MIKE MALONE'S "POPOVICH" MOVE TONIGHT WAS BRILLIANT. True.I don't usually start these discussions with a point about the opposing coach, but tonight I had to. Malone's ploy to sit his 3 best players was the story of the game. Actually of the whole day. Certainly the move got in Portland's head. Instead of being boosted by the return of CJ, the focus was a dogfight that suddenly melted into a walk-over. Instead of needing a play-off level of intensity, the Blazers only had to avoid tripping over their own feet. Yet the game was much tougher than that.

Denver has faced a brutal closing schedule, as the Nuggets slid from battling for the #1 seed with Golden State to now trying to hold off Houston for the #2 seed. They slugged their way to key home wins over the Spurs and Blazers heading into tonight's contest. How much of their "emotional capital" were they going to expend to close out the regular season? Then Malone pulled the rug out from under that narrative and said "none". Here were the benefits:

Jokic, Murray and Milsap got some rest. It is not physical at this point. It is the emotional strain of playing game after game in which you have to perform. Not tonight. Enjoy the bench.

Malone told his entire team that while it would be nice to be the #2 seed, it is not that big a deal. That whole "higher seed" v. "playing well" discussion we have been having about the Blazers was answered by Denver. Let's give some guys the chance to get their game going, even if we lose.

The #1 guy Denver wanted to get going was Gary Harris. He has been back long enough from his nagging injuries that he should be back on his game. Tonight he was told not to worry about whether he should defer to one of the other guys, the Nuggets needed him to score. 18 points in 24 minutes and Harris was aggressive. Denver needs him like this in the play-offs.

Malone hoped that Barton would also get going, but the Thrill has a voice in his head that only he hears. Will could still win 2 play-off games by himself, or he could blow up Denver's chances completely. No one knows. But Denver did get some good minutes from Morris, Beasley and Craig, and even some bright spots for the high potential/perennial disappointment that is Trey Lyles. The Nuggets' depth has been one of the keys to this season and this game gave them all some great minutes to get ready.

Malone's message was so consistent that he even kept Isaiah Thomas in as Denver imploded down the stretch. IT got as many minutes (24) as the more effective Morris, and tied for team high in shots (14) with the more accurate Beasley. Yet Malone let it ride.

One of the forgotten stories of Pop's sitting his stars is that the Spurs sometimes actually won those games. And Denver had every chance to win this game tonight with a 7 point lead well into the 4th quarter.

SO MALONE'S MOVE MEANT THAT PORTLAND GOT NOTHING OUT OF THE GAME. False.First of all, Portland picked up the win. Combine that with Utah's stunning loss to the Lakers and the magic number is now 1 to keep home court advantage. Portland may get to rest their starters in game #82.

2ndly, the injury news was all good tonight. CJ looked energized after his 10 game absence. He had 9 points early, then went scoreless for the rest of the game. That type of game is not uncommon after an injury. A high energy burst and adrenaline get you going, but you suck wind later as you try and re-gain your stamina. Curry shook off the soreness in his leg after a one-game absence. There was some concern that it might be a flare-up of last year's major injury, so it was great to see him back and aggressive.

We knew Lillard would bounce back after his poor showing on Friday. He totaled 30. Put Torrey Craig on the small list of guys who really bother Dame. But the story of the night for Portland was the play of Aminu. His first 20/10 game of his career? (Actually 23/11) And he did it while going only 1-4 on threes. Chief made a handful of great plays tonight. One under-appreciated play was the rebound he took coast-to-coast with a high-wire dribbling act in traffic with his left hand. It was a turnover trying to happen, but Aminu kept his dribble low and went all the way for a basket. His lefty dunk avoiding Plumlee. His follow of CJ's transition miss for the basket. His rejection of Lyles near the end. His reverse lay-up around Plumlee to help seal the game. His rebound and drawing the foul to send Mason to the bench. Aminu had his finger-prints all over this game.

STANDING WATCH: Don't sleep on OKC.The Thunder could still sneak up and snatch 4th away from Utah. They own the tie-breaker (3-1), including a 148-147 double-overtime win in one of the games of the year. With Monday's night off for the NCAA Championship game, there is a lot of intrigue left for Tuesday and Wednesday.

最终成绩:丹佛枪击40%深,佤邦s one of the reasons they stayed in the game. They also forced 16 Portland turnovers. Portland grabbed 16 more rebounds (58-42) and once again that was a huge factor for the Blazers. Kanter had a decent night (11 and 13) but he was bothered by Denver's swarming defense, with 3 turnovers and some shots that got tougher because he didn't get clean catches. How many of Portland's 51 wins have come from games in which the opponent's best player(s) were not in the game? It seems like a lot, may 10 to 12. You have to stay focused and close the deal in those types of games. With Denver's 3 best out, this should not have been this competitive a game, even with the Nuggets' deep roster. But it was. The sweet part of the game was that Portland could come roaring from behind and take over the game. We haven't seen a lot of that this season, and we probably will need to see it in the play-offs. Not Portland's best, but they did reap a win that sets them on the verge of home court. B