Gimme That: Nuggets 114: Warriors 105

Last night, I watched the NBA on TNT, and several things popped out at me.

1) Does Charles Barkley honestly think he's funny? 2) How can the two highest scoring teams in the league be fighting for the eighth playoff spot? And 3) Since when did Chris Brown get seniority over a basketball game?

That last part is no joke—I'll explain later.

The word important couldn't even come close to describing this rubber match between Denver and Golden State, and it lived up to the hype that was surrounding it.

Carmelo Anthony led the charge in the second quarter while Allen Iverson polished off the Warriors' upset bid in the fourth as the Nuggets clawed one step closer to the postseason with a 114-105 victory over rival Golden State in Oakland.

In front of raucous crowd and with playoff elimination staring both teams in the face, it was "The Answer" who silenced everyone in the fourth quarter.

AI led all scorers with 33 points, while JR Smith came off the bench to add 24 points. Melo added 25 points, plus was a huge part of the zone defense that had Golden State throwing up bricks for the duration of the second quarter.

On the other side, Monta Ellis led all Warriors with 29 points and eight rebounds. Baron Davis tacked on 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists to snag his third triple double of the season.

The win puts the Nuggets in sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but have not clinched that spot yet. Denver has three games remaining, two of them against playoff teams (Utah and Houston).

Golden State will most likely have to win their final three games, and considering who those games are against (LA Clippers, Phoenix, Seattle), they shouldn't have a problem with at least two of those teams.

Even if these two teams end in a tie at the end of the season, Denver has the last playoff spot due to last night's victory. And despite George Karl saying that they could get in the playoffs without a win over Golden State, a little insurance wouldn't hurt.

Now in regards to the third question, here is why it is important. As I watched last night's game, my game got interrupted by a group of women who snagged the remote and turned it to American Idol to see Chris Brown perform with some AI Alumnus.

Now this question is to those who actually watch this lame-duck show: Who in their right mind would change the channel in the middle of a sporting event to watch Chris Brown perform? As one of his songs say, and in regards to the remote ladies: GIMME THAT! 

Though pointless, it's still a valid argument. Never change the channel during a sporting event. 

On Deck:

Denver: @ Utah, Houston, Memphis

Golden State: LA Clippers, @ Phoenix, Seattle