The Denver Nuggets (30-26) enter the final days of the NBA Regular Season with a tenuous grasp on the No. 8 seed. Leading the Phoenix Suns (29-27) by just a single game, the Nuggets hope fend off the Suns, but Tom Ziller's latest NBA Power Rankings suggest that may be a problem.
Monday's power rankings have the Suns at No. 13 and the Nuggets, facing the Houston Rockets in a key home matchup next Sunday and Monday, come in at No. 16:
| Rank | Team | Record | Last Week | SB Nation Blog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | San Antonio Spurs | 40-14 | W: CLE, BOS, NO, UTA | Pounding The Rock |
| This is the second double-digit win streak of the season for the Spurs. Expect some more analysis downplaying San Antonio's playoff chances based on last year's first-round exit; please remember that Manu Ginobili busted up his arm entering that series. He looks healthy now. This team has always been different when he's healthy. | ||||
| 2. | Chicago Bulls | 43-14 | W: BOS; L: HOU, NY | Blog-a-Bull |
| I secretly hope some fool tries out the "Bulls are better without Derrick Rose" argument just because I've always wanted to see a live human self-ridicule himself into oblivion. | ||||
| 15. | Orlando Magic | 33-23 | W: PHI; L: DET, NY | Orlando Pinstriped Post |
| We are a month from Patrick Ewing becoming an NBA head coach. I repeat, we are a month from Patrick Ewing becoming an NBA head coach. | ||||
| 16. | Denver Nuggets | 30-26 | W: PHX; L: NO, GS | Denver Stiffs |
| The Nuggets have a home-and-home with the Rockets next week. It's a great chance to either avoid the Thunder or Spurs in the first round or to fall out of the bracket. I love this game. | ||||
| 17. | Utah Jazz | 29-28 | W: POR, GS; L: PHX, SA | SLC Dunk |
| As soon as I write off the Jazz, they'll peel off a four-game win streak. A home game against San Antonio and road games at Houston and Memphis might prevent that, though, and kill this season dead. | ||||
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more on the Nuggets, visit Denver Stiffs. Check out SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.