The Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors met in Denver with both teams sitting at 3-3 and looking for a win streak that would steady their early season. It is the kind of meeting that looks even on paper and still carries a clear edge: one team trying to turn a comeback into momentum, the other trying to keep its glass-heavy identity from becoming a problem.
Denver came back from 19 down in the fourth quarter to beat the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime, while Toronto put up 43 points in the final frame against the Los Angeles Lakers and still lost. Those bursts are part of why this game drew attention, because both clubs have shown they can score in bunches without yet finding consistency for four quarters. The game was also available on Altitude, Altitude+, and Altitude Radio, giving local viewers and listeners a direct look at two teams trying to settle themselves early.
The injury report added another layer. Cam Johnson was probable for the Nuggets with lower body injury management, Alpha Diallo was probable with a wrist issue, while Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther were out. For Toronto, Jakob Poeltl was questionable with a shoulder issue, Nate Bittle was out with a foot fracture, and Kawhi Leonard was out with knee injury management. That left both sides managing rotation questions before the ball was tipped.
The clearest concern for Denver was on the glass. The Nuggets had just been out-rebounded 53-37 by the Portland Trail Blazers and gave up 21 offensive rebounds, the kind of night that leaves no room for comfort against a team described as the number one team in the league on offensive rebounds. Denver is expected to lean on Nikola Jokic for rebounding, but that expectation looked thinner after Donovan Clingan had 18 rebounds against him and Aaron Gordon finished with 5 points, 6 rebounds and a minus-14 in plus/minus. Rookie Trevon Brazile added 5 rebounds in 18 minutes, a small but useful sign that Denver could at least get some help from deeper in the rotation.
Toronto’s offensive rebounding profile only sharpened that worry. The Raptors were described as strong on the offensive glass partly because they miss many threes and chase second chances, but they were also said to be terrible at preventing those same second-chance points. That makes the possession battle in Denver more than a side note. If the Nuggets lose the rebound count again, they risk turning a manageable home game into another scramble for control. If they hold up, they can turn a.500 start into something more stable. If not, the same early-season questions will stay right where they are.
