Denver Nuggets (22-9, third place in the Western Conference) – Miami Heat (17-15, seventh place in the Eastern Conference)
Miami; Monday, 19:30. EST
BOTTOM LINE: The Denver Nuggets will take on the Miami Heat in a non-conference matchup.
The Heat went 11-5 in home games. Miami ranks ninth in the Eastern Conference in team defense, allowing just 117.4 points while holding opponents to 45.4 percent shooting.
The Nuggets are 12-4 on the road. Denver leads the Western Conference with 125.8 points per game on 51.3% shooting.
The Heat are averaging 120.2 points per game, 2.7 points more than the 117.5 the Nuggets are giving up. The Nuggets are averaging 8.4 more points per game (125.8) than they are allowing to the opposing Heat (117.4).
The two teams meet for the second time this season. The Nuggets defeated the Heat 122-112 in their last meeting on November 6th. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 33 points and Norman Powell led the Heat with 23 points.
TOP PERFORMANCE: Kel'el Ware is averaging 12.4 points and 10.6 rebounds for the Heat. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is averaging 28.0 points over his last 10 games.
Jokic is averaging 29.9 points per game with 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray is averaging 24.0 points and 5.0 rebounds on 42.9% shooting over his last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Heat: 3-7, averaging 112.6 points, 45.3 rebounds, 24.7 assists, 9.2 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents averaged 115.1 points per game.
Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 127.3 points, 41.9 rebounds, 30.2 assists, 7.9 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 51.4% from the field. Their opponents averaged 120.7 points.
INJURIES: Heat: Bam Adebayo: day to day (back), Tyler Herro: day to day (toes).
Nuggets: Cameron Johnson: out (knee), Christian Braun: out (ankle), Aaron Gordon: out (hamstring), Tamar Bates: out (foot).
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The Associated Press generated this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
