When the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic made the swap for Aaron Gordon for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton, and a first round pick it seemed like a win/win for each side. The Nuggets got a stud in Gordon who they can have guard anyone and everyone in the Western Conference, while the Magic received two talented young players and a first round pick.
So far, the deal has worked out great for both sides. Denver is undefeated with Gordon in the lineup and he’s fit right in on both sides of the ball, while Hampton has flashed his true potential in his first couple of games with the Magic.
Denver will get to see Hampton tonight, but Harris is still out due to that left adductor strain that has been giving him trouble over the course of the past few months. It’s a bummer, but hopefully they're will still be a ton of #14 jerseys in the stands welcoming Harris back to the Mile High City!
The Basics
Who: Denver Nuggets (30-18) vs Orlando Magic (17-32)
When: 8:00 PM MDT
Where: Ball Arena
How to Watch: NBA TV. Altitude Sports and Entertainment and you’re one of the lucky that has Direct TV and you can always listen on Altitude 92.5 FM on your radio dial.
Injury Report: Monte Morris (Left quadriceps strain) QUESTIONABLE but is expected to play, Markelle Fultz (knee) out, Jonathan Isaac (knee) out, Cole Anthony (rib) out, Gary Harris (thigh) out, Otto Porter (foot) out, Michael Carter Williams (illness) out, Khem Birch (illness) out
Three Things to Watch:
Aaron Gordon vs. his former team: It’s always fun to to play against your former team and tonight will be the first time Gordon has the chance to do so. After spending seven seasons in a Magic uniform, Gordon has started his Nuggets career off with a bang helping lead the team to three consecutive victories. Hopefully the Nuggets and Gordon can it make it four straight games against his former squad on Sunday night.
The return of Monte Morris: It sure sounds like Morris will make his much anticipated return to the lineup tonight, which is great news for a Nuggets bench unit that has struggled in recent games. As well as the starters have been playing, the same can not be said for the second unit, but adding Morris back to the mix should hopefully fix that problem.
Fans are back at Ball Arena: There were roughly 2,000 fans in the stands for the Nuggets game against the 76ers last week, but tonight there will be over 4,000 in the crowd to watch the Nuggets take on the Magic. Should be an awesome atmosphere at Ball Arena!