It’s that time of year, which will warm most people’s hearts, but will probably bring a chill to Denver Nuggets fans.
Denver is 1-6 (.143) all-time on Christmas Day, the second-worst record among active franchises, and they face last season’s Western Conference leaders this year.
Head coach Michael Malone will be sure to provide a rare moment of Christmas cheer for their fans against the Phoenix Suns, however, with his side in excellent form heading into Sunday.
The Nuggets lead the Western Conference, are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies at 20-11 and have won six of their last seven.
Friday’s 120-107 win against the Portland Trail Blazers was a good example of what Denver’s strength has been this season, with Nikola Jokic leading the way with 29 points but also ably supported by four other scoring starters each of 13 or more.
The Suns have the fifth-best record in Christmas Day games at 12-7 (.632) and have also won each of the last two meetings with Denver.
However, Monty Williams’ men have been unable to continue their impressive 64-18 regular season record from last year, now 19-14 to sit in fourth place in the West.
A 125-100 loss to the Grizzlies on Friday was punishing enough without the six losses of the previous nine games; five of those seven losses have been by double digits.
They’ve lost impact Devin Booker in their last three games, sidelined with a groin strain since he scored 58 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it remains to be seen if the 28.0-point-per-game average this season will be restored. Sunday.
The future looks bright for the Suns, with Matt Ishbia recently agreeing to a franchise-record $4 billion buyout, but their immediate goal is to get back on track, starting with trying to fade even further. beyond the Denver Christmas spirit.
MAJOR PERFORMANCES
Phoenix Suns – Chris Paul
If he plays, Booker will certainly provide a significant boost for Phoenix, but if he’s out again, Williams will need someone to step up in his absence, which hasn’t been the case in their last two games. .
The experienced Paul made a big contribution in the last win over the Lakers, but he otherwise hasn’t put up his usual numbers this season. His plus/minus of 1.7 is well down on last year’s 7.1, but if the 37-year-old can find his best form at Christmas, it could go a long way against strong opposition.
Denver Nuggets – Nikola Jokic
The back-to-back league MVP continues to put up numbers to match the game’s greats. In the recent win against the Charlotte Hornets, Jokic became the first player to finish a game with at least 40 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968.
The Serbian star is averaging 24.9 points per game this season, along with a career-best 10.9 rebounds and 9.3 assists.
KEY BATTLE – The Nuggets’ efficiency could decide the competition
Denver is very good at putting the basketball on net, which is quite helpful.
No team has a better success rate from beyond the arc than the Nuggets (38.9 percent) this season, though no team has had fewer than their 923 attempts. Only the Sacramento Kings (943) have allowed fewer three-point attempts than the Suns (996).
The Nuggets are also second in the league in field goal percentage, with 50.6 percent behind only the Brooklyn Nets (50.8).
HEAD FOR HEAD
Phoenix won their last meeting in March, 140-130 at the Ball Arena, which was their 100th regular season win against Denver.
The Nuggets have just 85 wins against the Suns, with the last coming in October 2021, but they have won 18 of the last 23 meetings between the teams.
