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The San Antonio Spurs will visit Ball Arena to face the Denver Nuggets in the NBA on Wednesday night.
The Spurs are in the midst of a free fall in the Western Conference standings. They have lost 8 of their last 10 games, including defeats to teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers.
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets are flying high and are steadily closing the gap on the LA Clippers for the 3rd seed in the conference. They have won their last six games in a row, including victories over the Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Match Details
Fixture: San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Wednesday; April 7th, 2021; 9:00 PM ET (Thursday, April 8th; 6:30 AM IST).
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO.
Denver Nuggets Preview
The Denver Nuggets have found their rhythm after a poor start to the season. They are now third in the league in offensive rating, scoring the fourth-highest points and dishing out the third-most assists.
One of the major reasons behind the Nuggets' dismal start to the campaign was the departure of Jerami Grant, whose absence adversely affected the team's defense. However, coach Mike Malone's upgraded defensive strategy, combined with the arrival of Aaron Gordon, has helped to solve this problem.
The Denver Nuggets' offense, starring Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, has been thriving. Aaron Gordon has also been in amazing form. He has averaged 13.2 points in the 5 games that he has played so far, including a 24-point outing against his former team, the Orlando Magic.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
Serbian big man Nikola Jokic has led the MVP power rankings for almost two weeks. He has taken the Denver Nuggets to new heights and could win his first-ever MVP award this season.
The Joker is averaging a near triple-double and is widely regarded as the best passing big man in the game. He will surely play a crucial role in Wednesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Jamal Murray | Shooting Guard - Will Barton | Small Forward - Michael Porter Jr. | Power Forward - Aaron Gordon | Center - Nikola Jokic
San Antonio Spurs Preview
While the San Antonio Spurs have struggled in the last few weeks, not many can argue that they have still exceeded expectations this season. They are currently at the .500 mark when it comes to their season record and sit in the play-in tournament seed at 9th.
Coach Gregg Popovich has done a phenomenal job in developing the young players on his roster. Dejounte Murray and Derrick White have been averaging career-highs.
Jakob Poeltl has done a great job in replacing LaMarcus Aldridge at the center position. He leads the San Antonio Spurs in rebounds and blocks, with 8 boards and 1.6 swats per game.
Unfortunately, the San Antonio Spurs' remaining set of fixtures are the second-toughest in the NBA, and they have little to no chance of securing victories.
Key Player - DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan is simply not getting the recognition he deserves for his performances this season. He is averaging 21.0 points per game and is leading the San Antonio Spurs in assists with 7.0 dimes a game.
Many fans called out the media and the NBA after DeRozan was left out of this year's All-Star game selection.
San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Dejounte Murray | Shooting Guard - Derrick White | Small Forward - DeMar DeRozan | Power Forward - Keldon Johnson | Center - Jakob Poeltl
Spurs vs Nuggets Match Prediction
The Denver Nuggets are overwhelming favorites to win against the San Antonio Spurs based on their roster alone. The likes of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic could easily dominate matchups against Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl.
There is barely anyone in the league who can overcome Jokic, and we shouldn't expect anything different in this game either.
Where to watch the Spurs vs Nuggets game
The San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets game will be locally televised on Bally Sports SW (Southwest) and Altitude 2. The match can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
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