Jeff Hanisch-US Presswire
The Denver Nuggets are one game away from locking up the third seed in the West for the NBA postseason. Ty Lawson shows progress and seems to be recovering nicely from his injury, leading all Nuggets in scoring as they secured home-court advantage with a victory on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks. He also led the team in minutes and hit the go-ahead shot with 9.3 seconds left.
Kenneth Faried did not travel with the team as he will also sit out the last game of the regular season against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. Coach George Karl and company managed to squeak out a win on the road and the subs and reserves continue to step up when needed.
Wilson Chandler got the start for the Manimal and scored 21 points including three of five from beyond the arc. JaVale McGee had a great night with 17 rebounds and ten points. Corey Brewer may have struggled, but it didn’t matter in the end as the rest of the team came through for a big win.
The Nuggets may be battling through some injuries but the future continues to look bright. Faried has said he will be back in time for the playoffs and his intensity will be useful in the close games in the playoffs, especially the close road games. The defense was kind of lacking and the Nuggets allowed the Bucks to keep the game close. This can’t happen if the Nuggets expect to win crucial games away from the Pepsi Center in the postseason.
The Nuggets will have a chance to not only lock down the third seed with a win against the Suns, they will also have a chance to extend their home winning streak to 23 games. The Nuggets have secured home-court advantage so it seems no matter who they play in the first round they will ultimately win the series to move on.
Joe Newsome is a Denver Nuggets contributing writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @josocah, check out his Facebook page and add him to your network on Google.
