After a hard-fought 106-103 win over Toronto in their first game without Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets continue their injury-plagued road trip against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, January 2. Jamal Murray remains the focal point, but a depleted roster faces a formidable home opponent.
Building on their resilience shown against the Raptors, the Nuggets (23-10, third in West) confront the Cavaliers short-handed. Jokic remains out at least a month with his knee injury, alongside sidelined starters Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Christian Braun (ankle), Cam Johnson (knee), and Jonas Valanciunas (calf from Wednesday). Murray, the lone healthy member of the championship core, has elevated his game amid the absences.
The Cavaliers (recent 129-113 win over Phoenix) have taken four of six, averaging 130.5 points in victories. 13.5-point home favorites with a +3.2 net rating, they rank 18th defensively (117.3 allowed). Jarrett Allen looms large on the boards, averaging 10+ rebounds in most prior Nuggets matchups.
Coach David Adelman noted potential returns for Gordon and Braun by road trip's end (after Cleveland, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Boston). Murray's aggression offers hope for competitiveness, keeping Denver in playoff contention despite the crisis.