Charlotte hosts Denver in a game that is very important for both teams that need a win to stay in the playoff race. The Hornets currently sit three games outside of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. With seven games left on the schedule, it's do or die time for them. On the other side, the Nuggets are 1.5 games back from eighth-seeded Portland in the Western Conference. Something will have to give when the clock strikes zero. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM Eastern time this Friday night on NBA League Pass, Altitude 2, and FSN Southeast.
Nuggets (35-39, 4th Northwest)
Denver hasn't done themselves any favors by tripping up in four of their last six games. The offense had a stretch of averaging 125 points in three consecutive games, but even that resulted in just a 2-1 record as they fell to Houston by one point. In their last five games, the Nuggets have been outscored by roughly three points. Most of their problem are on defense, which has been giving up over 30 points in the first quarter during that stretch.
Mason Plumlee (10.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg) is dealing with an abdominal issue but should be ready to go on Friday night. He was held to zero points in over 16 minutes of action against Portland the last time out. Will Barton (13.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) is doubtful after suffering soreness against the Blazers.
Hornets (34-41, 4th Southeast)
Can Charlotte find any consistency down the stretch? They have alternated wins and losses in their past five games, but another way to look at it is they've won five of their last seven games. This game is important for the Hornets as they have a pretty hefty road trip coming up that features Oklahoma City and Washington.
Kemba Walker (22.9 ppg, 5.5 apg) led the team with 27 points in their last meeting with the Nuggets. He scored 26 or more points in three consecutive games prior to putting up 16 points against Toronto on Wednesday. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist leads the team in rebounds, averaging 7.1 boards per game.
Charlotte is a 1.5-point favorite at home and the total O/U is set at 221 points. Denver is 5-1 against the spread in their last six games following an ATS loss.
