Denver Nuggets vs New York Knicks Prediction & Match Preview - December 4th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22

The Denver Nuggets’ season-high seven-game road schedule will take them to Madison Square Garden for a match against the struggling New York Knicks.

Denver had a huge win over the Miami Heat on Monday before a huge second-half meltdown cost them the game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. The Nuggets got a cold dose of reality after seemingly just trying to coast to victory. They should have no such thoughts against the New York Knicks on Saturday.

The Knicks, like the Orlando Magic, launched a big comeback bid against the Chicago Bulls in their last game. Unlike the Magic, they could not get it done yet again on their home floor.

Julius Randle had a monster game, finishing with 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, but failed in critical moments of the game. He missed two crucial free throws and committed a late turnover that helped seal the New York Knicks’ doom.

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Match Details

Fixture: Denver Nuggets vs New York Knicks | 2021-22 NBA season

Date & Time: Saturday, December 4th; 1:00 PM ET (Saturday, December 4th; 11:30 PM IST)

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

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Denver Nuggets Preview

The Denver Nuggets have been relying on a new trio without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr [Photo: ESPN]

The classic tale of two halves happened to the Denver Nuggets in their loss to the Orlando Magic. The Nuggets started like a house on fire, outsourcing the Magic 29-15 in the first quarter and taking a 63-47 halftime lead. Everything was clicking for Denver, and the team was seemingly on autopilot in going for the win.

The Orlando Magic turned the tables on Denver with a devastating second half. The Denver Nuggets were beaten 32-20 in the third quarter and 61-40 in the last two quarters.

Coach Mike Malone’s team was second only to the Golden State Warriors in defensive rating early last month. Defense was where they hung their hats on without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. struggling. Their defense has now fallen all the way to 16th and is showing no signs of getting back to form.

The Denver Nuggets will have to be respectable on defense to get their campaign back on track, starting with the game against the New York Knicks.

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Key Player - Nikola Jokic

The worst team in the NBA right now based on defensive rating is the New Orleans Pelicans, with a 112.3 grade. Without Nikola Jokic in the lineup, the Denver Nuggets’ rating crashes to 123.6, which is so embarrassingly worse than that of the Pelicans.

During the first three weeks of the season, the Denver Nuggets peaked at 102.3, which ranked second to the Utah Jazz and then to the Golden State Warriors. They are still clearly trying to get back to that form two games after the reigning MVP returned.

The Serbian superstar’s value has often been overlooked this season. It’s almost a crime not to include him in any MVP discussions this season. Without the three-time All-Star, the Denver Nuggets could be one of the worst teams in the NBA right now.

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Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup

G - Monte Morris | G - Will Barton | F - Jeff Green | F - Aaron Gordon | C - Nikola Jokic

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New York Knicks Preview

The New York Knicks have been erratic playing on their home court this season [Photo: Bleacher Report]

After the loss to the Chicago Bulls, the New York Knicks are only 5-7 while playing at Madison Square Garden. It is the worst home record among the top ten teams in the Eastern Conference so far this season.

The biggest culprit in the Knicks’ erratic performance in front of their home crowd is their atrocious defense. They have a 108.7 defensive rating away from Madison Square Garden, which regresses to 111.6 on their home floor. That has been the primary difference in their somewhat surprising home-away record.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau has made one very significant lineup change this season. He removed Bronx-native Kemba Walker from the rotation and inserted Alec Burks into the starting unit. The removal was, among other things, predicated on their horrible defense with the former All-Star on the court.

The New York Knicks rank first in the league in defensive rating (99.0) when Walker sits and last when he plays (116.3). The offense also has more juice when he’s not playing, ranking in the top 10. Meanwhile, they are 27th when he suits up. So far, they’ve lost the last two games without the former UConn superstar.

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Key Player - Julius Randle

Julius Randle has been grabbing the headlines lately because of the referees’ refusal to call fouls simply because he is bigger and stronger than some defenders. His complaints started in the game between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets and continued in the matchup against the Chicago Bulls.

The 27-year-old starting forward got more media attention as the game wore on. He had a very loud and animated argument with Evan Fournier before halftime. He then botched free throws that could have changed the outcome of the game.

Despite all of that, the New York Knicks are only going as far as Julius Randle can take them. He has to get better soon, particularly against the stacked Eastern Conference this season.

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New York Knicks Predicted Lineup

G - Alec Burks | G - Immanuel Quickley | F - Evan Fournier | F - Julius Randle | C - Mitchell Robinson

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Nuggets vs Knicks Match Prediction

The Denver Nuggets are coming in undermanned as usual and raring to bounce back. The New York Knicks will also be straining at another chance to play well on their home floor.

This could go down the wire with the New York Knicks edging past the visiting Denver Nuggets team.

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Where to watch the Nuggets vs Knicks game

The NBA League Pass will stream the game live. Local coverage of the matchup is also available via MSG Networks and Altitude Sports.