The Denver Nuggets return from a 1-2 road trip for a one-game stop at Ball Arena to host the Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets come back off a victory in Memphis over the Grizzlies, while the Mavericks just found out they’ll be without superstar Luka Doncic for a week or more and riding a three game losing streak. Both teams are looking for an upswing of fortune, but at this time Denver does not yet know whether Nikola Jokic will return from his personal leave of absence for this game. If he does, Denver should have a clear path to victory: feed Jokic. If not, this game is likely to get quite strange – for both teams.
The Essentials
Who: Denver Nuggets (8-5) at Dallas Mavericks (8-7)
When: 8:00PM MST
Where: Ball Arena, Denver CO
How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not condone piracy. National game on ESPN. Altitude TV where available. NBA League Pass for those not in the Nuggets market. Altitude 92.5 FM. Say you’re Nikola Jokic’s good luck charm so if you’re there he’ll play, and get a courtside seat.
Rival Blog: Mavs Moneyball
Injury report: Nikola Jokic – questionable (personal), Vlatko Cancar – out (the worst luck ever and also a knee), Aaron Gordon – out (calf), Daron Holmes II – out (achilles), Jalen Pickett – out (G-League), Spencer Jones – out (G-League); Luka Doncic – out (wrist), Dante Exum – out (wrist surgery).
The Three Things
The thing to watch for: Which team will have its secondary options step up?
The Nuggets just spent 3 games trying to figure out how to play hard enough without Jokic to secure a victory and finally pulled it off Tuesday in Memphis. The Mavericks have spent the last 3 games failing to execute even with stars on the court, and now without Luka will have to try a completely different approach to winning. The last time these two teams faced off it took a herculean effort from Nikola Jokic to hold off Kyrie Irving, who was scoring at will. Denver’s game plan will definitely be to contain Kyrie better this time, but small guards with great handles and a shot are kryptonite for Denver’s wing defenders so nothing says they’ll be able to do much better this time out. With or without Jokic, the Nuggets found the right gear to secure a win and need to play at that speed regardless of whether Jokic is on the court or even in the building. I expect Nikola to play, but it’s up to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. and Julian Strawther and Christian Braun to not rely on that. They need to pull their own weight, or this game could be a nail-biter (again).
The thing to remember: It’s a Cup game!
Never, ever forget this is a crucial matchup for the highly-valued Emirates NBA Cup as both teams try to get out of the Group round, and each squad is 1-1 so far. Dallas has a +38 point differential however, compared to Denver’s +5. The Nuggets need to bank wins rather than relying on scoring margin, but because it’s a Cup game don’t expect either team to let up if they get a big lead in garbage time. This should be a game worth watching no matter the third quarter score.
The thing to bet: Nikola Jokic triple-double
Don’t bet points, he may not be in a shooting mood. Don’t guess on rebounds, but assume he’ll have double digits because Aaron Gordon still will not play and Denver’s big men are somewhat unreliable, especially now with the news that Vlatko Cancar is out “for the forseeable future” per coach Michael Malone. But Denver has sorely missed Nikola and – assuming he is back, which I am – this is the perfect game for one of those 12-12-12 kinds of triple doubles that make Joker the most happy.
