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Saturday 9 February 2019 03:40, UK
The Denver Nuggets visit the stacked Philadelphia 76ers in the final game of their four-game road trip on Friday night, with both teams looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats.
The Nuggets (37-17) arrive in Pennsylvania on the back of losses in Brooklyn and Detroit that have seen them fall 1.5 games behind Western Conference leaders Golden State and they will be facing a fresh 76ers outfit that will have played only once since their loss in Sacramento last Saturday.
Philly's other game since then - a 119-107 defeat to the Toronto Raptors - means their 34-20 record leaves them fifth in the East.
However, the 76ers have been boosted this week by the acquisition of Tobias Harris from the LA Clippers in a blockbuster deal that brought Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott to Philadelphia in exchange for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala and four draft picks.
Harris, who led the Clippers in scoring (20.9 points per game) and rebounding (7.9), will form a 'Big Four' alongside Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and the 76ers are now stacked with talent that surely only Golden State can match.
How that talent gels and performs is another matter, of course.
The Nuggets' lofty spot in the West is largely courtesy of their phenomenal form (23-4) in the thin air of Denver. They beat the 76ers 126-110 there on January 26.
But their away record (14-12) is sketchy and a win over the 76ers, who will have Butler and Embiid available after they missed the loss in Colorado, would be a marker for them for the rest of the regular season as they bid to consolidate the No 2 spot in the West.
They won't have it easy though. Philly (21-5) are similarly strong in their own building and with Denver approaching the end of their road trip, the 76ers will be hopeful of applying some pressure on the Pacers and Celtics in the East.
They are also likely to have shooting guard JJ Redick available after he missed the last two defeats due to illness. His would be a welcome return as he averages 18.3 points per game.
However, forward Wilson Chandler is definitely out with a quad injury, while Harris isn't ready for his first 76ers appearance as he recovers from a shoulder strain suffered last week.
Denver are waiting on the fitness of guard Jamal Murray, who is equally important to his side with 18.5 points per game this season, while shooting guard Gary Harris (groin) and power forward Pail Millsap (ankle) are also struggling.
The All-Star centres will both have a big say on which way this game goes. Denver's Jokic has been a pleasant surprise this season, averaging 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds in helping the Nuggets to No 2.
His triple-double against the Nets wasn't enough to secure the win, but it kept them close.
But if Jokic has made good strides, then Embiid has catapulted himself into the elite with 27.2 points and 13.5 rebounds per game - whoever finds their game in the Wells Fargo Center will likely earn their side the W.
112.0 - Despite their No 2 status in the highly competitive Western Conference, Denver rank only 14th in the league in points per game. Philly rank fourth with 115.3.
Shorn of Embiid and Butler, the 2016 No 1 overall pick could do nothing to prevent the 76ers getting blown out by the Nuggets at the end of last month.
But his star team-mates are back now and, boosted by the incoming Harris, he will be keen to put on a show and gain a measure of revenge. Simmons, 22, averages 17.0 points, 8.0 assists and 9.4 rebounds per game this season and is the heartbeat of this stacked team.
With Paul Millsap still out with an ankle injury, Plumlee stepped out with 24 points, six rebounds, a steal and three blocks in 28 minutes in Wednesday's defeat to the Nets.
In the game previous, he notched a rare double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Nuggets fell to the Pistons. Denver's mini-blip can't be blamed on the 28-year-old and he will be important again if they are to overcome Philadelphia.
