Nuggets at Suns
The Denver Nuggets - or whatever's left of them - visit the Phoenix Suns on Sunday afternoon after losing to Oklahoma City 132-129 in overtime Friday without five of their players. Danilo Gallinari, Denver's second-leading scorer at 16.8 points, headlines the quintet with a thigh injury that sidelined him for the last two games.
"It hurts stretching it. It hurts when I tighten the muscle. It started giving me discomfort even when I walk,'' Gallinari told reporters this week. "I’m sure that maybe the worst thing is it’s a strain. That’s the worst-case scenario.'' Gallinari also missed the Nuggets' 108-83 loss in Utah on Wednesday, part of a 10-game stretch in which they are 3-7. Phoenix began a three-game homestand with a 98-85 setback to Minnesota on Friday, getting outscored 31-10 in the fourth quarter. "Turnovers, defense, you know, the whole nine," guard Eric Bledsoe told reporters after the Suns recorded a season-high 26 giveaways. "We did everything possible to lose this game (Friday)." Denver prevailed in the first of four meetings this season 120-104 on Nov. 16 behind 28 points and 11 rebounds from Wilson Chandler, and 20 and 15 from Kenneth Faried.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (6-10): Denver also missed Will Barton (personal), Gary Harris (foot), Juancho Hernangomez (ankle) and Mike Miller (personal). Wilson Chandler (team-high 17.8 points per game), one of 10 players averaging at least 8.5 points for the Nuggets, recorded a season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds Friday. Jameer Nelson stepped up Friday as the 34-year-old guard recorded season highs of 21 points, 13 assists and 41 minutes.
ABOUT THE SUNS (5-12): Phoenix came home feeling a bit better about itself after capping a 2-4 road trip with a 92-87 victory over Orlando on Wednesday before throwing in a clunker despite 23 points from Bledsoe (18.3 points per game). Devin Booker leads the Suns in scoring at 18.8 points, but scored a total of 22 in his last two contests since recording 30 versus Washington on Monday. Suns forward T.J. Warren (17.7 points) missed the last four games with what the team described as a minor head injury, last seeing action with 13 minutes in Phoenix's 116-96 victory at Indiana on Nov. 18.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Denver G Jamal Murray (10.6 points per game), who averaged 21.3 over his last four contests, was a teammate of Phoenix G Tyler Ulis (4.1) at the University of Kentucky last season. The Suns also boast former Wildcats Brandon Knight, Booker and Bledsoe.
2. The teams split four meetings last season with each winning once on the other's home floor.
3. Phoenix held its last two opponents to fewer than 100 points - the first time it's done so in back-to-back games since April 2015.