The Denver Nuggets are setting themselves up nicely in the West

With a big win over the Thunder, the Denver Nuggets now hold a four game lead over OKC for the second seed. They also captured the season series from the Thunder.

The Denver Nuggets can finally exhale.

With a 121-112 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, the Nuggets finally have some breathing room.

Jokic put on an MVP performance, posting a near-triple-double with 36 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. We finally heard from Will Barton, who scored 23 points. And Jamal Murray added an important 20 points.

Most importantly, they contained Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

Westbrook had 22 points on 14 shots, but went just 4 of 8 from the free throw line. George scored 25 on an inefficient 7 of 24 from the field.

With the win, the Nuggets kept pace with the Warriors, pulling themselves back to within a game of the top seed at 42-18. But more importantly they put a nice gap between themselves and OKC, who fell to 38-22.

Denver now holds a four game lead over the Thunder for that all-important second seed with just 22 games to go. And just as important, the Nuggets won the season series — giving Denver the tiebreaker.

So ultimately, Oklahoma City has to make up five games in these last 22. And with the Thunder’s remaining schedule, that’s a big ask.

The Thunder have the NBA’s toughest remaining schedule — including two games against the Raptors as well as contests against the Bucks and Warriors. They also have another matchup against Denver on March 29.

But the Nuggets don’t have it much better. They have the fifth toughest remaining schedule — highlighted by a pair of games against the Golden State Warriors.

The importance of maintaining the second seed can’t be understated. The second seed means home court advantage throughout the second round of the playoffs — including a very possible matchup against this Thunder team.

And simply put, the Nuggets are leaps and bounds better at Pepsi Center than they are on the road. In the Mile High City the Nuggets are 27-4 opposed to just 15-14 away from home.

A four game lead is undoubtedly a nice cushion, but it is far from a lock. The Thunder have shown the abiltiy to get hot — and it’s hard to count them out with George and Westbrook.

Who knows how the Western Conference will unfold, but Nuggets fans will have a front row seat.