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The Pacers were happy to escape Sacramento with a win late, last night and now must muster up the effort to take on the Denver Nuggets.
Unlike the Suns and Kings, the Nuggets will have a more traditional lineup, less inclined to go bonkers from behind the arc. That should help the Pacers matchup and do what they do defensively to seek an advantage. The Pacers should also get a little boost out of facing former associate head coach, Brian Shaw for the first time. Shaw played a strong role in the development of several Pacers so hopefully he's on the wrong end of the fruits of his labor.
Fatigue, mile-high air, fourth of five road games, the Pacers have plenty of crutches to lean on for a bad effort tonight. Fortunately, that's not normally how they approach the game. David West likes to refer to his crew as a no excuses team and they have shown the ability to rise to tougher challenges than this in the past. But still, a win tonight will require an impressive level of effort.
The Nuggets have been up and down so far this year and recently dipped below .500 after losing three consecutive games.
For more on the Nuggets, check out Denver Stiffs. Also, leave your thoughts and observations on the game in the comments.