The New Orleans Pelicans vs. Denver Nuggets game will be played at Smoothie King Center on Sunday, December 22nd, 2024, at 7:00 PM ET. The New Orleans Pelicans are having a challenging season, with a 5-23 record that leaves them at the bottom of the Western Conference. They’ve dropped their last five games, including a 133-113 loss to the Houston Rockets.
The Denver Nuggets are in a much better position, sitting 6th in the Western Conference with a 14-11 record. However, their three-game winning streak was broken by the Portland Trail Blazers, who narrowly defeated them 126-124. Over their 76 head-to-head regular-season games, the Pelicans have managed to win 33 times, while the Nuggets have secured 43 victories.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Denver Nuggets: Prediction
The Pelicans haven’t been able to find much rhythm this season, averaging just 105.4 points per game, which is the lowest in the league. They’re also giving up a lot of points, with opponents scoring 117.1 on average. When it comes to rebounding, they grab 43.0 boards per game but allow 45.5. Their three-point shooting isn’t much better, as they make just 11.0 per game and hit 33.3% of them.
The Nuggets, on the other hand, are doing much better on offense, scoring 119.4 points per game, which ranks fourth in the NBA. Defensively, they do allow 116.9 points per game, but they’re strong on the boards, grabbing 44.8 rebounds per game while giving up 43.8. When it comes to threes, they make 11.7 per game, and their shooting percentage of 38.3% is among the best in the league.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Denver Nuggets: Probable Starting Lineups
Here are the expected lineups for both teams.
New Orleans Pelicans
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
- PG Dejounte Murray
- SG CJ McCollum
- SF Trey Murphy III
- PF Herbert Jones
- C Yves Missi
Denver Nuggets
- PG Jamal Murray
- SG Christian Braun
- SF Michael Porter Jr.
- PF Aaron Gordon
- C Nikola Jokic
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Denver Nuggets: Injuries Update
The Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson (hamstring), Brandon Ingram (ankle), and Jose Alvarado (hamstring). Daniel Theis is questionable due to personal reasons, and Karlo Matkovic is out with a back issue.
Meanwhile, Nuggets’ Vlatko Cancar is out with a knee injury, Dario Saric is questionable with an ankle issue, and DaRon Holmes is out for the season due to an Achilles injury.
