Trail Blazers at Nuggets
THE STORY: The All-Star break came at the right time for the Denver Nuggets, who host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Denver trails eighth-place Portland by one-half game in the tight Western Conference. The Nuggets lost five of their last six games prior to the break as injuries have taken away their strongest asset – depth. Portland must find a way to win in Denver, where it has lost six straight and 15 of the last 16 meetings.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CS Northwest (Trail Blazers), Altitude (Nuggets)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (18-16): Portland had its highs in the first half, including a 137-97 victory over San Antonio in its final game prior to the break. It also had its lows, most notably scoring seven points in the first quarter of a 103-92 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers. And Portland also experienced a constant – Greg Oden is out for the season with an injury. Coach Nate McMillan replaced Raymond Felton with Jamal Crawford at point guard against San Antonio, and Crawford responded with 20 points for his best game of the season. Following a three-game home set, the Trail Blazers embark on a season-high seven game road trip beginning March 7.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (18-17): Denver is expected to have starting guard Ty Lawson (ankle) back and possibly reserve Rudy Fernandez (back), but Nene is expected to miss his eighth straight game with a heel injury. With star Danilo Gallinari (ankle) not close to returning, the Nuggets’ depth – a big reason for their 14-5 start – is being tested. Rookie Kenneth Faried has stepped up and has scored 10 or more points in five of his last seven games and averaged 7.4 rebounds during that span. Following a two-game road trip, the Nuggets begin a season-high nine-game homestand.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Nuggets, who have the second-best home record since the start of the 2007-08 season at 142-39 (Lakers), are 9-8 in 2011-12.
2. The home team has won nine straight in the series.