Both the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings will be shorthanded on Thursday night.
Even though the Denver Nuggets have been shorthanded as of late, it hasn't stopped them from earning a three-game winning streak and jumping to the second seed in the Western Conference.
Unfortunately for the Nuggets, they'll remain shorthanded as they face off against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. Fortunately for the Nuggets, the Kings will remain shorthanded as well. Looking at who is on the court, the Nuggets should be heavily favored to win this game.
At the same time, the Kings surprisingly defeated the Nuggets on November 22, in an outcome that no one expected.
Denver Nuggets Injury Report
The Denver Nuggets have five players listed on their injury report: Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Tamar Bates, DaRon Holmes II, and Julian Strawther.
Aaron Gordon is out with a right hamstring strain, Christian Braun is out with a left ankle sprain, Tamar Bates is out with a G League two-way, DaRon Holmes II is out with a G League assignment, and Julian Strawther is out due to lower back injury management. Both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are listed as available.
Missing Gordon is a huge blow for the Nuggets. This season, he's been putting up 18.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 53/44/87 shooting from the field. From a positional standpoint, Gordon is the perfect role-playing forward, capable of stepping in major moments when needed. He has not played since November 21 against the Houston Rockets.
Christian Braun has been unfortunately sidelined since November 12 against the LA Clippers, where he suffered an ankle sprain. It speaks volumes to the Nuggets' depth that they haven't had a fully healthy starting lineup since early November and are still the second seed in the West.
Sacramento Kings Injury Report
The Sacramento Kings have six players listed on their injury report: Domantas Sabonis, Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, Dylan Cardwell, Daeqwon Plowden, and Isaiah Stevens.
Domantas Sabonis is out due to a partial meniscus tear in his left knee, Dennis Schroder is doubtful with a right hip flexor strain, and Zach LaVine is out with right thumb soreness.
Look to see the Sacramento Kings focus heavily on DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook to help carry the load against the Nuggets. It'll also be interesting to see how Westbrook's emotions come into play as he faces off against his former team, the Denver Nuggets.
The Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings face off at 10:00 p.m. EST on Thursday.re