Aspiring playoff teams Denver (13-10) and New Orleans (12-12) are both headlined by All-Star-caliber players at the center and power forward positions – increasingly a rarity in the NBA – but Wednesday’s matchup may be more notable for who isn’t playing. The Nuggets’ big-man tandem of Nikola Jokic (ankle) and Paul Millsap (wrist) will be out of action due to injury in the Smoothie King Center, while Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (left adductor strain) is listed as doubtful to play Wednesday.
In a small sample, both teams have stayed competitive in recent games without their top players.