Magic at Nuggets
The up-and-down Denver Nuggets look to extend their win streak to five games when the struggling Orlando Magic visit on Sunday. The Nuggets averaged almost 120 points in four consecutive wins after losing eight in a row and coach Brian Shaw told the Denver Post after beating Oklahoma City on Thursday, “We’re in a harmonious place right now.” Denver hopes to take advantage of the Magic, who lost their sixth straight at Sacramento 103-83 on Friday while shooting 33.3 percent from the field.
The game features two potential first-time All Star guards in Orlando’s Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson of Denver, who both lead their teams in scoring. Lawson has been a consistent force, averaging 17.8 points and 8.6 assists, as the Nuggets stand ninth in the powerful Western Conference. Orlando is winless in eight games without 7-0 center Nikola Vucevic, who is out indefinitely with a concussion, and must battle one of the league’s best rebounding teams.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), Altitude2 (Denver)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (10-26): Afflalo has been hampered by ankle, foot and toe injuries of late, but averages 20.8 points overall and scored in double figures in his last 34 games. Glen Davis shoulders a lot of the load inside with Vucevic out and he has averaged 10.2 rebounds the last five games while Tobias Harris scored a team-high 16 against Sacramento. Forward Maurice Harkless is averaging 12.7 points on 12-of-21 from the field over the last three games with additional playing time for the Magic, who are 3-15 on the road.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (18-17): Lawson has recorded five consecutive double-doubles, averaging 17.6 points and 12.4 assists in the span, and several players have stepped up to support. The Nuggets could be without injured second-leading scorer Wilson Chandler (12.8), but J.J. Hickson (11.1), Kenneth Faried (10.3), Nate Robinson (10.2) and Randy Foye (10) are all capable of having big nights. Foye has registered 47 points combined in the last two games and Evan Fournier is averaging 12.3 during the four-game streak.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nuggets have won the previous four games and nine of last 10 at home against Orlando.
2. Rookie G Victor Oladipo, averaging 16.3 points his last four outings, is the only Magic player who has been in all 36 games this season.
3. Denver won at least 10 games in January the previous five seasons and is 4-1 in 2014, giving it a 60-23 mark during the month since 2009.