Suns at Nuggets
Denver has already lost more home games than it did all last season, and the best the Nuggets can do on their current four-game homestand is earn a split. Denver hosts the Phoenix Suns on Friday after losing two of the first three games and sits at 7-4 on its home floor after posting an NBA-best 38-3 mark in 2012-13. Phoenix had a five-game winning streak snapped by San Antonio on Wednesday and is 6-6 on the road.
The Nuggets are highly disappointed that they have lost to Utah and Oklahoma City during the homestand. “It’s all about us, simple as that,” guard Randy Foye said after Thursday’s practice. “We let two slip on our home court. We’re really confident we’re going to come out and do what we have to do to get this victory.” The Suns recorded a 114-103 home win over the Nuggets on Nov. 8, when forward Markieff Morris came off the bench to score 28 points and grab 10 rebounds.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE SUNS (14-10): Phoenix has made 32 3-pointers over the last three games, led by forward Channing Frye’s 12-of-17 from behind the arc. Frye hit all four of his 3-point attempts against the Spurs and his 22-point effort marked his first back-to-back 20-point outings since the 2010-11 campaign. He missed all of last season due to heart issues and his fitness level was watched closely early this season, but the 30-year-old Frye has lifted his season average to 11.3 points and is now forming a potent trio with guards Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (14-10): Point guard Ty Lawson is ill with the stomach flu and his status will be firmed up at Friday’s shootaround. Lawson had 29 points in last month’s game against Phoenix and has been Denver’s top player this season while averaging 18 points and eight assists. Lawson had 17 points and 13 assists in Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder for his fifth double-double of the campaign. The outing marked just the seventh time the Nuggets have lost in the 29 games in which Lawson has been in double figures in both points and assists during his four-plus seasons in Denver.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Denver has won 11 of its last 16 home games against the Suns.
2. The Nuggets’ four home defeats this season have come by an average of 11.3 points.
3. Suns C Miles Plumlee had 13 points and 13 rebounds against San Antonio for his sixth double-double of the season and 10th double-digit rebounding outing.