Many Nuggets fans probably remember the Colorado Rockies' "Rocktober" run. In 2007, the Rockies won 14 of 15 games to close out the season and make the playoffs, many in the late stages of the game. Drew Goodman, the Rockies announcer, called them the "Cardiac Kids." They've got some parallels to the Nuggets' current streak and vibe, and that's a great thing for Nuggets fans.
The Nuggets have won nine games in a row, tied for the longest streak of the Nikola Jokic era. They've won six games in a row in the clutch, including a come-from-behind victory over the San Antonio Spurs and a 16-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Portland Trail Blazers in just the past two games.
The Nuggets may not be the unexpected underdog from Denver, but they're certainly playing like they've got something to prove.
The Nuggets have unexpectedly moved to third place
Almost as improbable as it seemed for the Rockies to make the playoffs in 2007, the Nuggets have moved up to the third seed in the Western Conference playoff standings with just three games to go. The Lakers have lost their top two scorers, have lost three in a row, and the Nuggets, who lack the tiebreaker to the Lakers, have leapfrogged them in the standings by a full game.
Denver now controls its own destiny and has a chance to win out. They take on a depleted Memphis Grizzlies, then they face the OKC Thunder in a game where the Thunder could rest their starters, because they might have nothing to play for.
The same scenario could be at play in the season finale against the Spurs. The Nuggets could end the season on a 12-game winning streak.
The late-game comebacks are so similar
The 2007 Rockies loved to leave their best for last. I can remember sitting at home, late in the game, runners on base, and dancing in the living room trying to spark karma across the globe to get those runs across the plate. It worked! Or so I'd like to believe.
So when I was standing up at home, jumping up and down for the stops Aaron Gordon was getting on Victor Wembanyama, I felt the same feelings I had in 2007. The energy in Ball Arena seems to be at another level right now.
And then the Nuggets go and do it again against the Blazers, the very next game. Who's going to stop them late in the games now? They're confident, they have swagger again, and the Nuggets have the best basketball player in the world, Nikola Jokic.
The calendar may say April, but the Rocktober vibes are here. What a fun ride it's shaping up to be.