For the second game of Thursday’s TNT doubleheader, the Turner Sports crew heads out to the Bay for a Western Conference contest between the visiting Denver Nuggets and the hosting Golden State Warriors that’s sure to be entertaining enough for all fans to palate as their tip-off is at 10:30 p.m. ET, right after the conclusion of the Bucks/Celtics game.
The Nuggets can’t allow any slip-ups to below-.500 competition in the midst of a hotly-contested fatal four-way between them, the Jazz, the Clippers and Rockets for the right to the second seed in the West behind the leading Lakers since Denver is only holding a 1.5 game-sized space that’s separating them from the mentioned latter. Keeping up the momentum against a 9-33 Warriors squad that sure to be in the running for a high lottery pick at season’s end sounds easy on paper, but these resilient Warriors always find a way to arise anxiety among fans of higher-touted Western teams.
And also, this is the first game of a back-to-back for the Nuggets, so some rust may be felt especially since they aren’t going to roll out a completely healthy starting five tonight. (Some food for thought and maybe a little source of motivation for the Warriors: The Nuggets have been a slow-starting team this season, and they’re 22nd in points per game in first quarters.)
Golden State is in the basement of basements out West after pelting all competition in their path in seasons past behind the scary combination of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, KD and whoever else, but have played competitive basketball this season without all that star power while possessing some key wins against the Rockets and Trail Blazers worthy enough to brandish on their seasonal resume’.
That win against Houston on Christmas day was their only win against a team above .500 this season, so with a roster compact with guys that are auditioning for a rotation spot with GSW’s stars returning from injury, they’re going to play hard against a Nuggets team that’s going to be without Jamal Murray for a couple of weeks after he sustained an ankle sprain last night against the Hornets.
Game two tips off on TNT at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
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