The Nuggets benefitted from one of their replacement games after the NBA Cup last season. Their task this week is to prevent Houston from taking advantage of a lucky draw.

Denver’s defense hasn’t just been bad since Aaron Gordon joined Christian Braun on the sideline with an injury. It’s been the worst. In the seven games since Gordon strained his right hamstring, Denver’s defensive rating of 126.

Injuries to the Nuggets have allowed Cam Johnson to flourish. Our expert NBA predictions expect Johnson's strong play to continue tonight against Phoenix.

Sometimes you pick things up when you’re less technical and you’re more watching the flow of how games are going,” David Adelman said. “I do think we can overdo it a

Nikola Jokić entered Thursday’s contest averaging 26.2 points, 12.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists through his last 10 games versus Sacramento. He lived up to his reputation with a 36-point, 12-rebound, 8-assist masterclass on 14-of-16 shooting.

Houston Rockets (16-6, third in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (18-6, second in the Western Conference) Denver; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Denver hosts Houston looking to end its four-game home slide.

And that's exactly the case for former All-NBA center Joakim Noah, who recently mentioned Jokic as his favorite player in the world. "My favorite player in the world. So fun to watch," Noah said of Jokic in an interview with Meridian Sport Srbija. "It’s hard to watch anybody else, to be honest.”

After his impressive performance, former NBA player Chandler Parsons predicted that Murray would be selected for his first All-Star this season. Parsons argued about the one-time champion’s All-Star case on Thursday’s episode of FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.”

Aspiring Western Conference contenders hook up Friday night in San Francisco, where the Golden State Warriors will host the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Denver Nuggets will look to snap a three-game home losing streak when the struggling Dallas Mavericks come to town tonight. Nikola Jokic has been phenomenal at home this season, and my Mavericks vs Nuggets predictions expect another productive performance tonight.