3rd Quarter Report
The Nuggets fell flat on their face against the Thunder on Friday, but memory of that harsh defeat doesn’t seem to have tripped them up today. The Nuggets are fully in control with a 89-66 lead over the Hornets.
If the Nuggets keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 24-11 in no time. On the other hand, the Hornets will have to make due with a 7-24 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Charlotte Hornets @ Denver Nuggets
Current Records: Charlotte 7-23, Denver 23-11
How To Watch
- When: Monday, January 1, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: Ball Arena — Denver, Colorado
- TV: Altitude Sports & Entertainmnt
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $39.99
What to Know
The Nuggets will be playing the full four quarters on Monday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. The Denver Nuggets and the Charlotte Hornets will face off at 9:00 p.m. ET on January 1st at Ball Arena without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
The Nuggets unfortunately witnessed the end of their six-game winning streak on Friday. They found themselves the reluctant recipients of a 119-93 punch to the gut against Oklahoma City. Having soared to a lofty 142 points in the game before, the Nuggets’ point total in this one was quite the letdown.
Meanwhile, the Hornets’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their tenth straight loss. They received a tough blow as they fell 133-119 to Phoenix. The final score was a far cry from the score of their previous head-to-head, which saw the teams combine for 196 points.
The Hornets’ loss came about despite a quality game from Terry Rozier, who went 8 for 12 from beyond the arc en route to 42 points and 8 assists. Those 42 points set a new season-high mark for him.
Denver’s defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 23-11. As for Charlotte, they have not been sharp recently, as they’ve lost 12 of their last 13 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-23 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Nuggets haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 11.5 turnovers per game (they’re ranked third in turnovers per game overall). However, it’s not like the Hornets struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 13.3 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Nuggets beat the Hornets 102-95 when the teams last played last Saturday. Will the Nuggets repeat their success, or do the Hornets have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Denver is a big 15-point favorite against Charlotte, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Nuggets as a 14.5-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 227 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Denver has won 9 out of their last 10 games against Charlotte.
- Dec 23, 2023 – Denver 102 vs. Charlotte 95
- Feb 11, 2023 – Denver 119 vs. Charlotte 105
- Dec 18, 2022 – Denver 119 vs. Charlotte 115
- Mar 28, 2022 – Denver 113 vs. Charlotte 109
- Dec 23, 2021 – Charlotte 115 vs. Denver 107
- May 11, 2021 – Denver 117 vs. Charlotte 112
- Mar 17, 2021 – Denver 129 vs. Charlotte 104
- Mar 05, 2020 – Denver 114 vs. Charlotte 112
- Jan 15, 2020 – Denver 100 vs. Charlotte 86
- Jan 05, 2019 – Denver 123 vs. Charlotte 110
