The Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers are playing on Thursday night as the second game on the TNT doubleheader and the matchup will be streaming online and it starts at 10:30 pm ET from the Moda Center and features one of the most surprising teams in the league and they are in the mix at the top of the west.
The Blazers have been competing with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs at the top of the west and they are currently second in the northwest division with a 31-11 record. The Nuggets come into the game with a 20-20 record and the Blazers cre coming into the game after a loss on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder and that game saw LaMarcus Aldridge score 29 points and grab 16 rebounds and the team plays at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Blazers are ranked first in the league in points per game and that is why they are playing so well this season and they are averaging nearly 110 points per game and they are also ranked first in rebounding. Robin Lopez and Aldridge have both been playing very well and they are third in assists per game behind young star Damian Lillard and while they rank 27th in points allowed per game, they have been good enough to outscore their opponents.
The Nuggets come into the game after a loss to the Phoenix Suns and they are hosting the Indiana Pacers next and that's back to back games against two of the best teams in the league. The team is ranked 11th in the league in scoring and 24th in defense in points allowed per game and they are also in the top five in rebounds per game and the team needs to pull its way back into the playoffs.