Despite a few testy moments in the last handful of games, the Denver Nuggets are on a 4 game winning streak, and is 7-3 in their last 10 games. It includes back to back season highs for Michael Porter Jr., who is averaging 30 points per game in the last three games. Nikola Jokic has also put together some good performances, and Jamal Murray has also been solid. A few Nuggets have been worse than others would have hoped, but overall the team has looked solid. That’s before you consider that they’ve played the 76ers, the Hornets, and the Pelicans twice. Not exactly the cream of the crop in the NBA. When you hear the Orlando Magic, you might think they’re above those teams, and while they should be, as of late they are not. They’re only 2-8 in their last 10, and Paolo Banchero has been struggling as of late. In his last 10 he’s only averaged 18.1 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game, and 5.1 assists per game on 37.8% from the field.
The Essentials
Who: Denver Nuggets (32-19) vs New Orleans Pelicans (25-27)
When: 7PM MST
Where: The Can. Denver, CO.
How to watch/listen: Altitude with and without the + AND NOW ON COMCAST FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HALF A DECADE, NBA League Pass for those not in the Nuggets market, Altitude Radio 82.5FM.The Matchup
| Position | Nuggets | Pelicans | Advantage |
| PG | Jamal Murray | Cole Anthony | Nuggets |
| SG | Christian Braun | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Magic |
| SF | Michael Porter Jr. | Franz Wagner | Magic |
| PF | Aaron Gordon | Paolo Banchero | Magic |
| C | Nikola Jokic | Goga Bitadze | Nuggets |
| Bench | Julian Strawther, DeAndre Jordan, Jalen Pickett, Zeke Nnaji | Jonathan Isaac, Tristan da Silva, Gary Harris, Wendell Carter Jr., Anthony Black | Magic |
Injury report: Aaron Gordon – questionable (calf injury management), Peyton Watson – out (knee), Vlatko Cancar – out (knee rehab), DaRon Holmes II – out (achilles), Russell Westbrook – out (hamstring); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – questionable (hamstring strain), Gary Harris – questionable (hamstring), Jalen Suggs – doubtful (quad), Mo Wagner – out (ACL), Mac McClung – out (G League).
The Three Things
The Thing To Watch For: Can MPJ Continue His Hot Streak?
As mentioned earlier in the article, Michael Porter Jr. has been ascending as of late. He couldn’t quite crack 40 against the Pelicans, but he did get to 39. With how good the Magic are defensively, the Nuggets will need MPJ to pop off. Whether or not he’s able to maintain this hot streak remains to be seen, but he’s in form as of now.
The Thing To Remember: It’s The Trade Deadline
Whatever team takes the court tonight will be the team for the rest of the season. At the time of writing, there are still a few hours left until the deadline, but it looks unlikely that the Nuggets will make any moves. That means that the roster that is in place now will be the one that the Nuggets take into the playoffs, and whatever qualms you have with the roster will remain. Come to grips with that, and enjoy what you can of it.
The Thing To Listen To: Save It For Later by The English Beat
