| Game 82: 2013-14 NBA Season | ||
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| Series 1-2 | ||
| April 16th, 2014 | ||
| Pepsi Center – Denver, CO |
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| 8:30 PM MT | ||
| ESPN/Altitude Sports/ 950 AM |
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| Steph Curry | PG | Aaron Brooks |
| Klay Thompson | SG | Randy Foye |
| Andre Igoudala | SF | Quincy Miller |
| David Lee | PF | Kenneth Faried |
| Jermaine O’Neil | C | Timofey Mozgov |
| Notes | ||
| Golden State of Mind | Blogs | You’re Here! |
| Andrew Bogut (ribs) is out, Andre Igoudala (knee) is questionable. | Injuries | Danilo Gallinari (knee), JaVale McGee (leg fracture), Nate Robinson (ACL), J.J. Hickson(ACL), Wilson Chandler (groin) are out, Ty Lawson (ankle) is questionable. |
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The Warriors clinched the #6 seed in the West for the 2nd straight season Monday Night. |
Stat |
Denver has the 2nd longest active playoff streak in the league…for one more day |
Win or lose, tonight is the final game of Denver’s season. It’s a scenario that can only exist in two forms; the final regular season game for a non-playoff bound team or game seven of the NBA finals. The Nuggets have never sniffed the latter but they’ve also avoided the former for 10 straight seasons. When the Pepsi Center scoreboard hits zero around 11:00pm tonight, it will officially snap the 2nd longest active playoff streak in the NBA (San Antonio Spurs).
If it’s a consolation to fans, this season finale will be much easier to accept than the ones they’ve come to know over the past decade. (If it’s any consolation to the Pepsi Center maintenance staff, at least it can keep the ice setup once the NHL playoffs start on Thursday).
It's fitting that Denver closes its season against Golden State, as it was last year's playoff series against the team by The Bay that changed the course of the franchise, with an outcome still to be determined. The Nuggets have accomplished twice this year what they weren't able to achieve in the 2013 postseason; victory in Oakland. Now home, Denver can win the season series against its new rivals with a win.
It’s yet to be seen which Warriors team will take the floor in their final tuneup before taking on the Clippers as the #6 seed out of the West. Nuggets fans no doubt would like another shot at booing Andre Igoudala and regardless of their allegiance, would probably like to see Steph Curry in action.
No matter who suits up for the opponents, Brian Shaw and company will look to make sure the final chapter of one of the most interesting seasons in Nuggets history will be filed in the win column. Despite losing in Los Angeles last night, the injury sapped team has shown a renewal of energy and productive player development in the final stages of the season. However small, a “W” against the “W’s” would add to the hope and anticipation of next year.
