The Denver Nuggets will test the mettle of the Brooklyn Nets when they welcome Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant this weekend at Ball Arena. Check out our preview of this intriguing showdown below along with our prediction for the winner.
The Nets are on a three-game losing skid, but they probably are happy that they will no longer see Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks for at least the rest of the regular season, as two of their losses during this stretch came at the hands of their Eastern Conference rivals. The Nets will look to snap out of their funk this Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks on the road before traveling to Denver for Sunday’s showdown. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have not been enough for the Nets of late. Clearly, the Nets need healthy players not named Durant or Irving to step up. Joe Harris has averaged just 11.8 points in the last five games when he should be putting up more, especially with James Harden still sidelined. Harris did score 15 points, though, when the Nets beat Denver at home in January, 122-116. Durant dropped 34 points in that game as well.
The Nets are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games against the Nuggets.
The Nuggets are back to their winning ways. After losing to the injury-riddled Los Angeles Lakers on the road on Monday, Denver returned home and its frustrations on the New York Knicks in a 113-97 win. The Nuggets have won six of their last seven games prior to facing the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City Friday night. Nikola Jokic flexed his MVP muscles and scored 32 points with 12 rebounds and 6 assists against the Knicks. The Knicks are one of the best defensive teams in the league, but that didn’t matter to Jokic, who should have his eyes lighting up against Brooklyn. The Nets are 22nd in the league with 114.5 points allowed per game. He had 23 points and 11 assists in the initial meeting with Brooklyn, and though he doesn’t have Jamal Murray alongside this time around, he’ll have Aaron Gordon and the ever-improving Michael Porter Jr. as his sidekicks this Saturday.
The Nuggets are 3-1 against the spread in their last four home games.
