The Denver Nuggets will face the Kings on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento in their first game since firing coach Michael Malone.
Denver fired Malone and general manager Calvin Booth on Tuesday with the Nuggets still trying to secure the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. David Adelman, the son of former Kings coach Rick Adelman, will serve as interim head coach.
The Kings (39-40) clinched a spot in the NBA play-in tournament Tuesday when the Phoenix Suns suffered a 133-95 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Kings are ninth in the West with a one-game lead over the Dallas Mavericks. Finishing ninth would give the Kings a first-round home game in the play-in tournament.
The Nuggets (47-32) are fifth in the West behind the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers, Nuggets, Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies have identical records – one game behind the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers – but the Clippers currently hold the tiebreaker for the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Here are three things to watch in Wednesday’s game.
Sacramento injury news
The Kings will be shorthanded again. Malik Monk has been ruled out due to left calf soreness. Jake LaRavia is out with a left thumb incomplete scaphoid fracture. Keegan Murray is questionable due to lower back inflammation.
Monk was injured in Monday’s win over the Detroit Pistons. He is averaging career highs of 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
Murray has missed the past two games. He is averaging 12.5 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Jamal Murray’s injury
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is doubtful due to right hamstring imflammation after missing the past five games. Denver has lost four in a row with him out of the lineup. The Nuggets are 8-6 in the 14 games he has missed this season.
Murray is averaging 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.4 steals. He is shooting 47.6% from the field and 39.6% from 3-point range.
Nikola Jokic making MVP push
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a solid favorite to win his first MVP award, but Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is making a late push for his fourth during a historic season.
Jokic is averaging 30.0 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists while shooting 57.7% from the field and a career-high 41.5% from 3-point range. Jokic is averaging 40.2 points over his past five games. He had a 41-point triple-double against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday and a 61-point triple-double against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 1.
Nuggets at Kings
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Golden 1 Center
TV: ESPN
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Nuggets -3.5
Over/under: 236.5
Injury report
Nuggets: DOUBTFUL — Jamal Murray (hamstring). OUT — DaRon Holmes II (Achilles).
Kings: QUESTIONABLE — Keegan Murray (back). OUT — Isaiah Crawford (G League); Mason Jones (G League); Jake LaRavia (thumb); Malik Monk (calf).
This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
