As mentioned in the Monday entry, I was ready to put forth an "inaccurate prediction" on the rest of the games the Nuggets play. I am proud to say, I was well on my way to that dubious achievement, when the Nuggets, to my chagrin, actually.......for once.......proved me right.
It was a strange feeling. As the Nuggets 22 -point lead was being trimmed and eventually evaporated totally, let's face it..........you were probably more shocked that they had a 22-point lead rather than them blowing a 22-point lead.
As I mentioned yesterday, they just are not a viable threat to knock off most of the elite teams in the West Conference on the road. Sure, they are 30-7 at home, though if the Nuggets get into the NBA Playoffs, they will most likely not have the home court advanatge in any round. They need to to prove to everyone---especially themselves----that they can win a big game away from Denver.
I think of the three teams battling for the seventh and eighth spot, the Warriors pose the biggest threat. The first or second seed can only hope that a tired and wilting Mavericks team or an inconsistent Nuggets team will be the opposition.
That said, our Nuggets preview continues. Tonight, their opponent is last night's opponent, the Suns.
Outlook: The Nuggets have to be feeling despondent today. Last night wasn't just a chance to win but also prove to themselves that could be a legitimate NBA Playoff force. Instead, their five game winning streak is over and tonight, I think, to put it frankly, the Nuggets need to win more than the Suns.
Numbers: The Nuggets were outscored by 13 points in the third quarter and by 21 points in the fourth quarter last night. The Suns scored 46 points in that last quarter. Remember Nuggets head coach George Karl trying to emphasize defense to this team? They don't either.
Prediction: After Monday night, it stands to logically reason, the Nuggets are in trouble. However, this is just the type of game and type of circumstance they can rally around, so, as strange as it sounds, one night after the Suns(s) set on the Nuggets, I like Denver to return the favor this evening.
Enjoy your Tuesday, hope to see you tomorrow!
-"z"
