What a change from almost a month ago. The Nuggets ended February with a 1-6 record in the clutch, and people were questioning whether the Nuggets had lost that "it" factor at the end of games that had been something they'd carried for years. Well, the Nuggets have answered that loudly, and they've got that major concern under control as the playoffs draw near.
The Nuggets are now 8-3 in clutch games since the calendar changed to March, including the come-from-behind win against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs at Ball Arena, in overtime, 136-134.
It's the cherry on top of the season-high eight-game winning streak, and it brings the Nuggets' season record in clutch games to 22-19, and their overall record now stands at 50-28.
The Nuggets could have an even better record in the clutch over that time period. They lost two games at the last second on shots by Shai Gilgeoous-Alexander of the Thunder and Luka Doncic of the Lakers. Potentially 10-1. They're not, but it was close. They had clutch leads in both games. And those kinds of losses, while stinging, show the Nuggets are right there with the top teams, and the clutch issue is behind them.
The Nuggets are peaking at just the right time
Eight wins in a row are an accomplishment, and they've got the Nuggets right back into the thick of it for the third seed in the Western Conference playoff standings. Over the last eight games, the Nuggets have an offensive rating of 127.1 and a defensive rating of 117.5, good for a net rating of 9.5.
That may be all the Nuggets need. They seem to have an uncanny ability to play to their opponent's level. Games the Nuggets should easily win become a nail-biter, but they're now escaping with wins from these games when they weren't doing that in February.
The Nuggets look well-rested at the end of games now
And it helps that the Nuggets are at home and getting rest. They had the league's worst travel schedule this year, and they look like they've got a little more pep at the end of these close games. Six of their last eight games have been at home, and the next three are at home before closing out the season in San Antonio against the Spurs.
The Nuggets have a legitimate chance to finish with a 12-game winning streak, and one loss by the Lakers would put the Nuggets into the third seed. The Nuggets need a one-game advantage over the Lakers as they do not own the tiebreaker.
The third seed puts the Nuggets on a course to meet the Spurs in the second round and likely the Thunder in the conference finals. The Nuggets are 5-2 against the Spurs in games Nikola Jokic and Wembanyama go head-to-head. It's the preferred path.