Denver @ Phoenix

[corona]

Key Matchup:
v.
Stoudemire's averaged 29 points on 57% shooting after the All-star break. Kmart will need to use every trick in the book to slow him down, as well as take the ball back at Stoudemire offensively and perhaps get him in foul trouble.

Last Meeting: March 5th, 2008
126-113 Denver victory
Iverson and Anthony combined for 61 points on 53% shooting
Denver recorded 32 assists and just 11 turnovers
Jr Smith pitched in 20 points, shooting 6/8 from 3

Denver: 45-28
Rank 11th in offense and 7th in defense
First game of a home and home, back to back series.
Currently on a 5 game win streak, the first since mid-November
Nene returned against Dallas after missing the previous 30+ games with a testicular tumor.

Keys to winning:
Maintaining a consistent sense of urgency to get into the playoffs and win the division.
Making the extra pass on a consistent basis.
Staying home on shooters
Treating the game like a playoff game in every way, regardless of the opponent.

Last 5 Games:
W Golden State
W Dallas
W Memphis
W Toronto
W New Jersey

Phoenix: 49-24
Rank 1st in offense and 15th in defense.
Grant Hill is likely sidelined with a pulled groin and sprained wrist.
14-10 since the O'Neal-Marion trade
11-8 with Shaq in the lineup
Everyone healthy

Last 5 Games:
W New Jersey
W Philadelphia
L Boston
L Detroit
W Houston

Photos:






Game Chat:
http://nuggets.proboards1.com/index.cgi?action=chat

Game Notes:
http://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/notes.pdf
http://www.nba.com/suns/news/notes.pdf

Playoff Picture: (as of sunday morning)
if playoffs started today matchup would be against New Orleans
in the 8th seed
one-half ahead of Golden State
one-half game behind dallas for the 7th seed.
3 games behind Utah for the division lead (4th seed)
4 games behind Phoenix, LA for the 6th seed

[milehigh]

Wouldn't mind seeing some Nene on Shaq this game.

[The Answer_CO]

Another big/tough game.
Grant Hill didnt play vs New Jersey so maybe he wont play against us too.
GO NUGGETS! 6 in a row baby

[noone]

These next two games are the perfect games to get Nene re-aclimated (I'm pretty sure that's a word). The man is huge right now. Put him on Shaq and keep him away from the basket. By the game on Monday, Denver should either have the 7th seed or the 8th and be up 1 full game on GS (2 if you count the tie-breaker). Now is the time to take your chances, go away from your set rotations, and get Nene back into game shape. And it's not like Nene sucks. No matter what size/shape he's in, he has the skills (especially defensively) to be effective. Hopefully he's been working on his jump shot while he's been gone.

[corona]

diaw/bell guarding carmelo for a full game? i can't wait.

[airchibundo507]

diaw/bell guarding carmelo for a full game? i can't wait.

bell bothers carmelo a little bit...

but I hope that he won't get phased out of the offense vs phoenix.

[MELO4MVP]

diaw/bell guarding carmelo for a full game? i can't wait.

Iverson said you have to

[JEWELZ]

lets winnn ittt

[Don_eMOCION#31]

our next "this is the biggest game of the season" because we have to win to hold the 8th seed. the tired warriors will play against a rested dallas team who desperately needs a win tonight.

hopefully this back-to-back game will translate well for us. the suns can't win the second game in denver because they will be tired and have to face the attitude then. a well known problem for shaq...

GO NUGGETS! if you win this you'll win both i think!!!

DID YOU KNOW?

-Season series against the suns is at 1-1. We lost the first game (where they hit every three-pointer they wanted) and won the second one (after the shaq trade).

-A.I. averages 31.5ppg/7.5apg, Camby 11.0ppg/7.0rpg/3.5bpg, Anthony 25.0ppg/13.5rpg against the suns.

-We sucked at the Free-Throw line against them 69.0 % in the last game.

X-Factor: J.R. Smith

Was 6/8 from downtown the last time we faced them and had 20 pts overall.

[MELO4MVP]

If we lose, the team has no heart, right?

[berserker]

This team has a good shot at going far in the playoffs- IF we can get there.

The Nuggets are playing great ball lately, JR has really stepped up his game and if we can get Nene/Chucker (oops, Chucky) on track, i think we can beat any team in the league.

The last 5 wins have come against quality teams in crunch time. They've really turned it around when they had to.....

Melo4Mvp, this team HAS heart......we don't need that *&* on the board.....

[carrottop12]

Good to see a fellow Divisoner in the playoff picture again to keep the rivalry alive.

Hope you win this game too!

[pickaxe]

the one thing that can't happen is underestimate the Suns, they are primed and ready to respond to the last game

just remember Amare is still there even if the Diesel can't make it up the mountain - Amare is more like a Grand Cherokee

[Shady08]

Let's get it done baby! Another playoff game! GO NUGGETS!

[RRFB]

Amare has been beasting lately, as has Kenyon. Should be fun to watch.

[JRMelo15]

Kenyon has to turn on his D, the same D he guarded Bosh. I don't think Shaq will do a whole lot of damage. As usual we need to stay on shooters and make our bigs run when Shaq is in the game to get an advantage.

[The Answer_CO]

Utah lost to Minnesota today.
Hopefully we can come closer to that 4th seed.

[Nuggetsfanduh98]

As stated above Utah was beaten by Minny today so we are now only 2.5 games back from the utah for the division lead!!!!!!!

[JRMelo15]

As stated above Utah was beaten by Minny today so we are now only 2.5 games back from the utah for the division lead!!!!!!!

It's possible to win the division, because our schedule isn't as tough as Utah's. If we beat them in our last season meeting, its a really good chance of us finishing at 4th by the end of the season.

[JEWELZ]

nice jazz lost we need to get closer to that 4thhh!!!