Update: Kris Murray, Robert Williams III, and Jerami Grant are not participating.
The Portland Trail Blazers will play two games at the Denver Nuggets on Monday and Wednesday as part of their three-game trip.
The Blazers, who fell to Minnesota on Saturday, are in a risky position right now.
One of Portland’s best wins of the season came on December 19, when the Blazers upset the Nuggets 126-124 at home.
The Blazers were 9-18 at the time and were predicted to be selected in the upper lottery in the NBA draft. They are in the midst of the Western Conference play-in berth hunt when they play in Denver today.
The Blazers must win one of these two games at Denver in order for that to occur because they cannot go into a losing run that lasts longer than a few games.
Regretfully, the Blazers are playing the Nuggets at the wrong moment. They should be playing at almost full strength after winning six straight games.
Nikola Jokic, a center for Denver, is averaging 10.3 assists, 12.7 rebounds, and 29.6 points. The Blazers’ enhanced defense will be put to the test by his ability to dominate as a scorer and a facilitator.
If Robert Williams III and Jerami Grant don’t play, it gets harder to defend Denver. Both are marked as dubious.
Denver is the obvious choice, in my opinion.
With Mike Conley Jr., Julius Randle, and Anthony Edwards missing, the Blazers lost 114-98 against Minnesota. The Blazers aren’t as good as Denver, despite playing excellent basketball and winning 10 of 11 games prior to Saturday.
The Nuggets have every reason to be intent on defeating the Blazers in both games. The Los Angeles Lakers (31-19) are in fifth place in the Western Conference, one game behind Denver, which is in third place, just one game ahead of Houston (33-20). Denver is only one game behind Memphis (35-17), who are in second place.
At the Denver Nuggets, the Portland Trail Blazers
What: Monday at 6 p.m., Trail Blazers (23-30) vs. Nuggets (34-19).
Where: Denver’s Ball Arena.
Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM) is the radio station.
TV channel: KATU (Portland, antenna: 2.2). Xfinity: 1170 and 302. 688-1 is DirecTV.KUNP (antenna: 47.1). 16, 302, 1170 Xfinity. Spectrum: 184; DirecTV: 47.
Rip City TV Network is the way to watch. An HDTV antenna on your local ABC affiliate (Charge 2.2 in Portland) will allow you to watch this game live for free even if you don’t have cable. These antennas cost about $20 and are very simple to install. You may get one at your neighborhood Fred Meyer or Bi-Mart, or you can buy one online from Amazon or Walmart and have it delivered right to your house. Here are some guidelines for configuring an HDTV antenna on your TV or other display. Use the channel finder here to learn more about the channel that Rip City TV Network is available on in your area.
DraftKings/Oregon Lottery (ODDS)
Moneyline: DEN -375 | POR +295
Spread: Over/Under: 233 | POR +8.5
INJURIES
Blazers: Matisse Thybulle (right ankle sprain), Robert Williams III (right knee soreness), Kris Murray (left quad contusion), and Jerami Grant (right knee soreness) are not playing.
Nuggets: Aaron Gordon (right calf injury management) and Jamal Murray (left knee irritation) are likely.Michael Porter Jr.’s soreness in his left hamstring raises doubts.DaRon Holmes (right Achilles tendon repair), Peyton Watson (right knee sprain), Vlatko Cancar (left knee surgery), and Russell Westbrook (left hamstring strain) are all out.
UPCOMING
The Blazers visit the Nuggets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Latest Blazers news
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Trail Blazers lose 2 players to injury at Denver
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Trail Blazers’ injury update for Monday at Denver
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2 key Trail Blazers questionable for Monday at Nuggets
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Trail Blazers lose ground in play-in race
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Trail Blazers don t blame poor 4th quarter for loss at Timberwolves
Aaron J. Fentress | [email protected]|@AaronJFentress (Facebook), @AaronFentress (Instagram), and @AaronJFentress (Twitter)
