It is coming down to crunch time in the NBA, especially in the Western Conference where one of the most exciting playoff races in recent memory is taking place. On Saturday, eighth-place Denver will visit Utah as they attempt to hold off Golden State for the last postseason spot.
Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz – 9:00 PM ET
The Nuggets did themselves a huge favor by beating the Warriors on the road on Thursday, and surprisingly, they did it with defense. Denver held their fellow high-scoring counterparts to 42% from the field while shooting 50.6%, and Allen Iverson had one of his best games of the season. “The Answer” had 33 points and nine assists to go with only two turnovers in the win, winning his duel with Golden State's Baron Davis. The Nuggets also got 24 points off the bench from J.R. Smith, and if he can continue to play consistently well, it will take a lot of pressure off of Iverson and Carmelo Anthony.
The Jazz have won four of their last five games, falling at three points at Dallas on Thursday. Mehmet Okur has been playing very well over that period, putting up 19.2 points and 12.6 boards. This makes up for a slumping Carlos Boozer, who has 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds over that same stretch. While the play of Okur has been encouraging, the Jazz need Boozer to play to his potential, especially in the postseason when the game slows down.
The Jazz have taken two of three from the Nuggets this season, including a 132-105 beating at home on March 8th. Denver needs to win this game, as the Warriors play the Clippers on the same night, which is much easier match-up. But the Jazz are a sparkling 35-4 at home, so look for the Jazz to send the Nuggets to a loss, making the Western Conference race much more interesting.
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