Nuggets at Pelicans
The Denver Nuggets are enduring a four-game slide and are hoping two straight on the road can help bring the team back together. The Nuggets will get their first chance to snap the skid when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. The Pelicans are back home after a five-game road trip that saw them drop the first four — including one at Denver — before winning 113-100 at Sacramento on Monday to salvage a 1-4 excursion.
New Orleans was the last team the Nuggets beat, earning a 102-93 victory on Dec. 15 behind 19 points and 11 rebounds from J.J. Hickson. The Pelicans had trouble defending Hickson down low without Anthony Davis, who has since returned from a broken hand and is looking very much like his pre-injury self with averages of 22 points and 10.7 rebounds in three contests. Davis and Ryan Anderson give teams a matchup challenge down low with their ability to rebound and stretch the floor through Anderson’s 3-point shooting.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude 2 (Denver), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (14-13): Denver had a few days to practice during the Christmas break and got back to the basics, coach Brian Shaw said. “We just talked about playing like you practice,” Shaw told the team’s website. “We showed the guys instances where there were loose balls and the opposition dives and we’re reaching to get it. We just wanted them to compete, get after one another and play with more pace and more speed.” The Nuggets last reached the century mark in the win over New Orleans and are averaging 91 points during the four-game losing streak.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (12-14): New Orleans gave up at least 100 in each stop on its road trip but was satisfied with the defensive effort in the win over Sacramento. “We just thought if we didn’t do it before, do it now, that was playing defense,” Davis said. “We got locked in defensively, made them take tough shots, no 3s, contested twos and that’s what we did.” Tyreke Evans returned from injury the same time as Davis and is making his impact on the offensive end, where he is averaging 19 points, 9.3 assists and 8.3 rebounds in the last three games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The home team has taken the last six in the series, with the Pelicans taking a 110-86 decision in the last game in New Orleans on March 25.
2. Nuggets G Randy Foye is 0-for-12 over the last two games.
3. Denver F Kenneth Faried (ankle) missed Monday’s game and is questionable for Friday.