The Denver Nuggets had a brief stop at the Pepsi Center on Wednesday, defeating the Utah Jazz, 117-100. But now they pick things up again and jet off to face the Portland Trail Blazers on the road Thursday night. The winner improves to 3-0 while the loser suffers the agony of the first defeat of the 2011-2012 season.
The Nuggets looked impressive against the Jazz, as well they should have. Nene finished with a game-high 25 points and was one of three Nuggets with seven rebounds. Andre Miller dished the ball out for 12 assists, and Rudy Fernandez is receiving plenty of playing time early on. He finished with 11 points and eight assists in 30 minutes off the bench.
The Blazers started off the season with back-to-back games on Monday and Tuesday, winning both. They picked up a 107-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers to start the season, powered by LaMarcus Aldridge's 25 points. Then on Tuesday, the Blazers defeated the Sacramento Kings by 22 points, 101-79. Aldridge and Gerald Wallace combined for 49 points and 16 rebounds in the win.
This game will see Raymond Felton and Rudy Fernandez face each other after swapping teams over the offseason. Felton was sent to Portland in a three-team trade that sent Fernandez from there to Dallas (before December's trade to the Nuggets).
Game day/time: Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, 8:00 p.m. MT
Location: Rose Garden, Portland, OR
TV:
Denver: Altitude
Portland: KGWHD
For more on this game, visit Nuggets blog Denver Stiffs and Trail Blazers blog Blazers Edge. Check out SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.