Not Done Yet: The Spurs Are Making A Run, Face Nuggets Tonight

The Denver Nuggets will wrap up a three-game road trip when they play the San Antonio Spurs in Texas tonight. After losing the first two games, the Nuggets will be looking to get back on track against one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

The Spurs had a number of us fooled earlier this season. Every year, many fans and analysts want to throw San Antonio off of their pedestal, but as soon as you think they are down, Gregg Popovich and company come back swinging. On February 25^th, the Spurs were sitting at 34-23 and they appeared to be a one-and-done Playoff team. That’s no longer the case. The team has won 15 of their past 18 games, and their record stands at 49-26 — good enough for sixth in the Western Conference. Believe it or not, they still have a chance to win the Southwest Division. The Spurs are two and a half games behind the division-leading Houston Rockets.

San Antonio is currently riding a five-game winning streak, thanks a well-balanced team effort. They have been great offensively, averaging 105.0 points per-game over that stretch. As well as they have played on offense, they have been even better on the defensive end of the floor. They have held opponents to a miniscule 85.6 points per-game average, and they have locked the perimeter down — opposing teams are shooting 31.7-percent from distance over their last five.

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The Spurs last win came against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, 103-91. The win extended the Spurs NBA record of consecutive 50-win seasons to 15. They also managed to lock up an 18^th consecutive Playoff appearance. It’s no coincidence that Tim Duncan‘s 18-year playing career mirrors the Spurs Playoff streak. These may be the final days of a Hall of Fame playing career for Duncan, but head coach Popovich is making sure that Duncan’s legs stay fresh for the postseason. Over their recent five-game winning streak, Duncan has averaged 24.2 minutes per-game, but he has still impacted the game defensively by swatting 2.2 blocks per-game. Despite the fact that he is 38 years-old, Duncan is still a player to keep an eye on as we move towards the second season.

Interestingly, Nuggets interim head coach Melvin Hunt was working in San Antonio towards the beginning of the Duncan era, but not as an NBA coach. Early in his coaching career, Hunt was the lead assistant coach for the University of the Incarnate Word — a San Antonio Division I school. He spent only one season (1998-99) as a coach at UIC, but he was able to witness Duncan and the Spurs win their first NBA Championship after the lockout-shortened 1999 season.

While Duncan’s NBA career is winding down, Hunt’s is just beginning. His head coaching career started fast, with the Nuggets (28-47) winning six of their first eight games, but they have fizzled lately and the team currently sits at 8-8 with Hunt roaming the sideline. Regardless of the sudden downturn, they have been a better team with Hunt in charge. The team has scored at least 100 points in 12 of their 16 games since he began leading the squad on his own.

Wednesday night’s loss to the Utah Jazz turned out to be one of the exceptions. Denver had one of its worst offensive games of the season — the team shot 34.7-percent from the field and they made only seven three-pointers. Denver ended up losing 98-84, but they need to treat it like just another game in a lost season. They need to clear their minds tonight, and come out strong against another top-tier defense. Hunt will have the tough task of getting his team ready for a game with no meaning, in the midst of a rough patch of games. How the Nuggets perform in situations like these will go a long way towards his future candidacy as a permanent hire at head coach.

This will be the fourth and final meeting between these two teams this season. The Spurs won the previous three games, and they have won seven straight against Denver overall — including eight of their past nine at home. Kenneth Faried has averaged 22.0 points and 11.8 rebounds per-game over his last four games against the Spurs. Recently, Denver has had success against San Antonio in the paint (114 points over the last two games), but Tony Parker has been a nuisance (21.0 points and 7.0 assists per-game in the last two meetings) for the Nuggets.

Darrell Arthur (calf) and J.J. Hickson (knee) are both questionable for Denver, and San Antonio has no injuries to report.

The Denver Nuggets are down to seven games remaining on their schedule. It has been a long season, but there are some reasons for optimism. If they can gain a big road win against one of the best teams in the league tonight, it will go a long way towards the team’s confidence. In order for Melvin Hunt to keep this job moving forward, the team will have to finish the year out strong. He has shown that he can improve the team’s offense, but what else separates him from other contenders out there? It’s time for Hunt’s Nuggets to show us something new. Will they do it tonight?