Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers Preview: Denver Hosts Road-Unbeaten Portland at Ball Arena (7 PM MT, ALT2/KTVD)

The Denver Nuggets (3-2) host the Portland Trail Blazers (4-1) tonight at Ball Arena. Tip-off is 7:00 PM MT. ESPN's line has Denver favored by 4.5, with a total of 232.5.

Our Take: Denver finally has its starting five together. Cameron Johnson played his first full game back from a right ankle injury in Friday's 127-120 win at Phoenix, and Christian Braun had a career-high 31 points on 7-of-9 from three. Portland is 3-0 on the road, but it plays without Ja Morant (hamstring, at least four weeks) and Shaedon Sharpe (knee). Denver has been uneven at home: a 23-point comeback over New Orleans, then a 20-point loss to Golden State. Protect the home floor and make Portland's thinner backcourt beat you.

WHO'S OUT: Denver has Spencer Jones (hamstring) and Julian Strawther (knee) out, and Alpha Diallo (right wrist sprain) is questionable on the NBA's official 5 a.m. MT injury report. Portland is without Morant (left hamstring) and Sharpe (right meniscus surgery).

KEYS TO THE GAME:
1. Jokic runs it. He leads Denver at 9.2 assists and 9.8 rebounds a game, and Murray leads in scoring at 25.8 points, per ESPN.
2. Slow Deni Avdija. He leads Portland at 23.0 points and 5.6 assists, and he scored 24 with Damian Lillard adding 22 in Saturday's win at Utah.
3. Pressure Scoot Henderson. He's starting at the point with Morant out and has been inconsistent: 15 points in the opener, then 15 combined over the next three games (NBA.com).
4. Keep Braun shooting. Defenses keep leaving him open to load up on Jokic and Murray.

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN: TV on ALT2/KTVD in Denver at 7:00 PM MT, and NBA League Pass out of market. Radio on Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM and 950 AM, and the Altitude Sports Radio app. Follow along on NuggetsLand.com.

Sources: ESPN game page, ESPN NBA injuries, NBA.com game preview, CBS Sports preview, AP preview, NBA.com: Sharpe out with torn meniscus, iHeart Sports injury report, Altitude Sports Radio