The Indiana Pacers look for their fifth straight win on Sunday when they visit the Denver Nuggets, who come into the game having won three straight.
Though they have had to play without Victor Oladipo for the whole season and had a number of games without Malcolm Brogdon, Indiana is 12 games over .500 as we are just past the halfway point of the regular season. Oladipo is going to be returning in 10 days, and he’ll be a nice addition to the lineup right off the bat.
Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner are both having very strong years, playing together for the first time for extensive minutes. Coach Nate McMillan wanted them to play together after Thaddeus Young left, and it was the right move.
Denver has had a fantastic year and played its best ball of the season of late. The Nuggets offense ranks 18th in points, but they have been racking up the points over the last few weeks. Denver is third in points allowed, as the entire squad is out playing hard on the defensive end.
The Nuggets are down three starters Sunday, as Paul Millsap, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray are all missing this one. Michael Porter Jr. is going to have a great chance to shine once again.
The spread for Sunday night’s game favors Denver by 1.5 points, with the over/under set at 212.5.
Trying To Keep Streaking
Sabonis is playing like an All-Star this year, posting 18 points, 13 rebounds and four assists per game, scoring the ball at an impressive rate and also dominating on the boards. The fact that he ranks third on the team in assists is a testament of how well the Pacers move the ball and share it.
T.J. McConnell is second on the team, averaging five assists per game off the bench and giving the second unit a constant boost. All of Indiana’s offseason moves have paid off, as it brought in Brogdon, McConnell, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and TJ Warren.
They got hard workers, shot-makers, and players that can all play within the flow of the offense. Turner is blocking two shots per game on the defensive end.
This will be a tough matchup for Sabonis as he likely has to take Jerami Grant, who does not play much around the rim. If Sabonis’ perimeter defense is strong Sunday night, it will help significantly.
Going For 30
The bad news is that three of the Nuggets’ top five guys are out. But, the good news is that they have a deep bench a number of guys they can plug in and still play well as a unit. Porter is going to be a beneficiary of all the injuries and will be able to step in and play big minutes.
Monte Morris is going to get a chance to start, while Malik Beasley will show all of the trade value that he has as a great scorer. They still have Nikola Jokic and Will Barton in the starting five to lead the way, with the other guys doing whatever is needed.
Jokic is hard to slow down, and if he can play well, he’ll put a lot of pressure on Turner.
Short-handed Nuggets Get The W
A tight game will see Denver pull out the win late. Bet on the Nuggets -1.5.
Free Play: DEN -1.5
