Nuggets @ Warriors

Who will WIN this matchup?

Denver Nuggets (51-25)

@ Golden State Warriors (52-24)

Current odds:

Denver Nuggets: (+320)

Golden State Warriors: (-400)

• The line for this game is Golden State by 8.5 points.

• The battle for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference goes head-to-head when the Denver Nuggets visit the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. The defending-champion Warriors hold a one-game lead for the top spot after showing off just how good they can be in a 137-90 thrashing of the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. Golden State shot 60.2 percent from the field and went 21-of-33 while totaling 41 assists on 53 made field goals in Sunday’s victory, which came two nights after a contentious overtime loss at Minnesota that left the team frustrated with the officiating. “Nights like tonight show our full potential,” Warriors superstar Stephen Curry told reporters after Sunday’s win. “It’s obviously starting to get real with the countdown being what it is. It’s a good feeling right now, so we have to keep it going.”

• Denver had a chance to go into Tuesday’s battle tied with Golden State but watched its offense fall apart in the second half and suffered a 95-90 home loss to the Washington Wizards on Sunday. “That second half was really awful,” Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic, who was ejected late for arguing with referees, told reporters after watching his team manage 28 points after the break. “We didn’t shoot well. For wide-open shots, we didn’t make those. We were kind of not in a rhythm.”

• Denver is averaging 94.6 points in its last five games and scored 90 or fewer in three of those contests – all losses. “I don’t know,” Nuggets power forward Paul Millsap told reporters when asked about the offensive funk. “If we don’t figure it out going on this roadie, it’s going to be tough to win. It’s something we’ve got to look at, for sure, and try to nip it in the bud.” Point guard Jamal Murray was held to 12 points in 22 minutes on Sunday while hobbled with an ankle sprain and is questionable for Tuesday.

• Golden State did not have a starter log more than Draymond Green’s 29 minutes on Sunday and coach Steve Kerr was happy to get his players the extra minutes off. “When we can keep everybody under 30 minutes, that’s a great night,” Kerr told reporters. “Especially when you are coming back from our little road trip last week, having yesterday off and you have to adjust to the time change and all that.” Curry and Klay Thompson combined to go 11-of-17 from 3-point range on Sunday while point guard Quinn Cook made the most of his extra minutes off the bench and went 5-of-6 from beyond the arc en route to 21 points.

• Warriors C DeMarcus Cousins was ejected on Sunday after drawing a flagrant-2 foul.

• Nuggets SG Gary Harris is 12-of-36 from the floor over the last four contests and went 1-of-7 from beyond the arc on Sunday.

• Denver won the first meeting on Oct. 21, but Golden State took the last two by a total of 48 points.