The Denver Nuggets will be missing three of their key starters on Saturday against the Orlando Magic
The Denver Nuggets are coming off a major win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas Day, with Nikola Jokic putting on an all-time best performance on Christmas with a 56-point triple-double and a record 17 points in overtime. It might go down as the best game for Jokic in his career, and he and the Nuggets will try to build off that on Saturday against the Orlando Magic.
With the Nuggets at 22-8 and the Magic at 17-14, Orlando got out to a 4-6 start in a season many expected them to be legit NBA Finals contenders out of the Eastern Conference. However, injuries have played a factor, and both sides will be missing key players for Saturday's game in Orlando.
Nuggets Injury Report
The Nuggets might be winning games, but the odds are truly stacked against Jokic and his squad on Saturday. Four players are listed as OUT on the injury reports, which include Tamar Bates (foot), Christian Braun (ankle), Aaron Gordon (hamstring), and Cameron Johnson (knee).
Denver made it a point this offseason to add depth to this roster after their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 postseason. Now that depth is proving its value, getting strong production from players like Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Johnson was the latest of the starters to join the injury report, suffering an injury against the Dallas Mavericks on December 23rd. He was starting to pick it up in December, averaging 12.5 points on 46% shooting from three, but perhaps some time sidelined can help him get back to the form he was in with Brooklyn last season.
As for Braun and Gordon, their absences are well into the double-digits at this point, with Braun last playing on November 12th and Gordon on November 21st.
Magic Injury Report
The Magic are dealing with several injuries as well, with Colin Castleton (two-way), Franz Wagner (ankle), and Mo Wagner (knee) all ruled OUT. Additionally, Jalen Suggs (hip) is listed as DOUBTFUL, and Goga Bitadze (knee) is listed as QUESTIONABLE. Therefore, the Magic could be without two starters on Saturday, as both teams will miss key members of their team.
Tip-off in Orlando is set for 7:00 p.m. EST, as the Nuggets will look to start up a winning streak after a stretch of games featuring a loss in every other contest. As for the Magic, a win helps keep them from falling below the top six seeds in the East.