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Nuggets at Wolves
7:00 pm CST
FS North
The Nuggets, mired in a stretch in which they lost 19 of 21 games, fired head coach Brian Shaw and replaced him on an interim basis with former assistant Melvin Hunt. Perhaps re-energized by the change, the Nuggets won last night against Milwaukee in the first game of Hunt's tenure. Tonight, they visit Target Center to face the Wolves, who will have Kevin Martin back in the lineup after a one game absence due to illness, and perhaps Nikola Pekovic as well, whose ankle was reportedly feeling better earlier today.
It has been a hugely disappointing year for the Nuggets, who were hoping that their depth would help them compete for a playoff spot this year. It hasn't worked out, as Brian Shaw could never find the right combinations, the team lost faith in him, and trades dumping useful players like Timofey Mozgov and Arron Afflalo as it was clear that things were not working out.
The Nuggets are led by point guard Ty Lawson, who is averaging 16 points and 10 assists per game, but even with his contributions they struggle to score with the 23rd rated offense in the league. Arron Afflalo, one of their better scorers, has landed in Portland, and their exciting rookie center Jusuf Nurkic is on the shelf with an ankle injury.
The Wolves are still trying to get everyone healthy and together while integrating new players into the lineup, and have lost three in a row by a combined 16 points. They are in the midst of a brutal stretch in the schedule; tonight's game will be their only tilt against a sub-.500 opponent in more than a month before and after. Still, they have held their own and are 5-6 over their last 11 games.
This is as good a chance as they will have for a win for the next couple of weeks, and they really need to take advantage of it.
Expected lineups
Ty Lawson
Randy Foye
Danilo Gallinari
Wilson Chandler
Kenneth Faried
Wolves
Ricky Rubio
Kevin Martin
Andrew Wiggins
Kevin Garnett
Nikola Pekovic
Here's a link to the excellent Denver Stiffs.
No no and no.
Enjoy. Chat. Go.