It’s the final game before the All-Star break. Let’s make it a good one.

Let’s delve back into the Portland Trail Blazers matchup once again:

Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers

Projected Starting Lineups

Denver: Jamal Murray, Julian Strawther, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic

Portland: Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan

Key Bench Players

Denver: Jalen Pickett, Hunter Tyson, Zeke Nnaji, DeAndre Jordan

Portland: Delano Banton, Rayan Rupert, Jabari Walker, Duop Reath

Notable Injuries

Denver: Michael Porter Jr. – QUESTIONABLE, Jamal Murray – PROBABLE, Aaron Gordon – PROBABLE, Russell Westbrook – OUT, Peyton Watson – OUT, Vlatko Cancar – OUT, DaRon Holmes II – OUT

Portland: Scoot Henderson – OUT, Deandre Ayton – OUT, Jerami Grant – QUESTIONABLE, Robert Williams – QUESTIONABLE, Kris Murray – QUESTIONABLE, Matisse Thybulle – OUT

Key for the Nuggets – Finish Strong

It’s easier said than done. The three weirdest days of the NBA season are opening night, the final day of the season, and tonight. Players can check out and focus on making flights, getting rest, dealing with family, and other things unrelated to basketball. In a season of 82 games, it’s easy to lose track of this one.

The Nuggets in the Michael Malone era have been great on these days historically with a 6-3 record on the final day before the All-Star break. They often do a good job of staying focused and have had some great moments in these games. The fastest triple-double in NBA history was recorded on the final day before the break in 2018. Monte Morris hit an amazing game-winning shot vs Golden State in 2022.

If the Nuggets can stay locked in through tonight, the vibes will absolutely be immaculate. A would-be eight-game win streak will do that for a team. If they falter, it would put a (minor) damper on the Pre All-Star break season.

Important Matchup – Nikola Jokic vs Donovan Clingan

Yesterday, I wrote about Jamal Murray vs Toumani Camara. That of course holds true for this matchup, but more important to me is Nikola Jokic vs Donovan Clingan. With Deandre Ayton listed as out and Robert Williams listed as questionable, Clingan will likely start. He spoke yesterday to Blazers reporters about matching up with Jokic and how much of a challenge it was. Throwing him into the deep end as a starter, while it might seem a bit cruel, will be important for Clingan’s development.

Jokic takes pride in these matchups against younger centers, showing them the ropes in a way that he was shown by great players like Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Marc Gasol as a young big man. Jokic might take pity and ease up a bit vs Clingan while getting others involved, or he might try to send a message to the rookie big man. We will see what happens.

Number of the Day – 622

622 is the number of days between the current seven-game winning streak the Nuggets are on and the last seven-game winning streak Denver had. The Nuggets won seven games in a row in the 2023 playoffs: Game 5 and 6 against the Phoenix Suns, Games 1 through 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers in a sweep, and Game 1 against the Miami Heat. There aren’t many times when NBA teams win seven playoff games in a row, but the Nuggets rolled through those playoffs. After losing Game 2 to the Heat, the Nuggets went to Miami and won the next two games before winning Game 5 in Denver to clinch their first NBA title.

It’s actually been 754 days since the last time the Nuggets had a seven-game winning streak in the regular season. By that point, the streak had stretched to nine games, ending vs the Oklahoma City Thunder in a two-point loss that Nikola Jokic didn’t play. That season was a truly special year, and the more distance that grows from that championship run, the more appreciation the Nuggets will have for that moment in franchise history.

Nugget who should have a good game: Jamal Murray

On Monday, I predicted Christian Braun would have a good game, and he most certainly did. He was fantastic, scoring 26 points on 12-of-14 from the field. He was unstoppable for the Blazers and scored on every drive, cut, and transition opportunity he had.

So, why isn’t he my pick for tonight? Because the Blazers will do what they can to adjust to his slashing, and because Jamal Murray got ejected in the last game and is going to try and make up for lost time tonight. Maybe Toumani Camara also adjusts, but Murray looked pretty comfortable in yesterday’s game. I expect him to continue hunting for shots and try to get hot early.