NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (30-21) vs. Denver Nuggets (24-27)

Jan 19, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) holds the ball as Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker (17) defends in the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets (24-27) resume the second half of their season amidst a four-game slide entering the break. Denver however will be without star point guard Ty Lawson for tonight’s game as he continues to nurse a broken left rib. With Lawson out for his third-straight game, Denver will have to rely on Randy Foye to run the point guard position with back-up Evan Fournier assuming the point guard role on the second-unit.

What: NBA Preview — Regular Season:  vs. 
When: Tuesday, February 18th
Where: Pepsi Center
Time: 9:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM MT
TV: Altitude Sports

With the four-game slide to enter the break, Denver has fallen into 11th place in the Western Conference. They currently sit six-games back from the eighth spot for the playoffs while they have a favorable schedule in the next couple of games. The game against the Suns will be an uphill battle but Denver will take on Milwaukee Thursday, Chicago on Friday, and Sacramento on Sunday.

On the other end of the court, the Phoenix Suns support a record of 30-21 as they have already surpassed the season they had last year; they finished with just 25 wins. Here is what Suns center Miles Plumlee had to say about the season so far via ESPN.

"“I think we knew we did from the beginning of training camp, because we had good chemistry and we thought we had a lot of talent,” said center Miles Plumlee, who is in his first season with the Suns. “And our guys have gotten a lot better since last year. And the first couple games in, we were doing well and we just started realizing it from there on out.”"

As far as All-Star snubs go, Goran Dragic has to be the most surprising from this years snubs. Dragic has done a good job rallying the team without star guard Eric Bledsoe as he has averaged 20.3 points per game, 6.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while accumulating a player efficiency rating of 22.80.

Projected Starting Line-Ups:

Denver Nuggets

PG: Randy Foye
SG: Wilson Chandler
SF: Darrell Arthur
PF: Kenneth Faried
C: J.J. Hickson

Phoenix Suns:

PG: Goran Dragic
SG: Gerald Green
SF: P.J. Tucker
PF: Channing Frye
C: Miles Plumlee