The Nuggets also lost Nene (heel) and Arron Afflalo (ankle/toe) on Saturday and have been without center Timofey Mozgov (ankle) through a brutal stretch of three straight losses.
Barring an uncharacteristic slip by a suddenly stout Thunder squad and the Nuggets winning out, Denver seems destined for the 5th seed in the NBA Playoffs.
Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, didn’t mention Anthony by name (he’s not allowed to because of tampering rules) but he was clearly speaking about him when he suggested that he wouldn’t have a problem renting the superstar.
So get to a TV if you can, find a bar with the full NBA package if you must, but watch as many of these games as you can. It may just be a warm up for the Main Event, but this next week is going to be one hell of a show.
This entire game was still on the line even with the Nuggets down by 8 in the fourth. And then 1 moment’s lack of focus by J.R. Smith and Jason Kidd steps in with a steal and Dallas takes an 8-point lead to 16 in 2 minutes. One play in the middle of the fourth quarter and a possible win becomes a 20ish point loss. That’s how close this was.
With 8 games to go, the Nuggets will need a win tonight at the Mavericks and a strong finish to reacquire the 2nd seed in the Western Conference playoff field
The Nuggets are slumping, every other contender is healthy and pressing forward, and there’s no help on the horizon. Gut-check time in Denver.
The Nuggets will be featured on either NBA TV, ESPN or TNT in 7 of their remaining 12 games, and that kind of exposure creates a unique opportunity for Denver to get the fans on their side.
In a game where true team chemistry is at a premium, the Nuggets may already have exactly what they need to win an NBA Championship.
Nuggets keep their eyes on the prize as fans welomed back the league star Carmelo Anthony, coming off an ankle injury missing four straight games.
