Then again, a loss by Golden State will do it too.

You may not have been able to say this for most of the regular season, but
at least right now, it's good to be the Denver Nuggets.

They can clinch a playoff berth--their fifth straight--with a win over Memphis on Wednesday. Then again, they may not have to wait that long. If the Suns defeat the Warriors Monday, the Nuggets are in. Simply put, they can get in by winning or losing---and only a catastrophe can keep them out.

The Nuggets hold their potential playoff future in their hands--a feeling they briefly held a few weeks ago when they defeated Golden State. They recaptured that feeling on Thursday night, after a win over....you got it, Golden State.

Everybody who says guys in the NBA take nights off may be correct, but at the very least, everybody can admit that this year, for some teams, including the Nuggets, every game counted. Each team in the NBA plays 82 regular season games and it might take the Nuggets all 82 of them to earn a spot.

A loss to Memphis could be described as a "superior team unexpectedly losing to an inferior team with a significant amount hanging in the balance." That's a fancy way of saying "choke." The Nuggets have been known to play down to the level of their opponent--losses to Chicago, Milwaukee, and Charlotte prove that.

However, in games that matter, they have proved that as an NBA force, that they matter. Their win over Golden State on Thursday night was a great example of that. Although, they were blown out by the Jazz two night later. However, the victory at Oracle Arena gave them a big advanatge in their race with Golden State, making the Utah game not a must win. In addition, the Jazz are the best team in the NBA at home, so a win seemed unlikely in any sceanrio. So, even though that loss was a little bit alarming, the Nuggets can't worry about how they might match up with the Jazz in the postseason, that is, until they qualify for the postseason. At this point, that seems like a safe assumption. Then again, you never know, so stay tuned...the Nuggets certainly will be.

I hope you have a nice Monday!

Tomorrow: If the Nuggets do get the eighth spot, who would they have a better chance of defeating as a top seed---The Hornets or the Lakers?---- I'll discuss that tomorrow. As always, your thoughts are welcome at zmehenti@cw2.com