Denver Nuggets Have Rediscovered Gleam During Four-Game Winning Streak

The Denver Nuggets stumbled in the beginning of March. Before this current four-game winning streak, Denver lost five of six games, including a 97-95 loss to Houston on the 9th.

The Rockets sit half a game ahead of the Nuggets in third, and since that game, Denver has yet to lose a contest.

The first two wins came against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the L.A. Clippers, and both were decisive wins by 13 points. Denver blew out the New Jersey Nets by 25 two nights later to increase their winning streak to three.

On Wednesday, the Nuggets played another beatable team in the Memphis Grizzlies. However, it was not like the previous, dominant victories. The Nuggets had to struggle to defeat a down, but not out Grizzlies squad.

Denver started the game down nine points and went into the halftime losing by six. The Nuggets won the game in the fourth quarter, as Carmelo Anthony had 13 points and the Nuggets outscored the Grizzlies 30-18 to win by two.

Denver did not play a great game. They had as many turnovers as assists (19). However, the Nuggets outshot the Grizzlies 34-25 from the free throw line and outrebounded them 43-36.

This winning streak has come at a great time for Denver, and it was brought on by a few key factors.

First, the Nuggets have gone back to their original starting lineup: Chauncy Billups, Dahntay Jones, Anthony, Kenyon Martin, and Nene. This is Denver's best starting lineup.

Even though Martin did not play against the Thunder and Clippers, everyone on the team knows he is the starting power forward when healthy. This keeps a certain amount of consistency for the players, and it allows players to develop a steady role.

Second, Denver's bench has stepped up in a huge way during this streak. Renaldo Balkman started in place of Martin for those two games and played valiantly, scoring 22 and 14 points and grabbing 14 and 11 rebounds, respectively.

Likewise, J.R. Smith and Chris "Birdman" Andersen have added to the depth of the Nuggets. J.R. Swoosh averaged 17 points per game on offense as Birdman affected games on the defensive side, blocking two shots a game.

Also, Denver's team play has improved during the streak. The Nuggets averaged 25.75 assists per game, coming close to George Karl's desired number of 30 assists per game. In basketball, sharing the ball is key because it breaks down the opponents' defense and creates open shots.

Denver looks to push the streak to five games tonight at home against a depleted Washington Wizards team.

This streak has come at a crucial point of the season, against sub-.500 opponents, and with the Western Conference insanely tight with teams six teams only separated by three-and-a-half games.

Currently, the Nuggets sit in fourth, a half game behind the Rockets and one game ahead of the Hornets. Denver is also a game ahead of Portland and a game and a half over Utah to lead the Northwest division.

Wins are at a premium for the Nuggets, as they try to stay in position for home court in the first round, at least. Plus, blowout wins allow starters to rest in the fourth quarter, conserving energy for the playoffs.

Hopefully, Denver can come out, play hard, and get a win tonight (7:00 MDT Altitude HD) against a Wizards team without many of its best players.