had beaten Utah in all three regular-season games.

“It was a great battle,” Murray said after the series. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m speechless.”

Four and a half months later, both teams are playing well coming into this rematch. The Nuggets have won three of four, including a recent 114-104 win over Golden State.

The Jazz is on a four-game winning streak, which began with a win at Milwaukee. Utah has held three straight teams below 100 points. Its defense limited Atlanta’s leading scorer, Trae Young, to only four points in Friday’s 116-92 win over the Hawks.

“Everybody that guarded him, primarily Mike (Conley) and Royce (O’Neale), they were solid,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “The main thing we talked about was not fouling, showing our hands. Rudy (Gobert) and (Derrick) Favors were great as well, protecting the rim.”

Mitchell and Murray have had their moments this season, although not nearly to the dominating level of their playoff spectacle. Denver’s Nikola Jokic is now the player in the spotlight, garnering respect league-wide while averaging a triple-double of 24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and a league-high 10.4 assists.

“I think he’d definitely be in the MVP conversation, which is entirely too early to talk about,” Denver coach Michael Malone said after Jokic scored 23 points in the win over the Warriors. “That’s the kind of impact he’s had on the game every single night.”

The Serbian center’s Utah counterpart, French center Gobert, is averaging a career-best 2.8 blocks an outing to go with 11.9 points and 13.3 rebounds an outing coming into their latest tete-a-tete.

Joe Ingles remains day-to-day for Utah after having missed three games with right Achilles soreness.

The Nuggets could again be without Gary Harris, who has missed two straight games for personal reasons, and Michael Porter Jr. is out because of COVID-19 protocols.

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DENVER vs MINNESOTA
When: 1/3/2021 7:05 PM
Where:

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 8.5
PREDICTION: MINNESOTA , DENVER

Oddsmakers currently have the MINNESOTA listed as 8.5 point favorites versus the DENVER, while the game’s total is sitting at 230.5.

Five games into this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets will meet Sunday night in Minneapolis already trying to turn things around.

The Timberwolves have lost three in a row after starting the year with two victories, while the Nuggets, who reached the Western Conference finals last season, have lost four of five to begin this campaign.

Neither team is where it wants to be, and that requires a gut check before the postseason gets out of reach.

“We are only five games in. We are not playing bad, it’s just little details,” Denver’s Jamal Murray said after a 106-103 loss to Phoenix on Friday night. “A couple of closeouts here, just putting a hand up there and a couple of boxouts here and that’s the ballgame. I think we have to do work early.”

The Nuggets have gotten off to good starts to games, but the second unit has either let a lead slip or a deficit expand when the starters sit. In Friday’s loss the bench was a combined minus-38, which was a slight improvement from a combined minus-48 at Sacramento on Tuesday night.

Not even the debut of JaMychal Green could help Friday.

“We still have some chemistry that we have to gain as a team. We have to gel,” Green said Friday night. “It was a quick offseason. It was a quick training camp. We really haven’t had much time to play together. We really are learning along the way. (We’re)1-4 right now, but it’s nothing to panic about. We’ll turn it around.”

Denver will again be without third-leading scorer Michael Porter Jr., who is out due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols regarding contact tracing.

Minnesota will also be without a valuable piece for the Sunday afternoon. Karl-Anthony Towns will miss his fourth straight game with a dislocated left wrist, while Josh Okogie is likely to sit for the third straight game with a hamstring injury.

The Timberwolves have felt their absences with three losses by an average of 26.7 points. The latest was a 130-109 defeat against Washington on Friday night.

“It’s on all of us. We need more offensively, more defensively,” Minnesota coach Ryan Saunders said. “That’s not just from an individual player, that’s from a collective group. With that, individually, we need more from guys to get out of this rut.”

With Towns out for the foreseeable future the Timberwolves used 6-foot-9 Naz Reid at center. They also employed a smaller starting five, including four guards.

“As a team, when you’re losing or not doing things right, you try to do extra on your own,” said Malik Beasley, who had 21 points in the loss. “And I feel like we’re doing that, rather than coming together as a team. But once we do that, once we figure things out — including myself — we’ll play like a great team.”

One of the bright spots for Minnesota has been this year’s No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards. He is averaging 15.4 points in the first five games and has scored in double figures every game.

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