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Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are looking to get to the finish line this season with some momentum. After firing head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth, this team got a key win and snap their four-game losing streak with a 124-116 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
Now, Denver faces their most important game of the season on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies, which will drastically impact the Western Conference standings.
This is a matchup between two teams on opposite sides of the standings before the playoffs, yet they are both in the same boat. The Nuggets and Grizzlies both made shocking coaching changes with limited time remaining in the regular season, and just one game separates them in the standings.
While Denver appears to be sitting pretty as the 4-seed in the Western Conference compared to Memphis as the 7-seed, these two teams can easily change positions with a win or loss. Friday night's game in Denver is one everyone from the Western Conference will have their eyes on, as the winner will still be in contention for an actual playoff spot.
As for the loser — they will be staring down the play-in tournament straight in the face.
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets were finally able to get back on track with a win over the Kings in their previous game. Will this momentum carry over to Friday night's duel with Ja Morant and the Grizzlies?
Why Nuggets must win vs. Grizzlies
A win over Memphis would go a long way for Denver. Aside from Adelman potentially picking up his second straight win since taking over for Malone, a victory on Friday night puts the Nuggets closer to clinching the spot in the top four of the Western Conference standings.
Although the Los Angeles Lakers haven't technically clinched the 3-seed yet, they will likely do so on Friday night against the Houston Rockets, who are expected to rest their starters after clinching the 2-seed in the conference.
The Nuggets are battling with several other teams for the 4-seed, but they have the upper hand since they control their fate. If Denver wins its final two games, the 4-seed in the West playoff picture will remain in their grasp. No matter who else picks up wins on Friday, a win over Memphis keeps the Nuggets in the same spot they entered the day in.
However, if Denver falls to Memphis, chaos will ensue.
A loss to the Grizzlies immediately drops the Nuggets to the 6-seed before any other results across the Western Conference are tallied. Should the Minnesota Timberwolves defeat the Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors defeat the Portland Trail Blazers, this would result in the Nuggets falling all the way down to the 8-seed in the West with one game left.
This is a doomsday scenario for Denver, as they do not want to fall into the play-in region of the standings, let alone the 8-seed, and not even host this one-game matchup. That is why the Nuggets must win on Friday.
How Nuggets loss would impact West standings
In addition to the Nuggets falling into the play-in region of the Western Conference standings with a loss, a win by the Grizzlies would be the perfect scenario for the Warriors and Timberwolves.
No matter what happens in the West, Golden State and Minnesota will earn actual playoff spots and avoid the play-in tournament if they can win the remainder of their games this season. Although they are not solely focused on what happens between the Grizzlies and Nuggets, the result of this game could see either time remain in contention for home-court advantage.
The LA Clippers are another team that would benefit from a Nuggets loss, as they could move up to the 4-seed with a Grizzlies win on Friday night, assuming they can win against Sacramento.
There is still so much that can happen regarding movement across the Western Conference standings, which is why every team is focused on winning. One loss, especially at home in Denver's case, could make their previous 80 games this season irrelevant in the blink of an eye.
