Don’t be deceived by their record, the Denver Nuggets are still a dangerous opponent.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will welcome perennial MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets to town in an inter-conference battle.
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (19-3) vs. Denver Nuggets (11-8)
Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse – Cleveland, OH
When: 7:00 p.m., Thursday Dec. 5
TV: NBA TV, Fanduel Sports Network Ohio (previously Bally Sports), NBA League Pass
Line: Cavs -4
Expected Cavs starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen.
Cavs injury report: Ty Jerome – QUESTIONABLE (illness), Max Strus – OUT (ankle), Emoni Bates – OUT (knee), JT Thor – OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)
Expected Nuggets starting lineup: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Nuggets injury report: DaRon Holmes – OUT (achilles), Vlatko Cancar – OUT (knee), Aaron Gordon – PROBABLE (calf), Trey Alexander – OUT (G League), Spencer Jones – OUT (G League)
What to watch for
Struggling Jamal Murray
It has been a difficult year so far for Murray, a usual knockdown shooter who is lethal from anywhere. In 16 games so far this season, the 27-year-old Murray is shooting 41.9% from the field and 33.3% from deep – both career-worsts. The Cavs have traditionally kept Murray in check (18.9 points, 3.9 assists, 32 rebounds in 12 games against Cleveland), but the defense has been an Achilles heal of sorts as of late.
Murray will eventually get going, evidenced by the fact he had a similar slow start last season and proceeded to post a shooting split of .503/.457/.903 in December 2023. The Cavs have the personnel to play Murray tighter, but he can be a game-breaker – especially when defenses have to focus on Jokic.
The Cavs’ bench is good too
While the Nuggets’ bench has some underrated players, the Cavs’ reserves can beat them with some quiet but excellent players of their own. Ty Jerome missed the last game against woeful Washington with an illness, but Dean Wade returned to action after missing six games with an ankle injury. It’s more than likely that Cleveland will be back to full health (aside from Max Strus), including their bench.
Darius Garland left the previous game early with an injury, and even though he’s expected to play, the Cavs may need to rely on their bench for an additional scoring punch. That’s something that they can do. Especially if Sam Merrill keeps hitting shots like he did in the win over the Washington Wizards. The Cavs’ bench should give them an advantage.