Another sign that this Nuggets team might be something special: After losing eight of 11 games starting Feb. 20, they turned it around and started playing their best basketball of the season.
“Definitely,” forward Carmelo Anthony said. “As a team, as a whole, we are definitely playing our best basketball.”
The result is a division championship within reach.
Utah buried itself even further in the division race with a head-scratching loss to Minnesota on Friday night, the third loss in a row for the Jazz. The loss dealt a blow to Utah’s hopes for home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The Nuggets are four games up on the Jazz in the Northwest Division race with six games left for both teams.
Portland is a more complicated situation. The Nuggets and Trail Blazers appear to be on a collision course for a division-deciding, regular-season finale between the two in Portland on April 15.
Portland is 1 1/2 games back after its win over Oklahoma City on Friday night, plus the Blazers have a game in hand with seven remaining contests. Portland has hung around all season, giving this the look of a race that won’t be decided until the NBA’s last week.
It is for that reason the Nuggets say they aren’t satisfied with simply dealing a damaging loss to Utah on Thursday.
“I don’t think anybody is overly cocky,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “We just want to do our jobs, try to win as many games as possible and be ready to go when the playoffs begin.”
Staying focused is important, as this week has proved there is danger in playing teams who are out of the playoff race.
Oklahoma City beat San Antonio in San Antonio on Tuesday. Wednesday, the Toronto Raptors won at Orlando. And, in what continues to be an example of one team being kryptonite to another, the Charlotte Bobcats beat the visiting L.A. Lakers on Tuesday. Then Wednesday, the Bobcats took the Celtics to double overtime before losing by two in Boston.
The Nuggets have a recent history of slipping up at inopportune times from which to draw experience. In the heat of the playoff race last season, the Nuggets lost consecutive games to Sacramento and Seattle, two of the NBA’s worst teams.
The difference this time around, however, has been in the Nuggets’ approach, Karl said.
“I think we’re the most serious we’ve been all year,” Karl said. “I think we’re doing what we have to do against under-.500 teams and get fired up and prepared and ready to go for the tough opponents.”
Still, Karl added, “I’m not going to feel good until this weekend is over and we have two more wins. I’ll then start feeling good a little bit. But I think we’re eliminating some stress. By winning these games we’re not putting an overburden on any one game. And I think the good teams do that very well. The good teams, they don’t put you in those must-win, Samurai-sword-to-your-heart type of games.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
L.A. Clippers at Denver
7 p.m. tonight, ALT, KCKK 1510 AM
Spotlight on Zach Randolph: The injury-prone forward has shaken off ailments of late and played good basketball, averaging 20.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, shooting 60 percent from the field in his last five games.
Notebook
Nuggets: Forward Kenyon Martin is a game-time decision with a rib cartilage strain. “Ribs aren’t fun,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “Ribs are sore. I like challenges, but I prefer to be healthy. I think Melo is getting healthier and everybody seemed to be in a mode of getting healthier. I’m hoping that this is just a few days’ injury.” . . . Nene (bruised hand) is probable for tonight’s game. . . . The Nuggets held a ‘shootaround’ Friday and cancelled today’s in anticipation of the expected snowstorm. . . . Single-game playoff tickets on sale today at 10 a.m. They can be purchased at Ticketmaster outlets, the Pepsi Center box office, or calling 1-800-4NBATIX.
Clippers: This game was to be the second appearance of former Nuggets center Marcus Camby to the Pepsi Center. But Camby is not expected to play because of an ankle sprain. . . . The Clippers are looking to hire a general manager and one reported candidate is ex-Knicks coach and GM, Isiah Thomas.
Chris Dempsey, The Denver Post
