Nuggets News and Notes

Game Results

Houston Rockets 125, Denver Nuggets 124

Recap
Stats

Denver Nuggets 126, Cleveland Cavaliers 113

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Stats

Denver Nuggets 125, Indiana Pacers 117

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Stats

New Orleans Pelicans 115, Denver Nuggets 90

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Stats

Power Rankings

ESPN (Marc Stein)

Current: 13
Last week: 14

The Nuggets just inflicted a 13-point defeat on LeBron James and the Cavs, followed it up with a win in Indiana over a Pacers team that boasts a 26-11 record at home and still can't start the new week feeling good about themselves thanks to a costly slip-up Sunday night at home to New Orleans that might have wrecked Denver's playoff dreams. It was the first of three meetings with the Pelicans in a late-season span of 13 days and, thanks to a 25-point pounding, opened the door for Portland to move into a tie for the No. 8 spot entering Tuesday night's Nuggets-at-Blazers showdown. I suppose a triumph in Portland to even the season series at 2-2 would brighten Denver's outlook immediately, but let's face it: Sunday's encounter with the Pels was a game Denver really had to have knowing that seven of its final regular-season dates are roadies. The Nuggets, incidentally, are tied with Philadelphia for employing a league-high 28 different starting lineups this season, ahead of Brooklyn (27) and three teams with 25 (New Orleans, Sacramento and San Antonio).

NBA (John Schuhmann)

Current: 13
Last week: 13

The Nuggets recovered from another heartbreaking loss to Houston by thrashing the Cavs on Wednesday, but they lost what was one of their two easiest remaining games on their schedule on Sunday. They had scored more than 117 points per 100 possessions over a 9-4 stretch through Friday's win in Indiana, but came up empty in the loss to the Pelicans, their worst offensive game in months. They have to recover quickly, because Tuesday's visit to Portland is the most important game of the season and they have the tougher schedule going forward.

Sport’s Illustrated (Jeremy Woo)

Current: 15
Last week: 14

Getting whomped by the Boogie-less Pelicans at home is not what the Nuggets were hoping for as they continue to muscle toward the possibility of the playoffs. A huge, huge game against Portland (Denver can tie the season series with a win) looms on Tuesday.

CBS Sports (Matt Moore)

Current: 14
Last week: 17

After their loss to the Pelicans, at home, in a game they trailed by more than 30 at one point, I kept saying the same thing. "Same team." It's the same team that just knocked off the Cavaliers and then the Pacers on the road. Somehow, they can be that team, and a team that gets wiped off the map in front of a home crowd that had just bought in, by 30, in the same week. Maddeningly inconsistent, which is not something you tend to say about playoff teams.