After narrowly surviving the very injured Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, 131-126, the Denver Nuggets are slated to square off against the lowly Washington Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back tilt.
Six guys in double figures
Jok: 28 PTS / 7 REB / 5 AST / 3 STL
Mal: 26 PTS / 4 REB / 5 AST
CB: 22 PTS / 5 REB / 6 AST
AG: 17 PTS / 7 REB / 4 AST
Russ: 17 PTS / 6 REB / 7 AST
MPJ: 13 PTS / 4 REB / 2 AST pic.twitter.com/0q85rJJ4Eh— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 15, 2025
But they could be doing it without two frontcourt starters.
Per a recent afternoon injury report, three-time league MVP center Nikola Jokic was considered probable to suit up as he grapples with a right elbow contusion and a left ankle impingement.
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The 6-foot-11 superstar looked none the worse for wear Friday when he put up a team-leading 28 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor and 12-of-17 shooting from the foul line, plus seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block.
Gordon, who’s been dealing with a right calf injury and a left ankle sprain and was questionable heading into Saturday’s follow-up game, scored 17 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field (2-of-4 from deep) and 9-of-10 shooting from the foul line, while also grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out four dimes, and blocking one shot himself.
Starting shooting guard Christian Braun chipped in 22 points on an efficient 9-of-10 shooting line from the field and a 2-of-2 shooting line from the charity stripe, while starting point guard submitted 26 points on a similarly efficient 9-of-16 shooting from the field (5-of-9 from long range).
Sixth-man point guard Russell Westbrook (17 points) and small forward Michael Porter Jr. (13 points) were Denver’s other two double-digit scorers in the effort.
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That victory was pretty huge for Denver. It rocketed the Nuggets to a 43-24 record and put them one game ahead of the 42-25 Houston Rockets for the No. 2 seed in the very competitive Western Conference. It also had the added benefit of handing the 40-25 Lakers their four consecutive loss.
Braun, too, was considered probable to play through an inflamed left foot.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Should at least two of Jokic, Gordon, or Braun play, the Nuggets should comfortably secure their 44th win of the season over the 14-51 Washington Wizards, who in fairness have been respectably competent since adding veterans Marcus Smart and Khris Middleton at this year’s trade deadline. Washington has gone 5-5 in its last 10 days — not ideal for a club looking to tank ahead of a loaded draft.
It’s in Denver’s and Washington’s best interests that the Nuggets win this game.
Now, the final fates of Jokic and Gordon have been revealed.
Nikola Jokic (elbow, ankle) available to play Saturday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) March 16, 2025
Aaron Gordon (calf, ankle) ruled out Saturday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) March 16, 2025
The Nuggets are looking to secure their second title of the Jokic era this summer. Notching a top playoff seed will at least help them nab homecourt advantage in a round or two.
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