Much of the Western Conference playoff seeding remains undecided. But the one team that truly controls its own fate is the Denver Nuggets.

Owners of the second seed in the West, the Nuggets can clinch their spot with more win. Doing so, however, could result in a second-round playoff match-up with the dangerous Houston Rockets.

As a result, and after a disappointing loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, some have speculated that the Nuggets may be trying to avoid such a result.

Head coach Michael Malone dismissed those claims though, citing both injuries and a busy stretch of games for his team's struggles, per Nick Kosmider of The Athletic.

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In Sunday's loss, a whopping nine players averaged more than 20 minutes for the Nuggets. For comparison, in a February 26 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, only seven players tallied as much time.

Denver's stretch of six games in nine days and various injuries provide a reasonable explanation. The grind of a full NBA season can take its toll on players. Even if they aren't officially listed as injured, certainly many Nuggets are playing through various aches and pains.

Additionally, it is likely too late in the season for Denver to avoid Houston even if they tried. To do so, the Nuggets would need to fall to the fourth seed, on which they have a two-game lead. Doing so would likely result in a second-round match-up with the Golden State Warriors — arguably a stronger team than Houston.

Michael Malone and his Nuggets are likely to finish with the second seed and face either the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs or Thunder in the first round. They play the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in their final two games of the regular season.