The Denver Nuggets look like they might be starting to build some momentum. After back to back overtime victories, the Nuggets narrowly missed upsetting the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road before returning to Denver and summarily handling the hapless Utah Jazz. Tonight, The Nuggets will look to get a win streak started by defeating one of those two teams they beat in overtime last week: the Toronto Raptors.
The Essentials
Who: Denver Nuggets (3-3) vs Toronto Raptors (2-5)
When: 8:00PM MST
Where: The Can. Denver, CO.
How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not condone piracy…unless it’s the romanticized 17th century type. Altitude TV where available, NBA League Pass if not in the Nuggets market. Altitude radio 92.5 FM. Tell security you’re a tech from Tegna and you just need to swap a couple cables in the back to deal with those pesky blackouts.
Rival blog: Raptors HQ
The Matchup
| Position | Nuggets | Raptors | Advantage |
| PG | Russell Westbrook | Davion Mitchell | Raptors |
| SG | Christian Braun | Ochai Agbaji | Nuggets |
| SF | Michael Porter Jr. | R.J. Barrett | Even |
| PF | Aaron Gordon | Gradey Dick | Nuggets |
| C | Nikola Jokic | Jacob Poetl | Nuggets |
| Bench | Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Dario Saric, Hunter Tyson | Chris Boucher, Jamison Battle, Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead, Jakobe Walter | Even |
Injury report: Aaron Gordon – probable (calf), Vlatko Cancar – doubtful (ankle), DaRon Holmes II – out (achilles), Jamal Murray – out (concussion), PJ Hall – out (G-League); Immanuel Quickley – doubtful (pelvis), Scottie Barnes – out (orbital), Bruce Brown – out (knee), Kelly Olynyk – out (back), D.J. Carton – out (G League), Ulrich Chomche – out (G-League)
The Three Things
The thing to watch for: Rotation
The Nuggets are without Jamal Murray again tonight as he is still in concussion protocol. Against the Jazz, Michael Malone eschewed the idea of playing a traditional backup point guard and instead took more of a playmaking by committee approach, filling the available minutes with another wing in second year player Hunter Tyson. In the first half of Saturday’s game that left the bench looking a bit lost. Will Malone continue to go this route or will one of the young point guards riding the deep bench like Trey Alexander or Jalen Pickett get a chance? If Malone does go with the no backup PG rotation again it’ll be interesting to see if Tyson can build on a solid performance against Utah.
The thing to remember: These guys almost got you
It took a pretty impressive comeback effort from the Nuggets to get the win against Toronto last week. Denver trailed by ten points with just over two minutes left in the game and was able to steal a victory. Part of what helped them was not having to deal with Scottie Barnes down the stretch as he had to exit that game with the orbital injury and has been out ever since. He’ll be out tonight as well but that doesn’t mean Denver can overlook this team. Yes, the Raptors are a lottery bound Cooper Flagg sweepstakes contender but hopefully the memory of almost losing to this team is fresh in the Nuggets minds and keeps them from falling into a trap game scenario.
The thing to bet: Aaron Gordon over 6.5 rebounds (+110)
The Raptors basically play Jacob Poetl with four wings. Poetl will have his hands full all night trying to keep Nikola Jokic off the glass which should leave plenty of opportunity for Gordon to pile up the boards. Last week AG tallied 11 rebounds against the Raptors. Getting seven doesn’t seem like too much to ask and with the odds being in plus territory it’s a good bet for me.
The return of the Nuggets season also means the return of the Stiffs Night Out at Number 38 in Rino! Come join us on November 8th to watch the Nuggets take on the Miami Heat. There will be live podcasts, prize giveaways, drink specials, great food, and the best Nuggets fans in town! Number 38 boasts a robust beer selection with plenty of other drink options as well. Tip off is at 7PM and there’s plenty of space for everyone but make sure to come early to get the best seats out on the patio (weather permitting). Can’t wait to see everyone there at 3560 Chestnut Pl.
