It is a measuring stick the Denver Nuggets have been up against all season since losing in the Western Conference Finals last season. How well do the Nuggets match up with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers?
Tonight, coach George Karl and his team will have another chance to show the Lakers they have improved as they travel to the Staples Center for another important game in playoff positioning.
The Nuggets routed the Lakers 105-79 on Nov. 13 at the Pepsi Center in the teams’ first meeting this season, and no doubt Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will be looking to bring the currently hot Nuggets team back down a notch.
Games between the two squads have been chippy dating back to the pre-season, and, with teams looking to finish strong before the All-Star break, viewers should expect to see playoff-like attitudes from both teams.
The Nuggets (33-16)currently hold the second seed in the West just 4.5 games behind the Lakers (38-12) and every game could help the Nuggets claim a ever so important home-court advantage in the playoffs
A big question is whether or not Nuggets All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony will be available for tonight’s contest for the first time since rolling his ankle over a week ago in an overtime period of a home win against the New Orleans Hornets. His injury was originally believed to be minor and he originally expected to not even miss a game. The past week Melo has been a game-time-decision but after going through warm-ups has not been able to play.
The Nuggets training staff insists holding Anthony out is pre-cautionary and perhaps with the team playing at a high-level, they have just been holding their superstar out until he is fully back at 100 percent and regains his explosiveness.
Anthony practiced Thursday but there is no word on his availability tonight and there is some doubt in reports that he will play tonight or tomorrow against the Utah Jazz. It is believed the more likely date will be Tuesday when the Nuggets play the Dallas Mavericks.
Tonight’s game is about as big as they come in the Western Conference at this point in the season and one would expect if Melo is close to being back that he might give it a go tonight with some rumblings of people questioning his toughness.
The Nuggets could certainly use Anthony with fellow All-Star Chauncey Billups nursing a recently tender ankle of his own. Billups received treatment yesterday but is expected to play tonight; however, the team’s floor-general may be a bit limited in what he is usually able to do.
We will find out how much he has to bring to the table tonight and whether or not Anthony will make his return at 8:30 p.m. MDT on ESPN.