Unlike Memphis, Tennessee, Denver, Colorado is not having unseasonably wintry whether—quite the opposite, actually—so the Nuggets and Grizzlies are actually going to play their regularly scheduled game tonight. The Grizzlies probably wish they could just forfeit both games anyway, though, since they are in full tank and rebuild mode after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. while Ja Morant is shelved with an elbow.
The Nuggets have not been playing their best ball since Nikola Jokic returned from his knee injury. The defense has generally been deplorable, even with Christian Braun now back and helping on the perimeter, and the offense is yet to groove and pop like it was in December. With the league heading into the All-Star break this weekend, the Nuggets need stomp this one out early so Mal can focus on what really matters: winning the three-point shooting contest on Saturday.
The Basics
Who: Memphis Grizzlies (20-32) @ Denver Nuggets (34-20)
When: 7:00 PM MST
Where: Sunny Ball Arena, Denver
How to watch/listen: Altitude TV / + / Radio
Rival Blog: Beale Street Bears
Injury Report | Nuggets: Nikola Jokic—probable (ankle); Jamal Murray—probable (hip); Christian Braun—probable (ankle); Spencer Jones—questionable (concussion protocol); Aaron Gordon—out (hamstring); Peyton Watson—out (hamstring)
Memphis Grizzlies: Walter Clayton Jr.—doubtful (calf); Cedric Coward—doubtful (knee); Santi Aldama—out (knee); Brandon Clarke—out (calf); Zach Edey—out (ankle); Ja Morant—out (elbow)
The Three Things
The thing to watch for: Is CB back to being CB?
It’s been a tough year for Christian Braun. After signing a major, long-term contract with the team, he got off to a rocky start and then suffered a nasty ankle injury that kept him out for the better part of two months. “I just wasn’t ready in a lot of places,” he said this week about his first attempt to get back on the court. It was clear then that he wasn’t physically, or probably, mentally ready to compete for a championship at that point.
But CB had a statement game in a tight loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday night, by far his best performance of the season. Christian went for 20/5/2 and, maybe more important than the stat line, he shot 4-8 from three, where he’s really struggled in the limited action he’s had. The explosion still isn’t quite there—and he said the ankle is still bothering him—but it was great to be reminded of why the Nuggets believe in him and gave him the contract they did over the summer. Another good game against a G-League-level opponent tonight would be another positive step toward getting the Nuggets’ core rotation revved up for what’s going to be a gauntlet in the Western Conference.
The thing to remember: The Nuggets have been terrible at home
The Nuggets are just 14-11 at home, which isn’t just odd for such a good team, but especially for this team playing at this altitude. Denver has historically been a good home team, but in the Jokic era, Ball Arena has been one of the hardest places for road teams to win in the NBA. The Nuggets have also been oddly bad in close games, which accounts for much of the home record disparity. Of the 11 losses, 5 of them were decided by 5 points or less—games that they usually dominate because of the Jokic-Murray two-man game. It’s a negative data point amidst a lot of positive, but the Nuggets need to reestablish home their home dominance to have any shot at getting to the Finals again.
The thing to bet: Tim Hardaway Jr. +3 3PM
With the exception of, like, two cold games, THJ has been a sniper all season from deep. This game should be handled fairly early by the Nuggets starters, which could give plenty of garbage time for Tim to take, and likely make, as many threes as he wants. I’d bet over three or four makes with maybe a Strawther kicker if you’re looking for a parlay.
