The Denver Nuggets own the league’s longest active winning streak of seven games, which also represents their best run of the season.
Denver will look to add another victory to the streak on Wednesday night when it hosts the Portland Trail Blazers in the final game before the All-Star break for both squads.
The contest is the second of a two-game set between the teams. Host Denver mauled the Trail Blazers 146-117 on Monday in the first one.
The Nuggets ran up season highs in both points (146) and field goal percentage (65.9). Nikola Jokic scored 40 points on 15-of-22 shooting and Christian Braun added 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting.
Braun excelled at freelancing and cutting to the hoop for easy baskets, while finishing just two points shy of his career high.
“I think people are seeing how many easy buckets I get,” Braun said. “That’s part of our offense. That’s what unlocks a lot of our offense. Somebody’s getting on the rim. Everybody can do it.”
Denver coach Michael Malone is impressed with the way the offense has been flowing. Monday’s output was the third time during the winning streak in which the Nuggets scored 137 or more points.
“I think somebody said we’ve got to diversify our offense at one point,” Malone said. “Why? Stick with what’s working.
“We’ve led the league all year long to this point as we approach the All-Star break in fast-break points, in paint points, in assists. And that’s how we do it. That’s just the way our team is built and we believe it.”
The Nuggets don’t expect to know until Wednesday whether forward Michael Porter Jr. (left hamstring) will be available. He missed the last two games after averaging 35 points over a three-game span.
Russell Westbrook will miss his seventh straight game with his own left hamstring injury.
Portland has dropped the first two games of a three-game road trip after winning 10 of its previous 11 games.
The Trail Blazers lost 114-98 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, then were clobbered by the Nuggets.
Portland’s top two scorers at Denver were reserves. Dalano Banton scored 22 points and rookie big man Donovan Clingan scored a career-best 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting in just 21 minutes.
It marked Clingan’s first double-digit output since scoring 11 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 9.
“I feel like I played all right,” said Clingan, the seventh overall pick from UConn. “I feel like I ran the floor pretty well, rebounded pretty well. I just wish I set better screens to get my guards open. I like to win. It hurts to lose.”
In the eyes of Portland coach Chauncey Billups, Clingan did more than all right.
“I loved it,” Billups said. “It was, obviously, a career high for him, but he was aggressive. I thought even defensively, he did a pretty good job in a nightmare matchup (against Jokic), obviously. But, man, he finished the ball very well. I thought he passed it pretty well. It was just a really good game for D.C.”
Clingan will see plenty of action on Wednesday with starter Deandre Ayton out after sustaining a left calf strain in Monday’s game. Another big man, Robert Williams III (knee), is ruled out, as well.
Scoot Henderson sprained his right ankle on Monday and will sit out. Jerami Grant (right knee) sat out on Monday and is questionable for Wednesday.
The Nuggets have won eight of the past nine meetings with the Trail Blazers; Portland’s lone win came on Dec. 19 when Anfernee Simons scored 28 points, including the game-winning layup as time expired in a 126-124 home victory.
–Field Level Media
