The Denver Nuggets will be on the road Friday night to face the Portland Trail Blazers as they attempt to bounce back. Denver is coming off a heavy loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and has dropped five of their last 10 games. The Nuggets have been missing their star players, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, in their past two games, and it’s uncertain whether they will be available on Friday against a Trail Blazers team that is currently on a three-game winning streak. Jokic has been ruled out for the game due to a left ankle injury, which has kept him out for the past two contests, with the ankle injury being the sole issue for Friday’s matchup.
This is a significant setback for the Nuggets, as Jokic has been having an exceptional season and remains in the MVP conversation. Murray is listed as questionable due to a right ankle sprain, though head coach Michael Malone is hopeful that he will return for the game against Portland. If Murray is unavailable, Russell Westbrook is expected to continue starting at point guard.
Denver has also listed Aaron Gordon as probable because of right calf injury management and Christian Braun as probable due to a left foot strain, but both are expected to play unless there are setbacks before the game. On the Portland side, they will be missing Robert Williams III, Deandre Ayton, and Jabari Walker, and Jerami Grant is doubtful due to a knee injury. The game is scheduled to start at 10:00 p.m. EST.
Leave a Reply