The Denver Nuggets visit the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, December 31, in an interconference matchup at Scotiabank Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET as both teams close the calendar year with winning records.
Denver enters the night at 22-10. Toronto stands at 20-14 and rides a two-game winning streak. The Raptors edged Orlando 107-106 before outlasting Golden State 141-127 in overtime.
The injury report heavily impacts Denver’s rotation, starting with Nikola Jokic being ruled out due to left knee injury management. His absence removes 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game from the lineup.
Aaron Gordon is also out with a right hamstring strain after averaging 18.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in 13 appearances. Christian Braun remains sidelined by a left ankle sprain, further thinning Denver’s wing defense.
Cameron Johnson is unavailable as part of right knee injury management, eliminating a floor spacer shooting 42.9 percent from three. Tamar Bates is out following left foot surgery, while Julian Strawther is listed as probable with an illness.
With multiple starters unavailable, Jamal Murray is expected to shoulder a significant offensive load. He enters the game averaging 25.2 points and 7.0 assists while shooting 45.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Toronto’s injury report is lighter but still notable, headlined by Jakob Poeltl being ruled out with a lower back strain. The absence removes a high-efficiency interior presence who averages 7.7 rebounds on 69.3 percent shooting.
Several Raptors remain unavailable due to G League assignments, including Chucky Hepburn, A.J. Lawson, Alijah Martin, and Jonathan Mogbo. Those absences primarily affect bench depth rather than the core rotation.
Toronto leans on Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and Immanuel Quickley to drive offensive creation. Barnes continues to provide two-way production with 19.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
This game marks the first meeting between the teams this season.
