Arguably the biggest game of the NBA regular season is on tap for Thursday night in Denver as the Nuggets play host to the Boston Celtics in Ball Arena. The Celtics enter the game with the best record in the league at 48-13 and lead the Eastern Conference by eight games. The Nuggets are 42-30, one game back of first place in the Western Conference.
The Nuggets, of course, are on a quest to defend their NBA championship, their first in team history. While this Celtics core is trying to break through and reach the mountaintop; they’re currently the betting favorites.
The teams met earlier this season in Boston on January 20th with the Nuggets winning a tightly contested, intense affair, 102-100. Thursday night’s game will be their second and final matchup of the season unless they cross paths in the NBA Finals in June.
Both teams are littered with star power, and we should be in for a real treat. Luckily, the injury reports are extremely clean for both teams, but there is one big name to watch for the visiting Celtics.
Celtics injury report
The big news to watch approaching tip-off will be the status of all-star forward, Jaylen Brown. Brown is listed as ‘Questionable’ with a sacroiliac strain. For the non-doctors out there, it’s considered a pelvis injury.
Brown, who’s coming off an All-NBA second-team appearance last season, was able to start and finish the Celtics’ Tuesday night loss to the Cavaliers. Hopefully, this is just precautionary and Brown will be able to give it a go.
The only other player on the report for Boston is big man, Neemias Queta, who is ‘Out’ with a knee injury. Queta is a deep bench player and not a part of the regular rotation.
Nuggets injury report
The Nuggets’ only player on the report is Vlatko Cancar, who is ‘Out’ with a knee injury. That means that Denver will essentially be at full strength for this primetime showdown that will be nationally broadcast on TNT. The Nuggets are currently listed as 1.5-point favorites for this potential NBA Finals preview.