Preview: Defenseless Nuggets to host enjoyable, high-effort Raptors workforce

Like a lot of you, this Nuggets fan felt damaged after Wednesday evening’s embarrassing and indefensible loss to a workforce within the midst of an energetic tank job. My confidence on this iteration of Jokic Ball with the ability to cobble collectively a championship run after what has been a disappointing three months of accidents, lack of defensive effort, and questionable teaching has by no means been decrease.

Since the Nuggets appear content material to pack it in on any given evening—even with a top-four seed now very a lot in jeopardy and even at dwelling—I’ve determined to pack on this preview by having Claude write it.

Slop in, slop out, Nuggets.

The Nuggets host a Toronto Raptors workforce that’s been quietly sizzling, driving a three-game successful streak into altitude. Denver is coming off a irritating loss in Memphis — a sport they shouldn’t have dropped towards a lottery-bound squad — and sits sixth within the West with solely 12 video games left to enhance their seeding. The workforce routed Philadelphia on Tuesday evening however didn’t get into Memphis till 4:30 a.m. attributable to flight delays, so relaxation and rhythm are the storyline heading into tonight. This is a “handle your business” sport on paper, and the Nuggets are 70.7% win chance favorites for a motive.

The Basics

Who: Toronto Raptors (39-29) at Denver Nuggets (42-28)

When: 7:00 PM MST

Where: Ball Arena, Summery Denver, Colorado

How to look at/pay attention: Altitude TV / + / AM

Rival Blog: Raptors HQ

Injury Report | Nuggets: Peyton Watson—out (hamstring)

Toronto Raptors: Chucky Hepburn—out (knee); Collin Murray-Boyles—uncertain (thumb)

The Three Things

The factor to look at for: Christian Braun’s resurgence

Christian Braun has been on a tear these days, scoring 22 towards the 76ers and 26 towards the Grizzlies, and he’s the sort of secondary scorer who can blow this sport open when defenses promote out on Jokic and Murray. Cameron Johnson can also be capturing 43.1% from three on the season and dropped 18 and 20 in his final two video games — if Toronto tries to pack the paint towards Jokic’s passing, Johnson will make them pay. The different huge growth: Aaron Gordon is offered tonight, giving Denver again a essential piece on each ends of the ground. Watch how the Nuggets’ half-court offense flows with AG again as a lob menace and cutter subsequent to Jokic. The Nuggets lead the league in three-point share at 39.1% — in the event that they’re splashing early, this one might get out of hand.

The factor to recollect: Don’t sleep on Toronto

The Raptors are 20-13 on the highway this season and simply blew out Chicago 139-109. They have actual gamers — Brandon Ingram averaging 21.9, RJ Barrett at 19, Scottie Barnes at 18.7, and Immanuel Quickley operating the present at 6 assists per sport. Toronto ranks second within the league in quick break factors, and if the Nuggets are careless with the ball — Jokic’s 3.9 turnovers per sport are a profession excessive this season, and he coughed it up 10 instances in Memphis — the Raptors can completely flip these into transition buckets and hold this aggressive. Denver’s 7-8 because the All-Star break is actual, and several other of these losses got here in extra time or by three factors or fewer. The Nuggets have to shut this time.

The factor to wager: Nuggets ML + Over

The unfold is hovering round Nuggets -7.5, and actually, that looks like so much for a Denver workforce that has struggled to place opponents away these days. The Nuggets are 4-7 ATS of their final 11 video games as favorites of 5+ factors, with three outright losses in that stretch. The underdog has additionally lined in 7 of the final 9 head-to-head conferences between these two groups.

If you’re betting the Nuggets — and as a fan, in fact you might be — the moneyline at round -270 is the safer play. The whole is ready at 237.5, and the final six video games between these groups at Ball Arena have gone over. With Denver’s offensive firepower and Toronto’s willingness to push tempo, the over feels just like the sharpest angle tonight. I’d lean Nuggets ML + Over because the parlay in case you’re feeling frisky.

—Claude out

CODA: Death as soon as had a near-Chuck-Norris expertise. But I assume Chuck had unfinished enterprise. RIP Legend.