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2 big things for the Nuggets to win games down the stretch

By Trevor Sherman

DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 26: Gary Harris #14 and Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets look on during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 26, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 26: Gary Harris #14 and Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets look on during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 26, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Denver Nuggets earned an impressive win to start the week against the Oklahoma City Thunder but stumbled against the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs with disappointing loses where the Nuggets struggled to look like themselves.

The Western Conference playoffs are shaping up to be a sprint down the stretch, and a competition for which teams can be the hottest entering the playoffs as well as all important seeding to secure potential matchups in the playoffs.

The Denver Nuggets record of 42-21 is good for the two seed in the west and just two games back of the Warriors and home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

Denvers Defense against great offensive stars

In the Nuggets win over the Thunder this week we saw Denver’s standard style of play on the offensive end.

Nikola Jokic Dishing and driving to the bucket, while supplying Jamal Murray and Will Barton looks at the basket, but what shined through was the Nuggets defense on Thunder stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

Westbrook took 14 shots to get to 22 points, which is a good number for him on the season, but George shot 7 of 24 from the field and 3 of 14 from the 3-point line to get to 25 points.

Forcing great offensive players into tough or bad shots is how the Nuggets can win games against a schedule full of great offensive teams.

Jokic staying out of foul trouble

In the Nuggets loss to the Jazz and Pelicans one particular constant followed the Nuggets through both games — Nikola Jokic in foul trouble. Jokic picked up two early fouls against the Pelicans in the first quarter, then picked up a third in the second quarter and didn’t play another minute in the half.

In the third Jokic pickup up his fourth personal foul just four minutes into the quarter, and didn’t enter the game again until the fourth quarter. Jokic against the Pelicans played a total of 22 minutes and was still able to post a stat line of 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

The more minutes Jokic plays the better the Nuggets are going to be down the stretch.

The Nuggets have another difficult week of games ahead of them with games on the road against, Los Angeles Lakers with Lebron who are fighting to make the playoffs, and the Golden State Warriors to close the week.

With just 19 games remaining in the season the Nuggets can clinch the two seed but could potentially challenge for the one seed. But they would need to beat the Warriors twice in Oakland to have a shot.

Next. Nikola Jokic’s much-improved defense. dark

The Nuggets also still have four games remaining against the other three top five seeds in the west.

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