The Denver Nuggets currently lead the Northwest division with a 4-2 record after going 2-1 last week. The Nuggets split a home-and-home series with the Dallas Mavericks and beat a Los Angeles Clippers team in between those contests. This week the Nuggets face two Eastern Conference teams on the road before heading back to Denver.
The first game comes tonight against the Chicago Bulls, half a game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Central division at 2-3. Our Bulls blog, Blog A Bull, believes this game's story is all about Carmelo Anthony because Chicago is one destination Melo could wind up if and when the Nuggets pull the trigger on a trade. In the actual game, as Denver Stiffs points out, the Nuggets will need to look out for Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Game time is 6 p.m. MT and it will be televised on the Altitude Network.
The Nuggets then travel to Indiana on Tuesday to play the 2-3 Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are currently on a two-game losing streak, losing badly to the Philadelphia 76ers and falling by only four points to the Milwaukee Bucks. Forward Danny Granger averages 21.4 points a game for the Pacers and center Roy Hibbert is averaging a double-double at 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds a game. Catch the game on Altitude2 at 5 p.m. MT.
After the two-game road trip, the Nuggets are back in Denver to host the Los Angeles Lakers for the first of two home games between the two. The Lakers stand atop the NBA standings with a 7-0 record, one of two undefeated teams (the New Orleans Hornets are 6-0). Entering Monday, the Lakers have Pau Gasol (24.1) and Kobe Bryant (22.9) averaging over 20 points per game, and the former manages to grab 10.9 rebounds each night. Lamar Odom has been no slouch either, scoring around 16 points and grabbing over 11 rebounds each game. Last season the Nuggets took the season series, 3-1. This game will be nationally televised on TNT at 8:30 p.m. MT.
Here's how the Nuggets are doing this season: