The Denver Nuggets goes ahead of the Golden State Warriors in the race for the 8th and final play-off spot in the West. With the Nuggets victory over the Houston Rockets, 111-94 yesterday, they moved up to a 49-32 card as against the Warriors' 48-32.
Denver's last game of the season will be against the lowly Memphis Grizzlies (22-58) and a victory will clinch it for the mile-high city club. On the other hand, the Warriors have to pass through the Phoenix Suns before closing the campaign against the Oklahoma City-bound Seattle Supersonics. For the Warriors to make it, they need to sweep the said 2 games and hope for an upset win by the Grizzlies.
The Warriors had only themsleves to blame if they fail to qualify for this season's play-0ffs. They blew their golden opportunity to move ahead with that crucial 114-105 defeat to the Nuggets last Friday at home. They played as if there was nothing at stake in the make or break contest. The Nuggets feasted a lot on points off turn overs as they build up a 16-point cushion in the last 6 minutes of the game making it impossible for the Warriors to make a final stand. If only the Warriors played in the mediocre east, they could had easily join the post season bandwagon with their present win-loss card. But in the west, all 8 play-off teams will finish the regular season with winning records. Imagine the last seeded west squad will enter the play-offs with a possible 18 games above .500 slate! whew! Thats really earthshaking!
Tidbits: correction correction correction! The Houston Rockets 22-game winning spree this season was actually the 2nd-best all time, behind only the 33-game streak of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72 season. The 3rd best-all time winning run actually belongs to the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Lew Alcindor during the 1970-71 campaign.
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