Watch the Denver Nuggets take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, live on Sky Sports Arena in the early hours of Sunday morning (1am)
Sunday 25 November 2018 06:54, UK
Western Conference playoff contenders clash as the Denver Nuggets travel to face the in-form Oklahoma City Thunder, live on Sky Sports Arena in the early hours of Sunday morning (1am).
The Nuggets raced to nine wins from their opening 10 games but have cooled off dramatically since then, posting just three wins in their last nine.
Conversely, the Thunder struggled for early-season form losing their opening four games but have since raced into the upper echelons of the Western Conference play-off picture thanks to 12 wins in their last 14.
The Thunder's recent success has been all the more impressive given the absence of their best player Russell Westbrook. The former league MVP missed six games as he recovered from a sprained left ankle and attended the births of his twin daughters.
In his absence, Paul George has led the Thunder, raising his game to help the Thunder dispatch the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors by double-digit margins.
Westbrook's return has made the Thunder even harder to handle. His 30-point, 12-rebound, eight-assist performance made the difference as the Thunder overcame the Charlotte Hornets 109-104 in their last outing.
Since their 9-1 start, the young Nuggets have only beaten the Orlando Magic and the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves and Atlanta Hawks. A road victory over the soaring Thunder would send the message they have recovered from their recent malaise.
In playing terms, this clash of the centers will be a battle of brain versus brawn. How will the heady Jokic, a cerebral player with elite passing skills for a big man, cope with the physicality that Adams is certain to bring?
Jokic's ability to shoot three-pointers could draw Adams away from the basket and create driving opportunities for Gary Harris and Jamal Murray.
But if Adams gets the better of Jokic, the Nuggets' ball movement and offensive flow will suffer. They will also see less second-chance points than usual, a metric in which they rank fifth best in the league (15.6 points per game).
103.2 - That's the Thunder's defensive rating, the number of points they allow on average per 100 possessions. It's the league's fourth-best mark, per NBA.com/stats, and is the primary reason for their recovery from 0-4 to 11-6.
It's even more impressive when you consider they are missing elite perimeter Andre Roberson, who has been out since January with an injured patella.
The Thunder's defensive rating without Roberson last year was 108.7. As a team, they have made a huge defensive improvement without their best defender.
Injuries to Terrance Ferguson and Hamadou Diallo in their victory over Golden State will test the Thunder's defensive mettle going forward.
Sharpshooting guard Harris has a built a reputation as an efficient scorer in his five seasons in the league but, although he is averaging 17.2 points per game across 18 starts, his overall field percentage (44.2) and three-point shooting percentage (33.3) are at their lowest since his rookie year.
That could be a question of volume - he is taking more shot attempts per game than at any point in his career.
At his best, Harris is a slick scorer able to drive to rim and finish while being better than league average from beyond the arc.
Westbrook's reputation as a human highlight reel makes him compelling viewing any time he takes the court.
Explosively athletic, powerful and fast, he can - and has - overpowered defenses on his own, relying on his desire to drive to the rim and score while absorbing contact.
A passive Westbrook, who settles for inefficient jump shots, is not a fun watch. An in-form, fully healthy Westbrook intent on imposing his will on an opponent with drives and dunks is simply compelling.
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