The Portland Trail Blazers have spent the first week of the 2026-27 season making noise, and Monday night in Denver gives them another chance to turn that fast start into something bigger.
Portland enters its matchup with the Nuggets having won four of its first five games, a run that should push the Blazers up from their Week 2 spot at No. 15 in NBA.com’s power rankings. They opened the season with two straight wins, then went 2-1 over the next three games, including victories over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday and the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
That stretch hasn’t been spotless. The Blazers took a 21-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, who remain unbeaten heading into Week 3. But Portland answered with a 22-point win over Utah, its first game without Ja Morant after the star point guard’s injury will sideline him for several weeks.
Now the Blazers get a chance to make a stronger case for a top-10 ranking by beating a Denver team that sits at No. 12 in the Week 2 power rankings. The Nuggets are coming off back-to-back wins after a 1-2 start and will lean on Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic again as they try to steady their own season.
Portland has already outplayed Los Angeles, Toronto and New York during this early stretch, even though each of those teams was ranked in the top 10 in Week 2. A win Monday would only strengthen the Blazers’ argument that they belong in that tier themselves.
The challenge is real, but so is Portland’s profile. Deni Avdija, Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson will be asked to carry more of the load on both ends against one of the West’s established teams.
Denver’s numbers leave the door open for an upset. The Nuggets rank 15th in scoring and 18th in defense so far this season, which means the home team is not exactly rolling into this one with momentum to spare.
Portland’s offense has been one of the league’s best through five games. The Blazers are fourth in scoring, with Lillard and Avdija combining for 42.2 points per game. They’ve also defended at a high level, ranking in the top 10 in scoring defense while allowing 109.2 points per contest.
That makes Monday night more than just another early-season game. For Portland, it’s a chance to back up the hot start and show that its rise in the rankings is no fluke.
In Other News...
Blazers Rotation Battle Is Already Getting Hard To Ignore
The Trail Blazers kept rolling with a 112-90 win over the Jazz, their fourth victory in five games, and the night offered another snapshot of how crowded this rotation picture has become. Deni Avdija led Portland in scoring for the fourth straight game, Toumani Camara kept spacing the floor with his 3-point touch, and Jrue Holiday gave the second unit a lift in a performance that stood out as the team continues to sort out its best combinations.
Not every piece fit as cleanly. Donovan Clingan ran into foul trouble, while Vit Krejci had a rough shooting night, reminders that the Blazers are still working through the details even as the results improve. With Ja Morant sidelined by a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Portlands recent stretch has only sharpened the competition for minutes, and the way this group balances production, defense and lineup fit is becoming harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Scoot Henderson Trade Talk Just Got Real For The Blazers
The Hornets early-season shakeup has already put the trade market on alert, and it could have ripple effects for Portland. Charlottes move to send LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota for Naz Reid and multiple draft picks left the roster in a very different place, and with a 3-4 record, the Hornets may not be done dealing before the February deadline.
For the Trail Blazers, the name to watch is Scoot Henderson. Portland could emerge as a potential trade partner if Charlotte decides to move Reid, with the idea of Henderson heading the other way in a deal that would address needs for both sides. Nothing is imminent, but the possibility alone is enough to make this one worth tracking as the deadline picture starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Defense Faces Its Toughest Early Test In Denver
The Trail Blazers head into Denver for the first of four meetings in the season series, and the matchup arrives with one of the leagues more interesting early contrasts. Portland has leaned on a defense that has been especially sharp at limiting second-chance opportunities, while the Nuggets have built a reputation for punishing teams when possessions extend and the ball stays alive around the rim.
Cleaning The Glass numbers point to a clash of strengths that could shape the tone of the series right away, with Portland trying to keep Denver from turning missed shots into easy extra points. The historical backdrop only adds to the intrigue, since these teams know each other well and both enter this stretch with current-season form that makes every possession feel a little more important than usual. [Read more 🡒]