While the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade may have made a seismic shift in the Western Conference postseason race, the rest of the conference is grinding for playoff positioning.
That includes the Denver Nuggets, who entering Sunday sat in fourth place, a game ahead of former Dallas Mavericks superstar Doncic’s new team, the Los Angeles Lakers. Denver can create some space when it hosts the New Orleans Pelicans twice in three days, beginning Monday night.
The Nuggets dropped the first three of a five-game road trip but squeaked out the last two, including Saturday night’s 107-104 win at Charlotte. Denver played without Russell Westbrook (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (sprained right knee) and likely will not have them available Monday night.
The Nuggets went deeper into their bench against the Hornets, deploying little-used Jalen Pickett and Zeke Nnaji and moving Christian Braun back into the starting lineup after coming off the bench the previous two games.
He responded with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
“I made the decision going into the Knicks game to take (Braun) out of the starting lineup, and here he is a few nights later, playing 38 minutes,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Saturday. “I felt that he was everywhere. He was attacking. He was shooting the 3-ball with confidence. He was guarding. I think tonight was a snapshot into all the different areas CB can help you win in.”
Braun is fourth on the team in scoring at 14.5 points a game. Nikola Jokic, who had his 22nd triple-double of the season on Saturday night, is averaging 29.6 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.3 assists to lead Denver in each category. Jamal Murray (20.4 ppg) and Michael Porter Jr. (18.0) are the other high scorers for the Nuggets.
Westbrook and Watson should be able to return soon, but New Orleans is not so fortunate. The Pelicans have played most of the season without power forward Zion Williamson and then were hit with another tough blow when guard Dejounte Murray suffered a torn right Achilles in Friday’s 118-116 loss to Boston, their fifth straight.
Murray is leading the team in assists (7.4) and steals (2.0) and is fifth in scoring at 17.5 per game.
“When I saw it, I felt bad for him. I can’t really explain it,” guard Jose Alvarado said of the season-ending injury. “It’s something that I knew wasn’t looking good. … He loves this game and I know how much he loves it. It’s unfortunate. And when I’d seen that, I couldn’t put it into words.”
Murray already missed 17 games earlier this season with a broken hand, one of several injuries New Orleans has dealt with. Williamson has been limited to 13 games with numerous ailments. Brandon Ingram hasn’t played since Dec. 7, missing 26 straight games with a sprained left ankle. Herb Jones (right shoulder injury) has played just 20 games this season, and CJ McCollum had an adductor strain that kept him out 13 straight games.
Williamson, when healthy, leads the team at 23.6 points a game, Ingram (22.2), Trey Murphy III (22.1) and McCollum (21.9) are also averaging more than 20 points a game.
–Field Level Media
