The Denver Nuggets this season are the definition of a team that plays to the level of its competition.
A game after an incredible over-time win against the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers (43-14), the Nuggets were dominated late in a game against the Washington Wizards, losing 107-97. 
However, as has been the case all season, the Nuggets bounced right back in Sunday’s nationally televised home game against the Boston Celtics. The Nuggets jumped out to an early 20 point lead before letting the Celtics catch up, showing some of their inconsistency from quarter to quarter. Still, J.R. Smith’s hot fourth quarter combined with Carmelo Anthony and the rest of Nuggets gave the team enough to put the game away in the end, 114-105.
So how is it that in a five day stretch the Nuggets can take down two of the top three teams in the East, but lose one to one of the lowliest? Simply put, the Nuggets play to the ability of their opponent and they just cant seem to maintain the same focus they bring into games against top competition.
Denver is 25-11 this season against team’s that have winning records but are just 12-8 against team’s that have a sub-.500 winning percentage.
With coach George Karl battling throat and neck cancer over the next few months the Nuggets will need leaders like Chauncey Billups to take control of the team and make sure they are focused when playing less than average opponents. Karl is already scheduled to miss games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors.
The Nuggets have handled the Warriors so far this season, but the Timberwolves have already stolen a game from Denver at the Pepsi Center this year and any game against a division opponent can be competitive–the Nuggets will have to keep their focus and treat games like these as if they were games against the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trailblazers or Utah Jazz.
The Jazz are hot on the heels of the Nuggets for the Northwest Division lead and the second see in the Western Conference. At 35-19 the Jazz are just one game back of the Nuggets (37-19) and could be just a 0.5 game back after its game tonight against Portland.
Denver simply cant afford to fall too far behind the Lakers is conference standings as they will rely on home court advantage until the Conference Finals to get back to the stage they fell from a year ago.
If the team can bring the same focus and intensity game in and game out like they have against the Jazz and Lakers thus far this season they should have no problem down the stretch run in winning the division and they will have an immense amount of confidence heading into the playoffs. They just cant afford to continually play sloppy games and give up any more ground.
NOTE: BACK IN THE SKIES
Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen returned to the Nuggets rotation against the Celtics Sunday after sitting out Friday’s loss to the Wizards with a lower back injury.