Denver Nuggets at Blazers: What to watch for

The Denver Nuggets will be in for a tough match up against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Denver Nuggets against the Portland Trail Blazers. A match up which will have many things. Things such as intensity, chippiness, post season implications and division implications.

The Denver Nuggets are currently ranked third in the competitive Western Conference whereas the Blazers are in fifth place.

So, what should one watch for in this particular game? First of all, the battle of the back courts could very well determine the outcome of this game.

Denver Nuggets

Bear in mind, Denver is short handed as Gary Harris continues to rehab from injury along with Will Barton, who is close to returning. Not to mention, Isaiah Thomas has yet to play in a Nuggets jersey yet, but do not be fooled.

Sure, the Blazers have the advantage on paper in the back court with their star power in CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, but all it takes is an off night from one of them. Who knows, maybe newly added Brandon Goodwin will provide a nice spark and take the Nuggets to the level the team needs to defeat this hot Blazers squad.

The second thing to watch for is how well the team performs in the third quarter. The third quarter was a key focal point where they were struggling during their slump, but have bounced back since then. In the win over the Lakers, Denver outscored Los Angeles 31 to 21 in the third quarter.

Compare this to a loss where Denver lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on November 11 where the Nuggets were outscored 36-29. It is clear that the Nuggets have to have a solid third quarter in order to come away with a win on the road.

If not, then the Nuggets will be in a heap of trouble considering the Trail Blazers have a red hot offense.