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The Denver Nuggets head to the Scotiabank Arena for a matchup against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. This will be the first encounter between the two sides this season.
The Nuggets head into the game after a disappointing loss to the Boston Celtics. Nikola Jokic secured yet another triple-double, where he scored 23 points and also had 16 rebounds and 11 assists. However, his efforts proved to be too short as the Celtics put on a special showing in the fourth quarter to grab a 108-102 win on the night and get to their seventh consecutive victory.
The Toronto Raptors, on the other hand, are one of the most in-form teams in the league. They come into this game after a terrific win over the Houston Rockets. Gary Trent Jr. recorded 42 points on 57.7% shooting from the field. Pascal Siakam also chipped in with 30 points to help the Raptors get to a 139-120 win on the night.
Match Details
Fixture: Denver Nuggets vs Toronto Raptors | NBA Season 2021-22
Date & Time: Saturday, February 12, 8:30 PM ET [Sunday, February 13, 6:00 AM IST]
Venue: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON.
Denver Nuggets Preview
The Denver Nuggets have been a resilient force this season as they have stayed competitive, despite missing out on two of their star players. Coach Michael Malone is confident about the team and decided to keep the same roster as the franchise decided not to trade players before the deadline. Their defense has been terrific and players like Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green have been great contributors on that end.
Nikola Jokic has undoubtedly been great and his efforts are making the Nuggets look like a strong team in the playoffs. Going up against the Raptors, the team will be looking to grab a win and bounce back after their setback against the Celtics. However, their opponents are in stellar form and it will take special effort from everyone on the team to get the better of the Raptors side at the Scotiabank Arena.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic has again claimed the top spot in the MVP charts after his streak of brilliance over the last couple of games. He is currently averaging 25.8 PPG, 13.7 RPG and 7.9 APG. Jokic, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, is the only player to average more than 25-10-5 this season. His triple-double went in vain over the Celtics, but the Joker will be hoping to put up a similar performance, but this time inspired the team to succeed.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
G - Bones Hyland, G - Will Barton, F - Aaron Gordon, F - Jeff Green, C - Nikola Jokic
Toronto Raptors Preview
The Toronto Raptors are currently one of the most in-form teams in the league. They are currently on an eight-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 10 games. This has helped them get to sixth place in the East with a 31-23 record. Fred VanVleet finally made it to the All-Star team this year and his recent performances have only proven why he deserved the spot.
The 27-year-old has been a great leader to the team and youngsters like Gary Trent Jr. and Scottie Barnes have thrived in his leadership. Going up against the Nuggets, the team will be hoping to extend their winning streak to nine games. It will help them improve their record and also put pressure on the other sides who are above them in the East.
Key Player - Gary Trent Jr.
Gary Trent Jr. is currently in the form of his life for the Toronto Raptors. The youngster has scored 30 points or more, six times in the last 10 games. He is averaging 27.8 PPG in this stretch and has looked like a true scorer off late.
Trent Jr. scored 42 points in the team's win over the Houston Rockets. He shot the ball at 57.7% efficiency from the field and made six of his 13 shots from beyond the arc. In the game against the Nuggets, he will be hoping to continue his brilliant form and lead the team to their ninth consecutive win.
Toronto Raptors Predicted Lineup
G - Gary Trent Jr., G - Scottie Barnes, F - OG Anunoby, F - Pascal Siakam, C - Precious Achiuwa.
Denver Nuggets vs Toronto Raptors Match Prediction
The Nuggets and Raptors have both faced a number of injuries and setbacks, but have still managed to keep themselves in the playoff race this season.
Going into this game, the Raptors will be favorites to come out as winners as they are in the middle of a winning streak and with all of their players playing the way that they have, it will be difficult to stop them. However, the Nuggets will bring in their best to this game and try to spoil the party for the Raptors on their homecourt.
Where to watch the Nuggets vs Raptors game?
All games will be available to stream live on the official NBA app. The game between the Nuggets and the Raptors will also be locally telecast on Altitude Sports and TSN Network.
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