Predicting the Outcome of Nuggets' Five-Game Gauntlet

The Nuggets have had their fair share of troubles against the Thunder this season, losing both of their prior matchups. The Nuggets were able to take the Thunder to overtime in their last outing, but they will likely not be as lucky this time around. There is no chance Murray suits up for this one, and with him sidelined, the weight will fall on Nikola Jokic.

Sure, Jokic is capable of carrying Denver to a win, but in Oklahoma City, the weight might be too much for the three-time MVP to handle.

While the Nuggets might be able to keep it close, the Thunder will likely pull out a home win over the shorthanded Nuggets with relative ease.

Wed, Mar. 11 vs. Rockets - W

This will be the third time this season the Nuggets host the Rockets and the fourth time overall they meet. In their two wins over the Rockets, the Nuggets have won by three each time, and in their lone loss, Houston escaped in overtime. There is no doubt that this next matchup will be close, but the Nuggets should have an edge.

Even if Murray does not play, the Nuggets should have the firepower to take down Kevin Durant and the Rockets. Houston has not given Jokic much trouble this season, and he should continue to have his way in this matchup. The Nuggets should be able to bounce back from the Thunder game in front of their home crowd for this one.

Thu, Mar. 12 @ Spurs - L

With just one matchup so far, the Nuggets and Spurs are still set to meet three times in the final month of the season. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, they are catching the Spurs at the worst time.

Victor Wembanyam and the Spurs have been on a tear, winning 14 of their last 15 games, and the Nuggets will certainly have their hands full. While they should be able to keep things close in San Antonio, stopping this team at their best will be a big challenge, especially on the second night of a back-to-back.

Sat, Mar. 14 @ Lakers - L

The Nuggets and Lakers recently met in Denver, and the Jokic-Murray tandem was able to carry the Nuggets to a much-needed win. Murray seems to always up his game against the Lakers, but with him still likely sidelined for this one, the outcome could be different.

This will be a tough challenge on the back end of a four-games-in-six-days stretch, and after playing in a different city in each matchup, the Lakers will likely catch the Nuggets off guard in this one.

The Nuggets will undoubtedly be capable of keeping it close, and potentially pulling out a big road win, but I expect them to lose this one.

Tue, Mar. 17 vs. 76ers - W

In their last meeting, the Nuggets pulled out a one-point overtime win in Philadelphia, despite playing without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, and Jonas Valanciunas. Now, the Nuggets will have most of their guys back in the lineup and should not have trouble repeating their success from when they were severely shorthanded.

The 76ers are a dangerous team when healthy, and star center Joel Embiid should be back on the court for this matchup. There is no doubt that the 76ers will give the Nuggets some fits, but after two days of rest (8-0 in such instances this season), the Nuggets should be able to capitalize and end this five-game gauntlet on a high note.

Overall, I predict the Nuggets to finish this five-game stretch with a 2-3 record, but any of these matchups could go either way. The severity of Murray's injury is undoubtedly the defining factor, but assuming he is sidelined for all five of these games, they might not have as much success as they would hope.