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Denver looks for its 10th straight home victory tonight.
The Denver Nuggets will put their 8-0 home record since the late February blockbuster trade on the line tonight when they square off against the Sacramento Kings.
That 8-0 mark, helping to contribute to a 12-4 overall record since the trade that brought Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos to Denver, will be put to the test against a surging Kings team that is not only in the midst of a four game win streak, but also a relocation controversy.
As outlined at SB Nation's Sactown Royalty, the Anaheim City Council has approved $75 million in bonds aimed at luring the Kings to Orange County. If approved and all parties agree to the move, SoCal will be an NBA hotbed, housing three pro franchises.
But before the move can/will take place, the Nuggets (44-29) will host Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins in a home-and-home series which continues Friday in Sacramento.
While casual Nuggets fans may look at the standings and see that the Kings (21-52) have the second worst record in the Western Conference, attentive fans will know that the Kings have won four in a row and five of their last six. Though they have only beaten one team during the stretch that has a winning record - Philadelphia - confidence goes a long way in the NBA, and a team on a roll, even one with a .288 winning percentage shouldn't be overlooked.
The Nuggets have announced that Chandler, who sat out Friday's game with an ankle injury, is probable while Arron Afflalo, who has missed six of the past eight games with a hamstring injury, will be a game time decision.
Tonight's game tips at 7:00 p.m. MT and can be seen on Altitude.
Denver Nuggets Final Score: Nene Leads Way To Victory Over Kings, 104-90
The offense clicked for the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, defeating the Sacramento Kings, 104-90. The Nuggets had six scorers in double digits, including Nene's double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds. He also blocked four balls and stole it three times to complete the best all-around game for the Nuggets.
Overcoming a 51-41 deficit at halftime, the Nuggets outscored the Kings, 69-39 over the final two quarters. Ty Lawson led the team with 20 points, while Danilo Gallinari and J.R. Smith each put 17 points on the board. Gallo pulled down nine boards and stole the ball three times. Al Harrington took a team-high 19 shots and made seven of them for 15 points.
Kenyon Martin only played six minutes in the first half and did not return to the game due to the flu.
Tyreke Evans scored 22 points and dished the ball out for seven assists for the Kings. Marcus Thornton had a game-high 27 points Beno Udrih put in 12 points and 10 assists.
Having won their 10th straight home game, the Nuggets (45-29, 31-7 home) head to Sacramento for a Friday game with the Kings. For more on the Nuggets, please visit Denver Stiffs.
Mar 30 10:02p by Russ Oates