It took awhile, but the Nuggets finally clinched the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season. But just because they are in, that doesn’t mean George Karl is about to rest his players.
Quite the contrary actually; Following the win, Karl said “We have three games left, and we are going to try to win all three of them. There won’t be any rest going on here.”
It only makes sense. The Nuggets still have a chance to catch the Mavericks (who lost to the Bulls), and Karl said he would like to see his young team gain some momentum. The Nuggets are now tied with the Mavericks, but Dallas holds the tiebreaker, keeping them ahead for now.
Denver defeated Phoenix 118-107, led by Ty Lawson, who shot 5-for 5 from long range, with 29 total points and 10 assists. The Suns fell a game behind the Jazz, and now face a must-win situation Tuesday when they face the Jazz in Utah. Shannon Brown had 28 points, shooting 6-for-12 from long range, but his effort was not enough.
From Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post: “At halftime of the biggest game of the Nuggets’ season, coach George Karl stood before his team and said, “I’m scared to death.” The Suns shot 54.3 percent in the first half Saturday, and Marcin Gortat was looking like Kareem Abdul-Gortat. “I think that was the worst defensive effort I’ve seen out of you,” Karl told the Nuggets. “I can’t believe we’re up two points.” But the Nuggets altered their defense in the third quarter, swarming Gortat and pressuring the irritating 3-point shooters. The result was a runaway quarter and a resounding win, 118-107, clinching a playoff berth for Denver for the ninth straight season. “Once we stopped Gortat’s lobs from Steve Nash, it was murder she wrote,” said Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, who scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Only two NBA teams have longer active postseason streaks than Denver (San Antonio with 15 and Dallas with 12).
On the bright side, Steve Nash passed Oscar Robertson for fifth place on the NBA’s all-time assists list. He had 13 on the night, but only needed four to pass Robertson. On the not-so-bright side, the Suns lost power forward Channing Frye to a subluxed right shoulder towards the end of the second quarter. He missed nearly two weeks last season after dislocating the same shoulder last season, so the injury does seem a bit worrisome.
Back in Utah, the Jazz, knowing the Suns had lost, knew they could move into prime position for the 8th seed. With a win versus the Orlando Magic, they control own destiny, needing to just beat the Suns at home to clinch a post-season berth.
The Magic attacked the Jazz with a barrage of 3-pointers, hitting 15 on the night. Jason Richardson came out hitting his first six shots, three from behind the arc; He and Ryan Anderson finished with five 3-pointers each, but the Jazz stayed strong all night, returning fire. Al Jefferson and Devin Harris both scored 21 each, and Paul Millsap scored an additional 18.
In the final 30 seconds of the game with the Jazz down 101-99, Al Jefferson was given the ball in the low post, where he would normally be guarded by Dwight Howard. Jefferson followed with a relatively uncontested baby hook, which got a friendly roll and tied the game up. Jameer Nelson ended regulation with a poor shot, forcing a long 3-pointer that was easily blocked by Devin Harris. The Jazz trounced the Magic in overtime, winning by 10 points, as the final score was 117-107.
From Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune: “The Jazz said it all season. Don’t underestimate us. Don’t count us out. Don’t stop believing just because we’re down. Who doesn’t believe in Utah now? The Jazz rallied from a 12-point late third-quarter deficit, fought for overtime, then outshot the Orlando Magic for a 117-107 OT victory Saturday at EnergySolutions Arena before a crowd of 19,580. With the win, Utah (34-30) moved one victory away from making the postseason for the first time since 2010. If the Jazz shut down Phoenix on Tuesday at ESA, Utah will erase the Suns’ potential playoff tiebreaker and automatically qualify for the postseason. Saturday’s come-from-behind victory also guaranteed a winning season for the Jazz, who went just 39-43 during 2010-11. Utah has had only two losing campaigns in the past 29 years, highlighting a turnaround for the small-market franchise that started during the 1983-84 season under then-coach Frank Layden. “We survived,” said Jazz forward Gordon Hayward, who drained a game-changing 3-pointer with 1 minute and 38 seconds left in OT that made it 110-105 Utah. “They knocked down a lot of shots early. … But we were able to come through late and get stops when we needed to and get the win.”
The Jazz didn’t show us anything we didn’t already know. Al Jefferson was solid in the post, Devin Harris is looking more like the player he was traded for years back, and Paul Millsap stayed pesky. But the Magic are an entirely different story. Yes, they can kill you from long range; everybody understands that. But their front court is very weak without Howard, as they were dominated in the post all night long. They 
shot just about as well as they could have even hoped, and still lost to the Jazz in a game both teams desperately wanted. Orlando’s postseason hopes are looking grimmer by the day, as the loss of Howard seems to have left a gaping hole in the heart and soul of their defense.
Back in Chicago, the Bulls (48-16) continued to keep a strong hold on the top seeding in the East with a win over the Mavericks. Better yet, Derrick Rose played 32 minutes, and showed no ill effects from his right ankle injury that has sidelined him all season long. When asked about the ankle following the game, Rose said “It was throbbing a little, but the great thing about it is we got the win and we get a couple of days off to get treatment and I’m going to stay off my feet and hopefully it’s going to get better.” Rose finished the night with 11 points and 8 assists.
The Bulls were able to use their starting five for the just the 14th time this season. Luol Deng scored 22 points, and Richard Hamilton scored 19. The Mavericks, on the other hand, rested two of their starters in Jason Kid and Jason Terry. Although they could lose a spot to the Denver Nuggets, they have already clinched a playoff berth and played at home on Friday night. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 17 points and 7 rebounds, but it was not enough. The Mavericks cut the Bulls’ lead down to two points with about 4:30 left in the fourth quarter, but the Bulls rallied off a clutch 3-pointer from sharpshooter Kyle Korver to beat them by 10 points. Chicago ended the game with a final score of 93-83.
In the Eastern Conference, the battle between two playoff teams, the 76ers and Pacers, was won that neither team wanted to lose. The Sixers, coming in losing seven of their previous 10 games, walked into Indiana facing a Pacers team that had won seven in a row, and won the game 109-106 in overtime. Indiana was looking to lock up the No. 3 seed in the East with a win, but faced a Sixers team that seemed to be playing with a purpose. Led by Elton Brand and his 20 points, they took the Pacers into overtime. He was excited about the win, saying “It’s great for our confidence. The hottest team in the NBA, on their court, close game, found a way to win in a playoff atmosphere.” Louis Williams opened overtime by hitting a clutch three, and was fouled for the four-point play. “It gave us some leverage, something to work with in that overtime,” Williams said. “I thought it gave us momentum a little bit and just some confidence to continue to move forward.”
The leading scorer for the Pacers, Danny Granger, had just four points on 2-for-12 shooting. He was vastly overshadowed by forward David West, who scored a season-high 32 points along with 12 rebounds. Although this was a game the Pacers wanted, they couldn’t help but respect the intensity the Sixers brought to the arena.”That was a heck of a basketball game, playoff-type atmosphere,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. “Philly made some really tough shots at the end of regulation and overtime. It was a hard-fought game at both ends.”
Elsewhere…
- The Heat fell to the Wizards 86-84 in Miami, dropping to 27-5 at home this season. The loss hurts the chances of the Heat clinching the No.1 seed in the East, but their main concern was Dwayne Wade, who left less than 3 minutes into the game with a dislocated left index finger. He considered himself lucky for avoiding significant injury, as X-Rays were negative. LeBron James did not play in the game, getting some rest. The Heat seem reluctant to shoot for the top spot in the East for fear of injury or unnecessary fatigue late in the season. This is a team ready to begin the playoffs.
- The Rockets, who still have life in the Western Conference, took care of their business beating the Warriors 99-96. The win stopped a 6-game skid for the Rockets. With the array of injuries the Rockets have dealt with this season, it came as a surprise they played as well as they did — though it still seems unlikely they’ll make the playoffs. Courtney Lee led them with 20 points, and Goran Dragic chipped in with 18 points and 7 assists.
- The Memphis Grizzlies, trying to grab the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference (which would lead to home-court advantage), moved within a half-game to the Los Angeles Clippers with their 93-89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Rudy Gay scored 21 points, and had a key block in the final seconds to seal the win for the Grizzlies. J.J. Hickson had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Blazers.
- The Bucks kept their playoff hopes alive with a 106-95 win over the New Jersey Nets, but with the 76ers’ win, they pushed their magic number to one. Brandon Jennings played great for the Bucks, scoring 30 points, and grabbing 4 steals. With Deron Williams out for season, newly acquired Gerald Wallace led the Nets in points (18), rebounds (11), and assists (4). The Bucks need to win out to have any shot at the playoffs, and hope that the 76ers drop the rest of their games to end the season. Brandon Jennings was notified of the 76ers win by Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “He told me, ‘Those Pacers let you down tonight,’ ” Jennings said of the Super Bowl champion quarterback. “I said, ‘That sounds like them.’ He told me to just keep playing hard no matter what; just keep playing.” They played, but their playoff hopes are simply not in their hands.