San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets 4/3/19: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds
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San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets Preview
The Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs have both clinched playoff berths, and if the playoffs started tonight, they would be facing off in a first-round series. The Nuggets are pretty much locked into their playoff positioning, but several things could change for the Spurs, so a win will be crucial for them on the road. This will be the second game of a back-to-back for both teams.
The Nuggets are 51-26 and are currently second in the Western Conference, two games behind the Golden State Warriors. Denver is on a two-game losing streak and is 6-4 in their last 10. The San Antonio Spurs got back into the win column last night and they are currently tied for seventh in the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder at 45-33, however, the Spurs own the tiebreaker with the Thunder. The Spurs are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
The Nuggets and Spurs last faced off on March 4, with the Spurs eking out a 104-103 win. DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 24 points, while Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 25 points and eight assists.
TV Schedule
Date: 04/03/19
Time: 9:00pm ET
Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
Channel: FSSW-SA, ALT
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
PG: Derrick White
SG: Bryn Forbes
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Jakob Poeltl
Spurs Analysis
The San Antonio Spurs had gone on a tear earlier in March, but have come back down to earth a bit lately, as they’ve had big wins against teams like Boston, but have played down to their competition against teams like the Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Sacramento Kings.
It looked like they were on their way to doing the same last night against the Atlanta Hawks until they outscored the Hawks in the final stanza to create some separation in their 117-111 win. Aside from the win, another positive was seeing Derrick White bust his slump with a 23-point outing.
“What you saw, that’s his game,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s just kind of steady, picks his spots. I loved seeing him get more confident with the 3, knocking down a couple, that’s great. That’s the next step for him.”
DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 29 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists. Bryn Forbes had 19 points and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
The Spurs have done well against the Nuggets this season, but this is certainly a much stiffer challenge than the Hawks presented last night, and with DeRozan and Aldridge playing 36 and 38 minutes, fatigue could be an issue.
Spurs Quick Links: Spurs Starting Lineup, Spurs Roster, Spurs Depth Chart, Spurs Injuries, Spurs News, Spurs Schedule
Denver Nuggets Starting Lineup
PG: Jamal Murray
SG: Gary Harris
SF: Will Barton
PF: Paul Millsap
C: Nikola Jokic
Nuggets Analysis
If there was any question over which team was better in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors settled that debate last night with a 116-102 win over the Nuggets. The Nuggets haven’t been terrible to close out the season, but their losing streak, especially with a loss against Washington, has to be worrisome.
“It seems like we are just kind of standing, waiting (to see) what everyone’s gonna do,” center Nikola Jokic said. “It feels weird right now.”
The Nuggets have not yet gotten into the mode where they are making adjustments to head into the playoffs, and there have been some inconsistencies both on defense and regarding several of the players on offense that they’ll have to iron out rather quickly.
In the loss to the Warriors, the Nuggets seemed to be a bit flat for the first three quarters before they made a late run that was too little, too late. Jokic wasn’t his normal dominant self, finishing with just 10 points and five rebounds. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 17 points and they got double-figure efforts from Paul Millsap, Will Barton, Monte Morris, and Isaiah Thomas.
Nuggets Quick Links: Nuggets Starting Lineup, Nuggets Roster, Nuggets Depth Chart, Nuggets Injuries, Nuggets News, Nuggets Schedule
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets Betting Odds
The Nuggets are five-point favorites to win at home tonight. They are an excellent 31-7 at the Pepsi Center and 42-14 as the favorite. The Spurs are 14-24 on the road and 14-19 as the underdog.
The over/under is 213 points, and the Nuggets are -210 on the moneyline after opening at -190.
Odds & Line Movement Links: San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets, Vegas Odds (All NBA Games Today)
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