Nuggets-Suns Preview: Denver Looks To Continue Winning Ways

The Denver Nuggets (45-25) sit a half a game ahead of the New Orleans Hornets, who they play on Wednesday, and half a game from tying, and leap-frogging the San Antonio Spurs. 

Denver needs wins like the economy needed a stimulus. The Nuggets have to get home court in the playoffs to have a better chance of advancing.

Luckily, the Nuggets are on a five-game winning streak, and the Spurs have lost two straight. Also, Denver has the season-series tie-breaker over San Antonio, something I knew would be a factor on February 4. (Article can be seen here)

The Nuggets, coming off two days rest, and traveling to their second closest opponents in the Phoenix Suns (38-31), will come out with energy and defensive intensity.

Passing must be a key factor, 20 or more assists will be hard to beat. Defensive physicality is needed against Shaq, who is "playing like its 1999," not 2009. 

The Suns, like the Nuggets, are on a winning streak, blowing out the Wizards by 32 points on Saturday. Phoenix sits three and a half games behind Dallas—in the ninth place—on the outside looking in.

Indeed, this win is more crucial to Phoenix, from their standpoint, but I don't see them making the playoffs this year. Three and a half games is a large deficit to overcome with 13 games left.

Therefore, this win is more essential to the Nuggets' success than the Suns.

The game will be tight, but Denver's talent, youth, and determination will lead them to victory, 112-100.