The Cut: Denver's Final Ten Games

(Boulder-CO) I’ve seen enough of this team now to make some pretty strong predictions for the final ten games of the season. The highs have been high and the lows, well, lets just say have been lower than low, but all in all I think I have this team pretty much clocked out. Here’s how I think the remaining ten games will wrap up for the Nuggets.

4-3-07 @ L.A. Lakers: Loss. The Nuggets will play great basketball in stretches, but overall will have too many lapses on both offense and defense to walk away the victors. All is well, however, because the Nuggets get to settle the score on their home court in about a week.

4-4-07 Sacramento Kings: Win. The Nuggets will be one game below .500, again, and the return home will boost their morale in a victory over the Kings. The Nuggets play better under pressure anyways.

4-6-07 Dallas Mavericks: Loss. The Mavericks are too tough and focused offensively and defensively to lose this game. Even with their playoff position locked up, the Mavericks still defeat the Nuggets.

4-7-06 @ L.A. Clippers: Win. The Nuggets once again put up a seriously tough effort only this trip to L.A. fruits the victory. The Clippers might still be in the eighth spot out west when they play, but Sam Cassell is getting older and Allen Iverson should have a big game. Poor Shaun Livingston.

4-9-07 L.A. Lakers: Win. The Nuggets will be ready for the final meeting with the Lakers at Pepsi Center. I expect the Lakers to still be in the sixth seed, but the Nuggets will be riding the momentum of the Clipper win and have enough still in the tank to down the Lakers.

4-11-07 @ Utah Jazz: Loss. The Jazz are not a team to slouch late in the season and at home they are just that much tougher to beat. It will be a shame too because Assistant Coach Adrian Dantley is set to have his jersey number retired before the game. But overall the Jazz will prove to the Nuggets why they won the division this year.

4-13-07 @ NOOC Hornets: Win. The Hornets are a team that was bitten by the injury bug early this season and will be ready to fade away into the offseason by this time. Better luck next year. Wherever that may be for the Hornets.

4-14-07 @ Memphis Grizzlies: Win. At the time of this article’s publish the Grizzlies were, 19-56, overall. The Nuggets would be well advised not to fudge up this game and be a potential 21st or 22nd win for the win-starved Grizzlies. Hopefully, the seventh seed will be all ours at this point and the Nuggets get to tie together the loose ends before the playoffs begin.

4-16-07 Minnesota Timberwolves: Win. Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Not the Nuggets because I strongly feel that Denver will win its last home game before the playoffs start. Somebody please rescue Kevin Garnett this offseason.

4-18-07 @ San Antonio Spurs: Loss. I doubt either team will have much to play for and I could see the Nuggets sitting a couple of guys to rest them before the playoffs kick off. Plus, as I coyly smile, the Spurs just have our number at their place.

If this article proves to be prophetic, the Nuggets will finish, 42-40, this season. Two games shy of where they finished last year, but I think they are a much more dangerous team this post season in comparison to last year's feeble attempt (Not to mention probably avoiding a Kenyon Martin locker room episode). The Nuggets will probably wind up playing the Phoenix Suns in the post season in what should be a tremendously entertaining series of basketball if nothing more than that for Nuggets faithful.

Go Nuggets!