Event of the Day: Warriors versus Nuggets
Our event of the day is the enticing NBA clash between the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. With both sides having already clinched playoff berths, they are now jostling for top spot in the West with just six games left to play in the regular season. A win for Denver tonight would give them an identical record with the Warriors leaving it all to play for in the final weeks of the campaign. Steve Kerr and the Warriors will be looking to match last year’s regular season record of 58 wins and 24 losses with a win in each of their final six fixtures. Despite being hampered by various injuries throughout the season, Golden State have maintained their fluid offensive front and lead the league in assists as well as field goal percentage. This was exemplified in their last outing against the Charlotte Hornets where they dropped 137 points in a blowout win. A win tonight would be their third straight on their home court. The Oakland based outfit will need to extend their good run of home form if they are to reach their fifth consecutive NBA Finals series.
Whilst Golden State have continued to set the pace at the offensive end of the floor, very few teams have been as proficient in defence as the Denver Nuggets this term. They have given up an average of just 106.7 points per game this year and only two teams in the Western Conference have conceded fewer. Nikola Jokić has been integral to his side’s success so far this season, and leads the team in steals, rebounds, points and assists and he will no doubt be leant upon once more to guide the Nuggets to their first Finals series since 1985. However, despite recording a double-double last time out against the Wizards, Jokić saw his team fall to an unexpected loss on their home patch and they will be eager to bounce back in tonight’s affair. It is the Golden State Warriors who currently lead the regular season series with the Nuggets having won on two of their three meetings this term but be sure to expect fireworks in what could be a dress rehearsal for the Conference Finals!
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the Premier League where Wolverhampton Wanderers will play host to Manchester United at Molineux. Wolves will be looking for a repeat of their FA Cup success over United last month whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjær will be hoping to maintain his 100% record since permanently taking the reins at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, in the EFL Championship, Middlesbrough could move into the playoff places with a win against Bristol City tonight. There is a busy night in the NHL where the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Carolina Hurricanes whilst the Pittsburgh Penguins will travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings. In the tennis, Day 2 of the Volvo Car Open gets underway in Charleston where Andrea Petkovic will do battle with Varvara Lepchenko. Finally, the Indian Premier League continues in Jaipur today where the Rajasthan Royals will welcome the Royal Challengers Bangalore to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by NBA