Nuggets Jazz injury report: Are Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon playing?

The Nuggets got a mini break with Sunday and Monday off after trouncing the Hawks on Saturday night. That game marked the return of Jamal Murray after his seven-game absence, but we did see Aaron Gordon sit out with a foot strain.

Denver is so close to the end of the season, and also so close to being fully healthy. At this point, it would be crazy not to prioritize health and rest. It seems like everyone on the team is close to full health, let’s see if they can get all the way there over the next two weeks.

That likely means resting players who would otherwise be able to go, but Nuggets fans should be totally fine with that. For one, the Jazz have no desire to win games; they’re currently on a 12-game losing streak and vying for the best possible draft position. This is a very winnable game for Denver regardless of who plays and who sits.

But more importantly, the biggest thing for Denver is to be playing their best basketball and looking fresh once the playoffs start. Homecourt advantage would be nice, but this team should be able to win playing anywhere. The team needs to be smart and safe; expect to see and hear a lot of that this week.

Nuggets injury report

This could easily be a game for the Nuggets to get everybody some extra time off, and that may well be the case as all five starters are on the injury report. But early signs indicate that it may not actually be the case because Jokic (hip), Murray (knee), Michael Porter Jr. (knee), and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (shoulder) are all listed as ‘Probable’ indicating they are expected to play.

Those statuses could change as the day goes on, but it seems likely at least a few will play. Gordon, who missed the last game, is listed as ‘Questionable’ (foot) and his status seems much more in doubt.

Julian Strawther (ankle) is also listed as ‘Probable’ and Vlatko Cancar (knee) is ‘Out’ for the Nuggets on Tuesday night.

Jazz injury report

For the Jazz, Lauri Markkanen (shoulder), Walker Kessler (nose), Kris Dunn (foot), John Collins (back), and Jordan Clarkson (back) are all ‘Out’.

Betting odds

The Nuggets are currently listed as 13.5-point road favorites and the game has a total of 224.5 points.