Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets: Game preview, time, TV channel, how to watch free live stream online
The Portland Trail Blazers return home after Sunday’s 106-104 win at the Los Angeles Lakers to face arguably their toughest challenge yet:
A fully loaded Denver Nuggets team.
Denver guard Jamal Murray is off to a solid start after missing 80 games last season while recovering from a knee injury that ended the previous season after 48 games. Murray and the Nuggets (2-1) will face the Blazers Monday night at the Moda Center in what will be Portland’s second matchup with a Western Conference contender.
Murray, in two outings, has averaged 14 points and three rebounds with three assists while easing his way back into regular season action. His return to an already strong roster makes the Nuggets quite formidable, especially if forward Michael Porter Jr. can also avoid injury. He appeared in just nine games last season because of back issues.
Despite Murray and Porter being available for only a combined 11 games last season, Denver still managed to finish sixth in the Western Conference at 48-34.
Denver’s length could present all sorts of trouble for the Blazers, who did manage to overcome the Lakers’ superior size. The Nuggets’ backcourt of the 6-foot-4 Murray and 6-5 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope give them an edge in size over the 6-2 Damian Lillard and 6-3 Anfernee Simons.
Furthermore, Porter is 6-10 and fellow starting forward, Aaron Gordon is 6-8. Nikola Jokic is 6-11.
Blazers 6-11 center Jusuf Nurkic matches up physically with Jokic. However, the Blazers will be at a size disadvantage at forward with the 6-8 Jerami Grant and 6-5 Josh Hart.
That all said, the Blazers showed Sunday against the Lakers and Friday against Phoenix that they can compensate for a lack of height with their determination and togetherness.
“We’ve done an incredible job of just playing for each other on both sides of the floor,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said.
BLAZERS RELATED LINKS
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS. DENVER NUGGETS
What: Trail Blazers (3-0) vs. Nuggets (2-1), 7 p.m., Monday.
Where: Moda Center.
Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).
TV channel: Root Sports Plus (in Portland: Comcast 1253, DirecTV 687-1).
Watch the game live online: You can watch this game live for FREE with fuboTV (free trial). You can also get this game on DirecTV Stream’s “CHOICE” package (promotional offers), if you are out of fuboTV trials, or simply prefer that platform and their pricing plans. If you already have a cable or satellite provider that carries Root Sports and want to watch online, you can watch this game live on Root Sports Live.
ODDS (Oregon Lottery/DraftKings)
Moneyline: POR +135 | DEN -155
Spread: POR +3 | Over/Under: 229.5
INJURIES
Blazers: G Gary Payton II (core muscle recovery) and C Olivier Sarr (right wrist sprain) are out. The status for F/C Trendon Watford (right hip flexor strain) was unknown but he has yet to play this season.
Nuggets: G Collin Gillespie (right lower leg fracture)is out.
NEXT UP
The Blazers host the Miami Heat at 7 p.m., Wednesday at the Moda Center.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts
