Nuggets host Trailblazers as Dikembe Mutombo's jersey ascends to Pepsi Center's rafters

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Regular Season Game No. 2 | Portland Trailblazers (1-1) at Denver Nuggets (1-0)

Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado | 6:00 PM MST | TV: Altitude

It’s a historic night in Denver as the Nuggets take on the Portland Trailblazers in their home opener of the 2016-17 season and also raise Hall-of-Famer Dikembe Mutombo‘s jersey to the rafters at Pepsi Center.

Here’s what to watch for tonight:

Mutombo’s legacy

The 2015 Hall-of-Fame inductee played his first five season in Denver, made three of his first eight All-Star games with the Nuggets and is also responsible for arguably the franchise’s most iconic moment; the image of Mutombo clutching the basketball after eighth seeded Denver upset No. 1 seed Seattle in 1994.

Mutombo’s No. 55 will hang alongside other Nuggets greats like Byron Beck, Alex English, David Thompson and Dan Issel and while his accomplishments on the court were impressive, his work off it deserves praise as well.

Mutombo built the $29 million Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in the Congo. He’s an official NBA global ambassador, spreading basketball and partaking in humanitarian efforts all over the globe. Mutombo’s foundation has also been praised by presidents and leaders for it’s work across continents and countries. It’s the Nuggets home opener and basketball will be played, but it’s a special night in Denver as the Nuggets honor one of their all-time greats.

Can the Nuggets backcourt slow down Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum

One of Denver’s most compelling games last year came against the Trailblazers, ending with an Emmanuel Mudiay block on Lillard that sealed the Nuggets win and Denver’s ability to limit Portland’s dynamic backcourt may decide tonight’s outcome.

The Nuggets may be without Gary Harris for a second straight game as the shooting guard recovers from a partially torn groin he suffered this preseason, and Will Barton will be called upon to limit McCollum as Harris has been able to do in the past.

The responsibility won’t fall solely on Barton’s shoulders, but on the entirety of Denver’s backcourt. Stopping an opposing player is never up to one guy, but Barton will spend a lot of tonight on McCollum if Harris is held out and will have to stay on his toes on the defensive end of the floor.

Nikola Jokic faces another defensive test

No one in the NBA is going to fully shut down New Orleans’ Anthony Davis. It’s an impossible task, and Wednesday night against the Pelicans wasn’t Jokic’s best night defensively. He had trouble containing Davis on the perimeter, and didn’t fare much better in the second half when the Nuggets switched him onto Solomon Hill and Terrence Jones.

Tonight, he’ll match up against Al-Farouq Aminu, who’s not an Davis-level player, but is someone who can hurt you from the perimeter. How Jokic is able to limit Aminu and how coach Michael Malone matches up with versatile Portland lineups will be something to watch tonight.

The Nuggets will need to bring a different gameplan to the table than the one they brought to Portland in the preseason. Denver ultimately won the affair 108-104, but Aminu was able to go 5-7 from distance.