| Game 18: 2014-15 NBA Season | ||
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| Series 0-2 | ||
| Dec. 2, 2014 | ||
| Pepsi Center- Denver, CO |
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| 7:00 PM MT | ||
| Altitude / 950 AM |
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| Damian Lillard | PG | Ty Lawson |
| Wesley Matthews | SG | Arron Afflalo |
| Nicolas Batum |
SF | Wilson Chandler |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | PF | Kenneth Faried |
| Robin Lopez | C | Timofey Mozgov |
| Notes | ||
| Blazers Edge | Blogs | Denver Stiffs |
| CJ McCollum – Out (Index Finger Fracture) | Injuries |
JaVale McGee – Probable (Low Leg Strain),Randy Foye – Out (Vastus Lateralis Strain),Darrell Arthur – Probable (Left knee soreness)
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Portland scored a season high 130 points against Denver in their last meeting on 11/12/14 |
Etc… | Denver gave up 84 points in the first half of their last meeting against Portland. |
After closing out Utah last night in a game they almost let get away, Denver heads home for the second game of a back-to-back against a rested Portland Trail Blazer team. Portland has owned the Nuggets recently, as the Blazers have won six in a row against Denver. We all remember the last time these teams met, as Denver was embarrassed on their home court 130-113. We have seen tremendous growth since that travesty. Tonight will be a good measurement for how far this team has come.
The Blazers are rested, so the Nuggets are going to have to dig deep to make the hustle plays necessary to win this game. Portland specializes in 3-point shooting and rebounding. Strong perimeter defending paired with solid box-outs down low will be keys to keeping the Blazers' offense in check. Denver must be masterful on the defensive glass to prevent second chance points. Nothing hurts more than giving up a long offensive rebound and having that lead to an open three point dagger.
LaMarcus Aldridge is a beast. We cannot stop him, we can only hope to contain him. Denver should force him to shoot contested mid-range jump shots. Easier said than done, but if they can limit his attempts in the paint and prevent Portland’s sharp shooters from getting open by avoiding double teams the Nuggets should compete.
Prediction
Nuggets use memories from the November 12th beat-down as motivation to play above their heads and ignore fatigue. Portland is held below 100 points as the Nuggets win 105-99.
Go Nuggets!
