Despite the injuries that have cost the Nuggets Danilo Gallinari (knee) and Ty Lawson (plantar fascia), they’ve maintained their hold on the No. 3 seed, which might be the most important battle for seeding left to be decided. As it stands, Denver (54-24) holds a 2.0-game lead over the Clippers (52-26), and a 1.0-game lead over the Grizzlies (53-25). Denver closes with four games against teams below .500, but playing Dallas at the American Airlines Center (where the Mavs are 22-16) is the toughest of the bunch. Staying at No. 3 is critical, not only in maintaining homecourt advantage, but because it means a matchup against the Warriors or Rockets, much easier first-round foes than the Clippers or Grizzlies. The Nuggets have the tiebreaker advantage against both the Clips and the Griz.
If the Nuggets do ride out their easy closing schedule and keep the third seed, that will leave the Clippers and Grizzlies to replay their wild first-round series from last year, won by LA in seven games. Both teams are significantly different this time around, but both teams also badly want homecourt edge (the Clippers are 31-9 at home; Memphis is 31-8). As a division winner, the Clippers will have the tiebreaker even if Memphis wins this game and takes the season series, so the Grizzlies will need to maintain their lead over the Clips in order to open at home.
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If the Nuggets do ride out their easy closing schedule and keep the third seed, that will leave the Clippers and Grizzlies to replay their wild first-round series from last year, won by LA in seven games. Both teams are significantly different this time around, but both teams also badly want homecourt edge (the Clippers are 31-9 at home; Memphis is 31-8). As a division winner, the Clippers will have the tiebreaker even if Memphis wins this game and takes the season series, so the Grizzlies will need to maintain their lead over the Clips in order to open at home.
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