Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets game preview

The Denver Nuggets need a win tonight to wrap up the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Houston Rockets need a loss tonight to keep hold of a guaranteed top 6 pick in the NBA Draft.

Yeah, tonight seems primed for a blowout win for the Nuggets.

Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic is currently holding the second-best odds to win MVP this season behind Joel Embiid. Voter fatigue and a solid closing kick from Embiid has flipped the odds from a couple months ago. I’d still pick Jokic if I had to start a team, but there’s no doubt Embiid is also an incredible player.

It feels like the Nuggets have been under-the-radar this season. It’s almost Spurs-esque. While most of the attention has been on the race at the top of the Eastern Conference, the dysfunction of the Brooklyn Nets, and the struggles of the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, the Nuggets have coasted to the top of the West and are primed to make a deep run.

Unless of course, the Warriors fall into the play-in and get the 8 seed. And then the second round could see them get the Kevin Durant-led Phoenix Suns. Woof. Amazingly, if they could get past those two series, they’d get a relatively “easy” Western Conference Finals against the Memphis Grizzlies. Beat them, and you get the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics without homecourt advantage.

Or the Nuggets could get the Thunder, Pelicans, and Kings.

Who else is getting excited for the playoffs? One day the Rockets will be back.

Tip-off is at 7pm CT on AT&T SportsNet Southwest