The Contender Trip (5 Games)

[Don_eMOCION#31]

I'm sure everyone knows that we face 5 elite teams in the upcoming days. I'll break the teams down and it's your job to tell everybody what you think about those games.

-----Game 1-LOST-----

Houston Rockets:

Rec: 39-20

Last Meeting: Mar 02, 2008, 103-89 (Houston Win)
Season Series: 1-2

Trades:
They traded Bonzi Wells and Mike James for Bobby Jackson.

Injuries:
Yao Ming - Broken left foot - out for season
Steve Francis - Left quadriceps surgery - out for season

Streak:
15 W

Statistical Leaders:
PPG: 21.3 - Tracy McGrady
RPG: 9.5 - Dikembe Mutombo (last 2 Games since Yao injured)
APG: 5.7 - Rafer Alston
SPG: 1.3 - Rafer Alston
BPG: 4.0 - Dikembe Mutombo (last 2 Games since Yao injured)

-----Game 2-WON-----

Phoenix Suns:

Rec: 40-21

Last Meeting: Mar 5, 2008, 126-113 (Denver Win)
Season Series: 1-1

Trades:
Phoenix traded Shawn Marion and Markus Banks for Shaquille O'Neal.

Injuries:
No injuries reported

Streak:
1 L

Statistical Leaders:
PPG: 23.9 - Amare Stoudemire
RPG: 10.4 - Shaquille O'Neal (As a Sun)
APG: 11.5 - Steve Nash
SPG: 1.0 - Leandro Barbosa
BPG: 2.3 - Amare Stoudemire

-----Game 3-WON----- & -----Game 5-LOST-----

2x
San Antonio Spurs:

Rec: 39-17

Last Meeting: Jan 3, 2008, 80-77 (Denver Win)
Season Series: 1-1

Trades:
Signed Damon Stoudamire and Kurt Thomas.

Injuries:
No injuries reported

Streak:
7 W

Statistical Leaders:
PPG: 20.5 - Manu Ginobili
RPG: 11.6 - Tim Duncan
APG: 5.9 - Tony Parker
SPG: 1.7 - Manu Ginobili
BPG: 1.9 - Tim Duncan

-----Game 4-LOST------

Utah Jazz:

Rec: 37-22

Last Meeting: Feb 6, 2008, 115-118 (Utah Win)
Season Series: 1-1

Trades:
Utah traded Gordan Giricek for Kyle Korver.

Injuries:
No injuries reported

Streak:
1 L

Statistical Leaders:
PPG: 21.5 - Carlos Boozer
RPG: 10.8 - Carlos Boozer
APG: 9.8 - Deron Williams
SPG: 1.3 - Carlos Boozer
BPG: 1.7 - Andrei Kirilenko

-----

Now i want YOU to make a comment or prediction.... --->

[MELO4MVP]

If they play like they're suppose to, they'll win against Houston, Suns, and Spurs (in Denver), then they'll have grindout games with Utah and SA, idk how that'll go.

The good thing is we're catching Utah in a back to back, Suns in a back to back, and the Spurs on a back to back both times. We're not gonna get Houston on a back to back, but Yao being out should help. The schedule favor us, but we're not consistent enough to say we'll win all of those games. Hopefully Denver wake up and realize we can make a huge jump in this stretch and make a push for homecourt advantage or we can mess up and let the playoffs disappear right before our eyes.

[MELO4MVP]

Interesting, we went 8-5 in Feb, but seem like we played horrible. We should've won the Utah and Bucks game. Those the only 2 I say we blew. 37-21 sound so much better right now. Don't look now, but we can gain alot of ground on the Suns, in the next 5 games.

[pickaxe]

I think Houston is a hump-game, if the team can win that one and break the streak at 14 - that will give them the needed confidence to safely get through the rest.

If Houston is a no-go, winning against the Suns is winnable but it's all about focus and not underestimating the big aristotle.

You know what...if they can focus like they did in the last two games they can make all of these games close toward the end, and really, the test of the season, closing out games becomes the ultimate focus.

Same went the Spurs series last year in the playoffs.....they fought and chipped, but a champion is going to win in the end.

[goldenkarrrlll]

well this is going to be the defining stretch and defining month. We have this five game streak, then after a 3 game home stand we have a five game eastern swing, followed by at the end of the month 3 out of 4 games at home against Dallas, GS and phx back to back.....This team rises to the level of opponents but after this five game stretch we will know if there will be any hope of catching Utah and or Houston. We need to win our division or else our destiny if we make the playoffs will be SA or LA...=exit. GS and Houston has pretty favorable schedules. We need topenetrate and kick on offense and play man to man and REBOUND on defense. Did you happen to know the Nuggets effeciency rankings...#12 Offense, #4 Defense, and #23 Rebounds. When Carmelo is a beast on the boards we are a pretty good team. Too often however Camby is the only one rebounding...kmart is playing well but needs to board and we all know we have no rebounding from the guard position. Our defense at times looks bad because of the offensive rebounding and put backs we give up and transition defense from bad offensive shots. If we can share the ball and attack the rim -get to the line we have the talent to do well in the playoffs. It looks like believe it or not in the last two games, Karl has ran a few pick and rolls and even a couple of plays. Unbelivable...that is what we need some inteligent design instead of outright pickup game chaos. My prediction:
at Houston-W
Pheonix-W
SA-L
at Utah-L
at SA-L
That Utah game is big, I hope we can win that and go 3 and 2 but just see too many bad habits on this team and a coach who is either powerless or too gutless to break them.

[corona]

5-0

game. set. match.

mhizzle, where you at for the good luck?

[Don_eMOCION#31]

carrie says we go for 4-1 and will lose one of the spurs games. i think we can beat the new suns because they play much slower than before the marion trade. the jazz game will be tough but i think we are better. the game i'm a little scared of is the rockets one... if we beat them i think we can go for 4-1, maybe even 5-0 because we are hungry enough i think

W Houston
W Phoenix
W San Antonio
W Utah
L San Antonio

[elbowthrower]

If these guys can't beat the Bulls and Bucks, then barely beat the Clippers, I think they'll be lucky to get 1 game in this stretch. I voted 1-4.

But I hope for the best.

[JRMelo15]

I say we beat 4 teams in a row at home, then we lose to SAS on the road.

[DNIsLeGiT]

it all depends on which group of nuggets show up, the one that beated boston or the one that lost to the bucks and bulls.

i voted 4-1 and hope im right.

[MELO4MVP]

I was looking at the Suns schedule and if we pull through this tough stretch, we can very well catch the Suns. Tonight's game is so huge.

[AI4life07]

i hope we can win the home games we will most likely lose to the Spurs and maybe Phoenix i voted 3-2. i can live with that.

[MELO4MVP]

4-1 That 1 loss come in SA. Tonight's game is so huge

[el loco]

It seems like we have been a win 3 lose 2 type of a team all year long, so that it is what I think we will do, that or go 2-3, but I would like the extra win, so 3-2.

[corona]

c'mon mhizzle...

5 1/2 hours....
we need your carrie blessings before this stretch of games start or we're doomed.

[UNLVNugsFan]

It was a toss-up for me between 2-3 and 3-2, and I eventually went with 3-2. I think we got wins at Houston, against Phoenix, and possibly at home against the spurs. I think we lose in Utah and lose in San Antonio.

[JRMelo15]

Win in Utah is absolute must for the Nuggets...

[UNLVNugsFan]

Let's hope it is not an "must" win game in Utah. They are 25-3 I believe at home.

[corona]

i blame this on the no-show by mhizzle.

[mlagoa]

Nice Start!

0-1