Friday night will be the opening NBA Cup game for both the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets have split their four opening games to start the season, and they will be looking to make it two straight victories after their 104-91 win over the Pelicans Wednesday night. Nikola Jokic secured his 200th career triple-double in the win with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Suns are trying to avoid two straight losses after they lost to the Thunder 125-114 on Monday. The Suns have had plenty of time to prepare for this game with three days off. Notable injuries for this game include center Mark Williams for Phoenix and forward Cameron Johnson for Denver.
The Denver Nuggets were a historically good offense last season. They ranked second all-time in offensive rating. In the small sample size this year, Denver’s offense is much more on par with the rest of the league. The Nuggets have an offensive rating of 107.8, which is comparable to the Suns who are at 107.3. Good news for Denver is the Suns have struggled mightily on the defensive end. The Suns are allowing 123.7 points per game with a defensive rating of 121.3. To compare, a historically poor defensive team in Denver, is allowing 114 points per game with a rating of 111. The Nuggets have won five of their last six games against Phoenix, and they have won the last two meetings by double digits. The Suns have struggled in recent meetings slowing down the duo of Jokic and Jamal Murray, and their struggles could continue with Phoenix missing their starting center. The players tasked with slowing down Jokic will be Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro. Despite Maluach’s 7’2” stature, the 20-year old center will still likely struggle to contain the multiple time MVP. I expect Jokic and Murray to excel against the Suns, and for the Phoenix’s offense to answer on their home floor in a high scoring contest.
Over 228.5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at 230.
