When the Denver Nuggets (7-4) host the Miami Heat (8-3) on Friday night, both teams will be dealing with small, yet important issues. For the Nuggets, Ty Lawson is still nursing an injured foot, and after missing Thursday's win over the New Jersey Nets he is hopeful he can play, but still unsure. Veteran point guard Andre Miller filled in against the Nets, scoring 12 points to go with 12 assists, just one night after he expressed his displeasure with being a backup to Lawson.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and the Miami Heat have dropped two consecutive games in overtime that featured two very terrible fourth quarter performances. All the talk about "LeBron isn't clutch" has quickly resurfaced, so apparently LeBron operates in a world where his stunning per game averages of 29.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists just aren't enough for fans and analysts alike.
Problems aside, these are two very good teams that play an exciting brand of up-tempo basketball. The staff at Denver Stiffs explains just how exciting this game could be:
...In fact, the Nuggets score more per game than any team in the NBA except one.
The one?
You guessed it, the Miami Heat (at 106.4 ppg).
Additionally, the Nuggets' possess the NBA's second-best field goal percentage by shooting 48.7% from the field. The lone team better than Denver in that department?
You guessed it, the Miami Heat (at 48.8%).
The Nuggets and Heat are also in the top-five for assists (Nuggets being first, Heat being third), free throw attempts (Heat being first, Nuggets being fourth), steals (Nuggets being first, Heat being fourth) and turnovers (Heat being first, Nuggets being fifth).
Here is some basic information to help you find the game on Friday night:
Game day/time: Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, 8:30 p.m. MT
Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
TV: ESPN, Altitude
Stay tuned to SB Nation Denver for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Denver Nuggets be sure to visit Denver Stiffs. For more on the Heat visit Peninsula Is Mightier. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.