In the last of the eight games to be played this Saturday in the NBA,
Portland Trail Blazers and
Denver Nuggets will face each other in a duel where the two main stars of the visiting team, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, could rest. Therefore,
Scoot Henderson and Michael Porter Jr. are expected to be the two stars of the game.
The Nuggets will be the visitors looking for a win against the second-to-last team in the Western Conference. The Colorado franchise believes it is a good opportunity to rest Jokic and Murray and let their secondary players take the game. Denver is in 2nd place in the West with a 49-21 record, very close to the leader, Oklahoma City Thunder, with 49-20.
The Blazers, meanwhile, won't have much motivation beyond beating the defending NBA champions. The Oregon franchise has been carrying injuries since the beginning of the season, and is in 14th place in the West with a 19-51 record, having won only two of its last 10 games.
Expert predictions (Potential lineups and result)
The main predictions for tonight's game place Denver Nuggets as the favorite to win despite the possible absence of their two stars. Portland Trail Blazers are also missing many players, and the Colorado franchise is in an advantageous position with the presence of stars such as Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
In addition, the potential lineups will be as follows:
- Blazers: Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, Duop Reath.
- Nuggets: Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, DeAndre Jordan.
Schedule and TV.
The game will be played at 10:00 PM ET, and can be followed on ROOT Sports NW, ROOT Sports NW+, and ALT.
Downs
- Blazers: Jerami Grant (hamstring), Malcolm Brogdon (elbow), Shaedon Sharpe (abdominal), DeAndre Ayton (elbow) and Matisse Thybulle (ankle) ruled out. Robert Williams III (knee), out for the season.
- Nuggets: Nikola Jokic (lower back) and Jamal Murray (ankle) are questionable. Vlatko Cancar (knee), Zeke Nnaji (adductor) and Jalen Pickett (personal reasons) are out.