Denver Nuggets vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction & Match Preview - December 17th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22

The Denver Nuggets take on the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on Friday. Both teams are 14-14 through their first 28 games and have struggled to maintain a winning record. Both are coming off tough losses and will look to avoid embarking on a losing streak at the expense of the other.

Match Details

Fixture - Denver Nuggets vs Atlanta Hawks | NBA Season 2021-22

Date & Time - Friday, December 17th, 2021; 7:30 PM ET (Saturday, December 18th; 6:00 AM IST)

Venue - State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA.

Denver Nuggets Preview

Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets hustles to keep possession of a loose ball

The Denver Nuggets have been bitten by the injury bug and their season is in jeopardy. Jamal Murray is still rehabilitating from an ACL tear while Michael Porter Jr. is now also ruled out for the rest of the season. Porter Jr. signed a 5-year extension with the team in the offseason, so the front office kept this in mind and planned for the future, willingly sacrificing the current season.

Aaron Gordon, Will Barton and Monte Morris have tried filling the shoes of the rest of the starters, but so far it hasn't worked out well. Nobody on the team is capable of averaging over 20 points per game on a consistent basis and the Denver Nuggets can only go as far as Nikola Jokic can carry them.

Key Player - Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets superstar and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic

The reigning MVP is by far the most valuable player this season as well. The Denver Nuggets are horrendous with him off the floor and Nikola Jokic is leading the NBA in practically every advanced statistic including Box Plus-minus, PER, VORP, etc. He might not win the award because of their poor team record but his value to the squad is indisputable.

Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup

G - Monte Morris | G - Will Barton | F - Jeff Green | F - Aaron Gordon | C - Nikola Jokic.

Atlanta Hawks Preview

Trae Young and John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are not where they expected themselves to be at this point of the season. They made the Eastern Conference Finals last year, knocking out the 1st-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the process. So no one could have predicted that they would be struggling to stay above .500 after a quarter of the season.

They have been abysmal in the fourth quarters and clutch scenarios. They lost to a bottom-table Houston Rockets team despite Trae Young dropping 41 points, all because they couldn't close out the final few minutes. John Collins hasn't made the All-Star leap we expected him to make and just like the Nuggets, it appears that the Atlanta Hawks will only go as far as Young can carry them.

Key Player - Trae Young

Trae Young (#11) of the Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young is making an MVP case this season but isn't getting recognition because of their poor team record. He is second in the NBA in total points scored and with 27.0 points per game, he has overtaken Warriors' Stephen Curry for third on the scoring leaderboard. Young is also third in assists per game and second in total assists.

Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup

G - Trae Young | G - Kevin Huerter | F - Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot | F - John Collins | C - Clint Capela.

Nuggets vs Hawks Match Prediction

The Atlanta Hawks look like favorites to win this clash because of a healthier roster compared to the Denver Nuggets. The game is also on the Hawks' home floor at State Farm Arena. However, the biggest challenge for them is containing Nikola Jokic. Otherwise, the reigning MVP will take over the game.

Where to watch the Nuggets vs Hawks game?

The matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks will be broadcast locally on Altitude and Bally Sports Southeast - Atlanta (SE-ATL). The game can also be live-streamed via the NBA League Pass.

Fans can tune in to the radio at WZGC and KKSE-FM to listen to the live commentary of the game.