Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction & Match Preview - November 14th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Denver Nuggets will host the Portland Trail Blazers at the Ball Arena on Sunday, in an enticing 2021-22 NBA game.
The Blazers are coming off a 104-92 victory against the Houston Rockets to snap a two-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are coming off a 105-96 win against the Atlanta Hawks. They are now 8-4 on the season, having won their last four games.
Match Details
Fixture - Portland Trailblazers vs Denver Nuggets | 2021-22 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Sunday, November 14th, 2021; 9:00 PM ET (Monday, 15th November, 2021; 6:30 AM IST).
Venue - Ball Arena, Denver, CO.
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have had a relatively shaky start to their 2021-22 campaign. With the addition of new head coach Chauncey Billups, the Trail Blazers have struggled to establish any rhythm.
The Blazers have faced issues, but they have also seen the development of some players on their roster. While the duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum continue to be reliable, the growth of Nassir Little has been a revelation for the side.
“AHHHHHHH!!”
Nassir Little, my goodness 😳 https://t.co/Pb1xbMu1nh
Little recorded 13 points and 14 rebounds, crashing the boards and providing hustle to the side alongside Robert Covington. The Portland Trail Blazers have some good pieces as the 2021-22 season wears on.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
While the Portland Trail Blazers have seen the development of players, the main focus of their offense continues to be Damian Lillard. The All-Star guard is coming off a 20-point outing against the Houston Rockets.
Although Lillard has struggled with his shooting this season, he continues to be one of the most dynamic scorers in the league. Known for pulling from half-court regularly, the Trail Blazers will continue to look at Lillard for inspiration as he improves to four games with 20+ points.
Damian Lillard in his last three games is putting up:
▫️26.7 ppg
▫️6.3 apg
▫️5 rpg
▫️49 fg%
▫️35 3p%
▫️59 ts%
No need to panic anymore, Dame is back https://t.co/Uhx4hgepTi
The Trail Blazers have some animosity against the Nuggets dating back to the 2021 playoffs. They'll hope Lillard's late-game heroics from that playoff series continues to be a trend against the Nuggets.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G - CJ McCollum | G - Damian Lillard | F - Norman Powell | F - Robert Covington | C - Jusuf Nurkic.
Denver Nuggets Preview
Although the Denver Nuggets started the season with some inconsistency, they seem to have established some rhythm of late.
Nikola Jokic was suspended from their last game due to an altercation with the Miami Heat. But the Nuggets managed to scrape away with a win against the Indiana Pacers to continue their winning streak.
Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris were both ejected from the game after the two exchanged hard fouls. https://t.co/AtOklXIU5k
With the fifth seed in the Western Conference, the Nuggets are looking like a solid playoff team. While they are missing a key player in Jamal Murray, the trio of Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. has done well.
The Denver Nuggets have also seen some reliable scoring from Will Barton early in the season. Although Barton had a poor shooting night against the Hawks, recording only five points, the Nuggets will look to him to carry the offensive load.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
The Nuggets are missing several key players from their rotation heading into their game against the Portland Trail Blazers. So they will rely on their big-man to be their most dominant performer.
Nikola Jokic is the reigning NBA MVP. Due to his unpredictable playing style and elite passing ability, Denver's offense runs through the Serb passing out of the high post.
Nikola Jokic tonight:
22 points
19 rebounds
10 assists
W. 🔥 https://t.co/JGbikVIHrs
Coming off a 22-point outing against the Hawks, Jokic also grabbed 19 rebounds and recorded ten assists. Considering these numbers, Jokic has been essential to in creating opportunities for the Nuggets.
Playing against a rebounding center such as Jusuf Nurkic, Jokic's performance at the rebounding end could determine the outcome of this game.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
G - Monte Morris | G - Will Barton | F - Aaron Gordon | F - Jeff Green | C - Nikola Jokic.
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Match Prediction
The Denver Nuggets may emerge as the victors in this matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Given that the Nuggets are missing key rotational pieces, the challenge of playing the Denver Nuggets at home could overwhelm them. However, if Damian Lillard can continue his hot streak, the Denver Nuggets could be in for a long night.
Where to watch Trail Blazers vs Nuggets game?
The Trail Blazers vs Nuggets game will be locally broadcast on Altitude. It will also be available online on the NBA's League Pass platform. Fans can also listen to the game on the radio by tuning into KKSE 92.5 FM.