On Wednesday, the Nuggets will play a game on Christmas Day for the first time in seven years. Denver’s last Christmas game came in 2012 when the Nuggets fell to the Los Angeles Clippers, 112-100.
In that loss, the Nuggets had four players in double-figures, led by Kosta Koufos (16) and Jordan Hamilton (16). At that time, the Clippers were in the beginning stages of their “Lob City” era, with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan leading the charge.
Following that loss, Denver dropped to 15-14 on the season, but a remarkable run over the final months of the regular season led to a 57-25 record, which still stands as the best in franchise NBA history.
The Nuggets have only played five times on Christmas prior to this season and have struggled to a 1-4 record on the holiday. With the second matchup against the Pelicans providing another opportunity for Denver to continue its winning ways, look for the Nuggets to come out strong and defend homecourt at Pepsi Center. New Orleans won the first matchup comfortably as Denver struggled to adapt to the Pelicans’ fast-paced style of play.
Wednesday’s game will tip at 8:30 p.m. MT and will air on both ESPN and Altitude.
To get you in the spirit for the holidays, please enjoy this rendition of "Christmas in Hollis" from Denver's 2010-2011 squad: