[Izulde]

Time to get the fire going.

Splitting a back-to-back is not a good way to start things off, especially when both games are winnable. We beat Memphis 116-106 in OT on Tim Butler's 32 points and 10 rebounds and Tzvetan Kishishev's 16 bench points, but the Hornets sting us in Quarters 1 and 4 to buzz away with the 113-101 victory, negating Mateen Yeaton's 23 points and Paulinho Buboltz's 20 points and 12 assists.

Then again, both those games were on the road and it's little surprise that we lose the front end of the next back-to-back, because it's... yep, on the road. 108-80 stinkbomb fall to the Timberwolves, Tzvetan Kishishev and Carlton Goree's 10 and 12 bench points all you need to know about how badly we played. Then we go home and neutralize Seattle 95-83 as Mateen Yeaton scores 24 and we get a pair of double-doubles from Deon Sterley (12 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks) and David Jackson (12 points, 11 rebounds).

Mateen Yeaton scores 21 and Carlton Goree and Winston Smith add 13 and 18 points off the bench respectively to key us to a 113-103 win over Golden State that's naturally at home.

Two nights later, still in Denver, our three headed monster of Mateen Yeaton (33 points), Tim Butler (24 points) and Paulinho Buboltz (22 points) takes care of the Hornets 111-87. I wish I could figure out why we suck so bad on the road, but I'll take what we're doing at home thus far.

It's freaky how schizo we are at home versus the road. Paulinho Buboltz erupts for 35 points and 16 assists in our 124-72 obliteration of the Grizzlies, Mateen Yeaton and Carlton Goree his assistants with 27 points and 11 bench respectively. Then we go out the next night and get lost in Houston, the Rockets torpedoing us 116-88. Mateen Yeaton scores 25 and David Jackson nets 15 points and 11 rebounds, but I don't know if the boys are out getting drunk before games or what in cities not named Denver.

With two games left in the season, we're 51-29 and are guaranteed at least the 4 seed. Portland's half a game in front of us at 51-28, while the Clippers are still within striking distance of a 3 seed at 49-31. So basically, to have any shot at the division, we need to win out and to lock up the 3 seed, we have to win at least one of the two.

Away game: Phoenix
Home game: Portland

I actually see us splitting this the other way, beating the Suns and losing to the Blazers.

We torch the Suns 113-91, Mateen Yeaton rising to the occasion with 33 points, Carlton Goree issuing 10 assists off the bench and Tzvetan Kishishev and Winston Smith pulling the unusual trick of double bench rebounds at 11 and 12 a piece.

So we're guaranteed the #3 seed and now face Portland at home, who we're still a half-game behind. Mateen Yeaton plays one of the best games of his career with 40 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks and we go on to smash Portland to a pulp, 121-94. Paulinho Buboltz fires away for 22 points and 13 assists and Carlton Goree and Tzvetan Kishishev score 13 and 10 points off the bench.

Thus, we're now a half-game ahead of Portland and I'm not sure who wins the tiebreaker if we both end up 53-29. We do end up tied, as the Traiblazers beat the Lakers in their final game of the regular season. Now we just have to wait to see who gets the division and the #2 seed.

It's the Denver Nuggets! After a one year absence, we're again back as Northwest Division champions and the #2 seed in the playoffs!!!

Huge, huge, -huge- relief, especially after we finished with a 19-22 record on the road versus 34-7 at home.

West Conference Seeds
1. Dallas Mavericks (66-16)
2. Denver Nuggets (53-29)
3. Portland Trailblazers (53-29)
4. Los Angeles Clippers (50-32)
5. Utah Jazz (46-36)
6. Sacramento Kings (45-37)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (45-37)
8. Memphis Grizzlies (35-47)

East Conference Seeds
1. Toronto Raptors (65-17)
2. Chicago Bulls (56-26)
3. New York Knicks (50-32)
4. Charlotte Bobcats (49-33)
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-34)
6. New Jersey Nets (47-35)
7. Orlando Magic (43-39)
8. Washington Wizards (42-40)

New Orleans Hornets just barely finish with the second-worst record in the league, with one less win than the Suns. The Heat, naturally, hold the worst record and hopefully they'll be just as terrible next year as well, when we hold that pick too.