Nuggets at Hawks
The Denver Nuggets have struggled all season slowing opposing offenses, but head into the opening game of a three-game road trip Wednesday at the Atlanta Hawks coming off one of their best defensive performances of the season. Allowing 111.3 points per game – only two teams in the NBA give up more – the Nuggets locked down Dallas in a 110-87 victory Monday that kept Denver holding the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.
“We’ve been waiting for a game like this for a long time,” Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters after the Nuggets gave up a season-low 13 points in the second quarter, riding its defense to turn a five-point game into a 22-point halftime advantage. Atlanta looks to tighten its defense after allowing Utah to shoot 61.3 percent from the field in a 120-95 blowout loss at home on Monday. “That’s just not the defense we’re expecting,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer told the media afterward. “It’s not good enough.” The Hawks are 6-5 in their past 11 games, losing by an average of 21.4 points and dropping four of those games by 23 or more points.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Altitude TV (Denver), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (23-28): Denver begins a critical six-game stretch leading into the All-Star break, but may not have point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, who injured his back Saturday and did not play Monday. Will Barton provided the offensive punch Monday with 19 of his season-high 31 points coming in the first half. Denver had not allowed fewer than 112 points in five consecutive games before Monday.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (30-22): Forward Paul Millsap leads five players averaging in double figures scoring at 17.8 points per game, while center Dwight Howard averages 13.7 points and 12.9 rebounds. Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is scoring a career-best 12.6 points per contest, 18 points on 39 percent shooting from 3-point range in his past seven games. Atlanta forward Thabo Sefolosha missed his fourth consecutive game Monday with a left groin injury.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Hawks have the same record at home (15-11) as they do on the road.
2. Denver second-year C Nikola Jokic is averaging 21.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists in his past 17 games.
3. Atlanta G Dennis Schroder scored 27 points as the Hawks edged Denver 109-108 on Dec. 23 in Atlanta; Denver F Danilo Gallinari, who is out with a left groin injury, led the Nuggets with 21 points.