Tonight is a blockbuster matchup. The two previous NBA champions meet when the Denver Nuggets host the Boston Celtics at Ball Arena. The Celtics haven’t missed a beat since winning the title. They have a 26-10 record, are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference standings and remain the favorites to win the title this year. They have the best starting five in the league and are led by stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. The Nuggets have been playing better of late, so this will be a real test of where they stand in their quest to remain in contender status.

The essentials

WHO: Denver Nuggets (20-14) vs. Boston Celtics (26-10)

When: 8:00 p.m. MST

Where: The tin. Denver, CO

How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs doesn’t tolerate piracy…unless it’s the romanticized 17th century form. TNT, altitude radio 92.5 FM. If you show up with Dunkin, a sense of defeatism, and a famous actress named Jennifer, security will probably just assume you’re Ben Affleck.

Rivals Blog: Celtics Blog

The matchup

Injury report: Aaron Gordon – out (calf), Vlatko Cancar – out (knee), DaRon Holmes II – out (hamstring), Spencer Jones – out (adductor), PJ Hall – out (G-League); Baylor Scheierman – out (G-League), JD Davidson – out (G-League), Drew Peterson – out (G-League), Anton Watson – out (G-League).

The three things

What you should pay attention to: Russell Westbrook vs. Jrue Holiday

Two guys who have been making it in the league for a long time meet tonight. Russell Westbrook has been the X-factor for Denver since he was elevated to the starting lineup following the loss of Aaron Gordon. He brings a different perspective to the game than Jamal Murray and the two combined, as Denver’s starting backcourt has found success. However, Russ’ best chance is to attack the basket, and Jrue is still one of the best players in the league at stopping opposing guards from attacking the basket. I’m sure Jrue Russ will be only too happy to settle for the jumpers, so he’ll have to work for his buckets. Since Westbrook was in the starting lineup (and Christian Braun had a shooting slump), the spacing was no longer optimal for Denver. Most teams are content to let Denver’s perimeter guys (except Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray) bomb and take advantage of their opportunities. Russ has the ability to change that with his dribble penetration, and at times this season that has been a lifesaver. If he can’t do that tonight against Jrue, it could be a very long night for Denver.

Here’s what you should remember: This team is out for revenge

Don’t think for a second that the Celtics have forgotten that they suffered their first home loss last year and were swept by the Nuggets in the regular season. While everything worked out for Boston in the end, the Celtics have yet to get their revenge as Denver did not return to the Finals. I suspect they’ll be pretty excited for this game. Add to that the fact that a team that rarely and almost never loses twice comes to Denver with one loss, and this game spells disaster if the Nuggets don’t have maximum energy from the start.

What to bet on: Nikola Jokic over 29.5 points (-115)

The Celtics have an abundance of fullbacks. They won’t let Denver’s wingers make easy baskets. However, we have plenty of evidence that Kristaps Porzingis can’t contain Nikola Jokic, and when the Nuggets play the Porzingis Celtics, they feed the big man. Joker has scored 30 or more points in four of his last five meetings with Porzingis, and in the game in which he failed, he scored 29. He also averaged 31.5 points per game this season and in his last five Playing 36.6 points per game. I feel pretty confident with that.