Magic at Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are probably wishing they could play all their games in London after punishing the Indiana Pacers across the Atlantic Ocean last week. They will try to carry that momentum across several time zones when they return home to host the Orlando Magic on Monday.
The Nuggets lost five in a row while allowing an average of 123.8 points before taking part in the NBA's Global Games series and rolling up a 140-112 win over the Pacers on Thursday. "I joked with our guys after the game, 'I think we’re going to stay here in London and play our home games here,'" Denver coach Mike Malone told reporters. "Our guys were very comfortable out there and we had one of our best performances." The Magic are turning a corner offensively as well and averaged 111 points in the last two games after failing to score more than 96 during a four-game slide. Orlando, which is playing the fifth of a six-game road trip at Denver, earned a 115-109 win at Portland on Friday but might have been even more impressive in a loss on Saturday, when it scored 107 points against a Utah Jazz squad that leads the NBA in scoring defense.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, NBA TV, FSN Florida (Orlando), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (17-25): The back-to-back solid offensive showings coincide with an uptick in production from point guard Elfrid Payton, who averaged nine points and three assists in three games prior to putting up 18 points and seven assists at Portland. Payton was even better in Utah, collecting 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting, nine rebounds and nine assists in a game Orlando led by five with under four minutes left before falling off and suffering a 114-107 setback. "From the jump, Elfrid was just putting pressure on their defense and in attack mode all night," forward Aaron Gordon told the team's website. "That’s great to see and I’m proud of him."
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (15-23): Denver shot 57.8 percent from the field in London but may have done its best work on the other end of the floor considering where the team was defensively prior to the trip. The Nuggets limited Indiana star Paul George to 2-of-12 from the field and built up a 52-39 advantage on the glass while collecting 10 steals and five blocks. Starting power forward Nikola Jokic was the star with 22 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, one steal and a block in his third double-double in four games this month.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nuggets reserve PG Jameer Nelson is 6-of-11 from 3-point range over the last three games.
2. Magic SG Evan Fournier, who leads the team in scoring with an average of 17 points, sat out Saturday with soreness in his right foot and is day-to-day.
3. Denver shot 56.6 percent from the field in earning a 121-113 win at Orlando on Dec. 10.