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The Denver Nuggets will face the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Friday. This will be the second and final time that these teams will meet this season, with the visitors looking to sweep the series and improve their chances of moving to No. 3 in the West.
Sporting a 46-24 record, the Denver Nuggets are heavily favored to win for the second time against the Detroit Pistons this campaign. It’s down to the last two games of the season for Nikola Jokic and company, and a win would bring them closer to their goal.
The Detroit Pistons have shut down most of their players for the Denver Nuggets game and are merely going through the motions of playing out their season to the end. Most of the players that coach Dwane Casey has been playing lately are rookies and other young players.
Match Details
Fixture - Denver Nuggets vs Detroit Pistons | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Friday, May 14th, 8:00 PM ET (Saturday, May 15th, 5:30 AM IST)
Venue - Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Denver Nuggets Preview
Between the two teams, it’s the Denver Nuggets who are still fighting for something. They are just one game behind the LA Clippers (47-23) with a 46-24 record and have only two games left on their calendar before the playoffs begin. However, they will likely watch the LA Lakers’ position in the standings very carefully.
The Lakers could end up sixth in the West if things fall go their way in the coming days. If the Denver Nuggets get the No. 3 seed, their Western Conference Finals rematch will begin as early as the first round. Coach Michael Malone would prefer his team to stay in fourth place to face the Dallas Mavericks rather than take on LeBron James and his crew so soon.
Regardless of the postseason implications of the upcoming games, the Denver Nuggets will make sure they win their faceoff with the Detroit Pistons.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic took his head-to-head with Karl-Anthony Towns on Thursday rather seriously. Not only did he outplay the Minnesota Timberwolves center, but he also delivered a win for the Denver Nuggets with a 31-point, 14-rebound and 5-assist performance. He shot 14-of-21 from the field and added a steal and a block for good measure.
By contrast, Towns had 20 points on 6-of-18 field-goal shooting, with 11 rebounds, four assists and a team-high five turnovers.
Jokic showed his dominance over one of the league’s elite big men, and he came out a winner, too.
For the Detroit Pistons game, coach Casey will likely put Jahlil Okafor in the starting lineup to battle the Denver Nuggets center, with Isaiah Stewart out for personal reasons.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Facundo Campazzo l Shooting Guard - Austin Rivers l Small Forward - Michael Porter Jr. l Power Forward - Aaron Gordon l Center - Nikola Jokic
Detroit Pistons Preview
The Detroit Pistons have been playing their young players since they set themselves up to be lottery-bound. They’ve had a few successes, including the 111-97 trouncing they administered to the Memphis Grizzlies on May 6 and the 100-86 rout of the Atlanta Hawks on April 26.
However, these are the only wins they’ve had in the past 12 games. These games are mostly just for the Detroit Pistons coaches and brass to assess the type of talent that they have and which ones will be part of their future. They have players with loads of potential like Saddiq Bey, Saben Lee, Isaiah Stewart and Josh Jackson, who are all 23 years old or younger.
No matter how bad this season has been for the Detroit Pistons, they could be the home of some of the best young talents in the game in a year or two.
The Denver Nuggets game will be seen as a means to develop these players who are just scratching the surface of their talent.
Key Player - Saddiq Bey
Perhaps the most talented in the group previously mentioned, Saddiq Bey has used his rookie season for the Detroit Pistons as a stage to show that he belongs in this league.
The 22-year-old was drafted 19th overall last year but has been outperforming most of the players that went ahead of him.
Though only averaging 12.1 points per game this season, he has upped his performance during the late stages of the season.
Over his last seven games, the Detroit Pistons forward has been averaging 17.6 points a night while shooting 44.8 percent from 3-point range. He’s also grabbing 6.9 boards per contest, which will likely be his rebounding average next season.
Bey’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon will be one to watch out for.
Detroit Pistons Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Killian Hayes l Shooting Guard - Josh Jackson l Small Forward - Sekou Doumbouya l Power Forward - Saddiq Bey l Center - Jahlil Okafor
Nuggets vs Pistons Match Prediction
There’s no question where this game is headed. Unless coach Malone sits out his starters, there’s virtually no reason why the Denver Nuggets will lose to the Detroit Pistons on Friday. The only thing in question here is the final score and how wide the margin will be.
Where to watch Nuggets vs Pistons
The Denver Nuggets vs Detroit Pistons game will be televised locally by Altitude Sports and Bally Sports Detroit. International audiences can catch the game live on the NBA League Pass.
Also Read: NBA Playoffs 2020-21: Analyzing LA Lakers' postseason scenarios
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