When they come to Washington on Wednesday, the Denver Nuggets, who lead the Western Conference, want to finish their five-game road trip with a winning record.
During the first four games of the trip, Denver (48-24) lost and won alternately. On Sunday, they defeated the Brooklyn Nets 108-102.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Nuggets had a 20-point lead that had reached 22 points. However, they only managed to score 17 points during the period, which caused the lead to be reduced to six points at the final buzzer.
In the victory, reigning two-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists for his 28th triple-double of the season.
The Nuggets’ most recent meeting with Washington was not one of those 28 games in which Jokic had a triple-double; however, on Dec. 14, he scored 43 points, which was his season high against the Wizards.
The Nuggets won 141-128 at home thanks to Jokic’s season-high five steals, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. The last time Denver played Washington, Michael Porter Jr., who scored a game-high 28 points Sunday in Brooklyn, did not play.
Washington (32-40) plays at home on Wednesday, concluding a back-to-back set. Tuesday’s road loss to the Orlando Magic, 122-112, proved to be too much for the Wizards.
After missing the Wizards’ previous game against Sacramento on Saturday due to illness, Kristaps Porzingis returned to the lineup and scored a game-high 30 points. However, Washington was without Kyle Kuzma because of an ankle injury, and the Wizards were outscored 35-24 in the fourth quarter, even though they had a one-point lead going into it.
Unseld stated that Kuzma’s sprain was “pretty significant” prior to Tuesday’s game. The Wizards’ trying time is made even more difficult by the possibility of Kuzma’s continued absence.
Washington’s sixth defeat in seven games and third in a row came against the Magic. The Wizards had surrendered more than their season average of 113.6 points per game during that time period for the fifth time.
In the East, Washington and the Indiana Pacers (32-40) are tied for 11th place, two and a half games behind the 10th-place Chicago Bulls (34-37) in the race for the East’s play-in tournament.
