The Denver Nuggets, who have one easy win and three nail-biters this season, play host to the undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder, who blew out Denver at Ball Arena to open the season. The hope was that Denver would be ready for an almost immediate rematch after shaking off the rust, but instead Denver will be down two starters and hoping for reserves to fill the gaps. Jamal Murray will miss the game due to concussion protocol and Aaron Gordon strained his calf in the final second of Denver’s win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, leaving the Nuggets looking for quick answers to major issues. Their starting unit was one of the best in the league, but without 2/5 of them, the bench will have to come out in a big way to beat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and the surging Thunder as they look to remain undefeated.

The essence

WHO: Denver Nuggets (4-3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0)

When: 7:00 PM MST

Where: The can. Denver, CO

How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not tolerate piracy…unless it is a romanticized 17th century type. Altitude TV if available, NBA League Pass if not in the Nuggets market. Height radio 92.5 FM. Bring an ice pack and say it’s for a Nugget. They’re so beat up that no one will suspect you.

Rival blog: Thunderous intentions

Injury report: Vlatko Cancar – questionable (ankle), DaRon Holmes II – out (achilles), Aaron Gordon – out (calf), Jamal Murray – out (concussion); Isaiah Hartenstein – out (hand), Nikola Topic – out (knee), Jaylin Williams – out (hamstring), Kenrich Williams – out (knee)

The (two) things

What to pay attention to: Who will replace Aaron Gordon?

The Nuggets already had a problem replacing Jamal Murray, who is in concussion mode and still unavailable. Now they will have to replace Aaron Gordon, who will miss at least a few weeks with a calf injury, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Defensively, Gordon is Denver’s best overall defender, especially when it comes to big wingers and front court players, and that responsibility will likely fall to Peyton Watson. But he was also one of the key ballhandlers when Murray came out, moving the ball up the pitch or organizing the attack off the bench, and now someone else will have to do that too. Julian Strawther got time with the ball in his hands and will likely see that increase even more, as will Christian Braun. It will be an all-hands-on-deck effort to replace Gordon’s contributions by committee, but AG has some very big shoes to fill in the next few games – and especially this one against a Thunder squad that handily contained the Nuggets on opening night and can provide ruthless ball. – pressure on inattentive guards and wings.

What to remember: It’s still very early in a long season. Look for progress and not perfection.

The Thunder have come out of the gate sprinting, while Denver is mostly on their way to a winning record through seven games. No, it wouldn’t be good to lose 0-2 to the Thunder in the season series, with both losses coming on Denver’s home court. That said, Denver isn’t measuring itself against the Thunder right now – who will be in the playoffs when they meet. The goal the Nuggets need to focus on is getting better, finding the right pieces for their rotation, figuring out how to deal with these types of injuries and missing players… all the details that go into making the play in the first round offs with home field reached. Nikola Jokic is playing like an MVP again, but Denver absolutely needs to find a way to reduce the workload he has to do to get these wins. As Nikola said after the most recent game in Toronto, “I would like to win all my games for the rest of my life, just like we beat Utah.” He didn’t have to play that fourth quarter at all.

If he’s in the fourth quarter of this game, it’s most likely because Denver is getting blown out again, because the kind of effort I expect him to need in a win is a full-game masterpiece. That said, win or lose tonight, pay attention to the margins, to the players on the bench who need more time to gel and find their roles. There are no moral victories in the NBA, but Denver is currently at a point where the growth they get from their non-starters is a more important metric than just the win column. That said, a win would also go a long way to allaying concerns, so let’s hope for that.

The return of the Nuggets season also means the return of the Stiffs Night Out at #38 in Rino! Join us on November 8 to watch the Nuggets take on the Miami Heat. There will be live podcasts, awards shows, drink specials, delicious food, and the best Nuggets fans in town! Number 38 features a robust beer selection as well as plenty of other drink options. Tip-off is at 7pm and there is plenty of room for everyone, but make sure you come early to get the best seats on the terrace (weather permitting). I can’t wait to see everyone there at 3560 Chestnut Pl.