Every game is crucial to the Nuggets if they want to secure the top seed in the Western Conference, but that’s clearly not the top priority. With five games remaining in the regular season, it’s all about getting healthy and ready for the playoffs.
The Nuggets are 53-24, tied with the Timberwolves for first place in the conference, and one game ahead of the Thunder. The one seed is very much within reach, and beating teams like the 36-40 Atlanta Hawks would be very helpful.
But the story for Denver has been the health of key players down the stretch who have been all over the injury report. Some of that is clearly for rest, but some of it is clearly not. It’s critical for the Nuggets to enter the playoffs at full strength and that’s more of a question mark with every passing day.
Nuggets injury report
The Nuggets' injury report looks incredibly familiar as the most important statuses are unchanged. Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon are listed as ‘Probable’ and expected to play through their minor issues. Jokic is listed with hip inflammation, and Gordon with a foot strain. Neither of these is overly concerning.
The headline is that Jamal Murray is listed as ‘Questionable’ for the seventh straight game. He’s missed the previous six, but Michael Malone expressed hope that this could be the game for Murray to return. That would be excellent news and would give Jamal an entire week of games to ramp up before the playoffs start. If he can’t go, concerns will only intensify.
Vlatko Cancar remains ‘Out’ with a knee injury, but Zeke Nnaji is off the injury report and should return to action after missing several games.
Hawks injury report
The Hawks will be without their star Trae Young on Saturday. Young has been out with a finger injury for over a month and may not return at all this season. Saddiq Bey (ACL), AJ Griffin (ankle), and Onyeka Okongwu (toe) are also ‘Out’ for Atlanta. Mouhamed Gueye is also ‘Questionable’ with a UCL sprain.
Betting odds
The Nuggets are currently listed as 12.5-point home favorites and the game has a total of 221.5 points.