The Denver Nuggets play host to the Washington Wizards at Ball Arena on Wednesday.

The Wizards (11-17) come into this matchup losing seven straight and 10 of their last 11 games in total. That run has undone the great start to the season, but the injury bug has been running rampant through this team. Bradley Beal is out due to a hamstring issue, and Kristaps Porzingis just suffered a back injury on Monday. KP has been a revelation in a career year, and this club simply doesn't have enough to compete with those two All-Stars sitting on the sidelines. Both of those guys aren't looking at long-term absences, though, but this hole is getting deeper by the day. If they continue to lose, don't be surprised to see some trade whispers featuring those guys and Kyle Kuzma.

The Nuggets (16-10) had a bizarre three-game losing streak last week but enter this matchup winning their last two. That gives Denver a 7-4 record across their last 11 games in total, with that small three-game skid looking like a blip on an otherwise clean radar. Nikola Jokic is what makes this team so scary, averaging nearly 30 points a night while falling just shy of triple-doubles averages. That's why this guy is the two-time reigning MVP, but he looks unlikely to repeat this year. It's actually a good thing for Denver that he won't because Jamal Murray is back and stealing touches from the big man. The point guard returned from an ACL tear earlier in the year, and he's been stellar over the last month of action. Murray and Jokic are one of the best duos in the league, and this team will get even scarier when Michael Porter Jr (heel) returns as well.

Denver swept the two-game season series over Washington last year. That snapped a three-game winning streak by the Wizards before that.