Denver Nuggets - The Next Level [Game 3 + 4]

You'll probably win in 5; there might be a game where your bigs struggle. Everything should start with Perko, but I think T-Mac's scoring will really be necessary.

T-Mac will be vital, particularly when I need a guy to make a big shot. Perko dictates the way the game gets played though, whether he's blocking shots or setting up his teammates. Cody Campbell will have a big role to play too.

You have this series. That Spurs team you ran into was actually pretty good, but I think you'll go out and sweep these guys. I appreciate the player reviews. Great to look at after each season.

The Spurs are one of those teams that always seems to be competitive (along with the Rockets and the Hornets). The Warriors definitely have clearer weakness than the Spurs did last season.

The reviews are actually quite interesting to write up and reflect on, so I'm glad you enjoy it

You have the MVP and the scoring champ, you've got this!

Don't mention that around The Admiral

Oh snap!

Hope you're right though Martti

Good player review, seems everything worked out and fell into place as the season progressed. The Alejandro Carlos signing certainly didn't live up to expectations, but the Campbell trade has turned out very well.

I reckon you'll sweep the first round, being determined not to have a repeat of last season.

It's amazing how much of a difference a player's jumpshot release can make in this game. Somehow the Shawn Marion seems to work really well for me in this game. It's not as easy as say, the J.R. Smith jumpshot, but it's actually right up there for me.

We shall find out soon enough how the Nuggets will go

NBA Playoffs 2022: Denver Vs Golden State

The First Four Games

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Game 1: Perko leads Denver to 1-0



Denver asserted their dominance in game 1, taking an early series lead with a 97-81 win against the Warriors. The Nuggets had three players that scored 20 or more, and they were surprisingly led by Borislav Perko. The regular season MVP proved his reign doesn't stop after 82, as he registered 26 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists. He was helped out by Taylor MacKenzie who scored 24 after an indifferent end to the regular season. Along with Perko, Dwight Howard also made his presense felt in the paint with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Golden State were led by Kerry Bird, who scored 21. The team's regular season scoring leader Johnny Williams also had a good night with 20 points and 9 assists, while former All-Star Rudolph Gibson was relatively quiet with 11. The real story of this game was the Nuggets ability to get to the rim. The Warriors had no answers for the Nuggets dominant front court pairing and they were also out-muscled on the boards all night.

Denver now hold a 1-0 lead in the series, with the next game at the Pepsi Center.

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GSW@DEN

DEN: 97 (Perko 26, MacKenzie 24, Howard 22)
GSW: 81 (Bird 21, Williams 20, Gibson 11)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 26 points 12 rebounds 13 assists 4 blocks 3 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 12
GSW: Wilson 11

Assists

DEN: Perko 13
GSW: Williams 9

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Game 2: Nuggets Complete Home Sweep: Perko Close To Quadruple-Double



The Nuggets were able to win it's second home game of the series by 84-75. LeBron James was the high point man in this one, with 22 points. Dwight Howard continued his late season run, scoring 19. But all eyes were on Borislav Perko once again. He was 1 block away from a quadruple-double number, registering staggering numbers of 18 points, 18 rebounds, 15 assists, 9 blocks and 1 steal. With LeBron stepping into the main scorer's role, Taylor MacKenzie only contributed 13 points on the night.

It was the Williams-Bird combination that did the bulk of the damage for the Warriors, as they scored 22 and 18 respectively. Rudolph Gibson had a slightly better game with 16, while former Nuggets championship player Michael Beasley came off the bench with 13 points.

Even though the Warriors did a better job limiting opportunities at the basket, their inability to box out Perko was once again their downfall. Borislav also did a good job in ensuring that Golden State's points came away from the basket.

This series now heads to the Bay Area, where Golden State are hoping to revive their playoffs campaign.

------------------------

GSW@DEN

DEN: 84 (James 22, Howard 19, Perko 18)
GSW: 75 (Williams 22, Bird 18, Gibson 16)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 18 points 18 rebounds 15 assists 9 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 18
GSW: Wilson 10

Assists

DEN: Perko 15
GSW: Williams 6

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Game 3: Nuggets Crush Warriors



After winning game 3 by 99-74, the Denver Nuggets are now just one win away from the conference semi finals. Continuing the trend of a different top scorer every game so far, Cody Campbell was the one who stepped up for the Nuggets, scoring 25. Taylor MacKenzie had a better outing this time as well, with 21. Dwight Howard (18 points, 15 rebounds) and LeBron James (14 points, 11 assists) both had double-doubles, while Borislav Perko was only 2 rebounds away from another triple-double. He won the Performer of the Game with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 blocks and 3 steals. It's the third time he's had the honour in as many playoff games this season.

Johnny Williams was once again the star player for the Warriors with 24 points, but this time he didn't receive as much help from Kerry Bird, who only scored 14. Steven Crawford (13) and Rudolph Gibson (11) both contributed, but lacked the energy that Denver's supporting cast had.

Down 3-0, the Warriors will hope to cling onto their 2022 Playoffs campaign when they play their second in the Bay Area.

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DEN@GSW

DEN: 99 (Campbell 25, MacKenzie 21, Howard 18)
GSW: 74 (Williams 24, Bird 14, Crawford 13)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 12 points 8 rebounds 10 assists 4 blocks 3 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Howard 15
GSW: Bird 7

Assists

DEN: James 11
GSW: Crawford 6

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Game 4: Bay Area Gets Swept; Nuggets Through to Semis



The Nuggets avoided a repeat of last season by winning game 4 by 100-89. It was once again another great team effort, with 4 players scoring 15 or more. Taylor MacKenzie had the most points for the Nuggets with 26. Dwight Howard continued his late season domination with 24 points and 7 rebounds, while Cody Campbell used the confidence he had from the previous game to score 16. But the biggest surprise? The performer of the game wasn't Borislav Perko... it was a guy named LeBron James. The man who gets criticised for not having a 4th quarter proved that he at least has a 4th game, as he went on to get 15 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists.

In the scoring department, it was the same story for the Warriors. Johnny Williams had the highest point total of both teams with 29. Kerry Bird and Rudolph Gibson both chipped in with 15, while Steven Crawford had his only double-double of the series with 10 points and 11 assists.

Even though the Warriors had some good production from Johnny Williams, they were never really in this series. They were up against a team desperate to prove they weren't first round chokers, and the Nuggets were clinical in proving that fact.

------------------------

DEN@GSW

DEN: 100 (MacKenzie 26, Howard 24, Campbell 16)
GSW: 89 (Williams 29, Bird 15, Gibson 15)

Sprite Performer of the Game: LeBron James 15 points 6 rebounds 10 assists 4 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Howard 7
GSW: Crawford 11

Assists

DEN: James 10
GSW: Williams 8

------------------------

With the first round down, the Nuggets will face the winner of the Thunder/Grizzlies series.

It's amazing how much of a difference a player's jumpshot release can make in this game. Somehow the Shawn Marion seems to work really well for me in this game.

I'd say the Shawn Marion release is a good one in this game, too. For some reason, Jared Jeffries had it when I was doing my Rockets Dynasty and it was pretty effective since I was able to knock down threes with him. At times, it got to be a little too streaky for my liking though.

Great performance in the playoffs so far, a sweep was definitely expected from you guys. LeBron James seems really focused on the championship, he had two great games in that series, but the MVP of the series has to be Perko.

LeBron better get ready to change that number to 1

Sweep! Called it.

So close on that quadruple double, fantastic stat line all the same though.

Perko will get that quadruple-double this season, probably in the Finals. Don't let me down.

If the Grizzlies advance, it's either Borislav Perko or Borislav Perko who will win.

No surprised there, well done mate.

Congratulations on the sweep. Last year's team had a lot more hype, but this might be your best team since the one that swept the playoffs.

Wow! Nice sweep. Perko is the man!

It's amazing how much of a difference a player's jumpshot release can make in this game. Somehow the Shawn Marion seems to work really well for me in this game.

I'd say the Shawn Marion release is a good one in this game, too. For some reason, Jared Jeffries had it when I was doing my Rockets Dynasty and it was pretty effective since I was able to knock down threes with him. At times, it got to be a little too streaky for my liking though.

Great performance in the playoffs so far, a sweep was definitely expected from you guys. LeBron James seems really focused on the championship, he had two great games in that series, but the MVP of the series has to be Perko.

I don't think I've really paid any notice to Jared Jeffries' jumpshot, but that's kind of strange that he'd have it too. I figured the only other player to have it (apart from the generics) would be Josh Childress, but he wasn't in the game at the point I started this (unfortunately, since I'm a big Childress homer )

As much as LeBron's persona annoys me, he's one of the most fun players I've had in my team. Even after so many seasons, he's so quick and strong. Perko's still definitely the MVP

LeBron better get ready to change that number to 1

I think Mr Billups might have something to say about that

Sweep! Called it.

So close on that quadruple double, fantastic stat line all the same though.

That you did

I can't be too frustrated with the numbers he's putting up, but geez... you think I could have gotten at least a 5x5 by now

Perko will get that quadruple-double this season, probably in the Finals. Don't let me down.

I hope so, just so I can get over chasing it. I'd be happy with a 5x5.

If the Grizzlies advance, it's either Borislav Perko or Borislav Perko who will win.

That's true... and if that happens, Borislav Perko has a pretty good chance to get to the NBA Finals from there.

No surprised there, well done mate.

Thanks reneker, it was particularly satisfying this time around

Congratulations on the sweep. Last year's team had a lot more hype, but this might be your best team since the one that swept the playoffs.

I agree; as the X pointed out, the team last season was a lot like the Spurs and Celtics. It was full of veterans playing the key roles and kind of prolonging the dynasty. Now my main guys are fairly young and my older guys have more complementary roles.

Wow! Nice sweep. Perko is the man!

He did have an excellent series

NBA Playoffs 2022: Conference Semis

WEST | EAST
|
|

First Round Results

WEST
(1) DEN 4 - 0 GSW (8)
(5) MEM 4 - 2 LAC (4)
(6) HOU 4 - 2 OKC (3)
(2) NOH 4 - 3 DAL (7)

EAST
(1) PHI 4 - 2 NJN (8)
(5) BOS 4 - 3 DET (4)
(6) TOR 4 - 2 WAS (3)
(7) CLE 4 - 2 IND (2)

(1) Denver Nuggets Vs Memphis Grizzlies (5)

This is an intriguing series because it seems like the Memphis Grizzlies have followed the Nuggets successful blueprint. Their scoring comes mainly from their backcourt, while frontcourt add a feared defensive presense and force other teams to take more jumpshots. Add the fact that they have one of the deepest benches in the league, they have enough to get to the Western Conference Finals. However, they face a team that seems determined to prove a point, and did so by eliminating the Warriors while barely raising a sweat. Historically the Denver-Memphis matchup has been a good one and it'd be a surprise to see a series that wasn't competitive right to the end. So can the Grizzlies replicate the Nuggets previous success? Or will they be proven to be pretenders in their imitation?

The Lineups

Denver Nuggets

The Starters

| Dwight Howard | Borislav Perko | Cody Campbell | Taylor MacKenzie | LeBron James |

The Bench

| Duncan Werner | Bartholow Meyer | Liam Leopold | JaVale McGee | Adrian Young | Dennis Da Conceicao | Ed Reed |

IR

| Cyrus Banks | Jakov Branco | Jesus Carlos |

Memphis Grizzlies

The Starters

| Nicklas Good | Tommy Stevenson | Darrell Flanagan | Tyler Jones | Dave Russell |

The Bench

| Stephen Curry | Borislav Perko | Andy Cooper | Darrick Griffin | Kitt Vine | Rudolf Fichs | Marty Jung |

IR

| Rod Schneider | Lawrence Currie | Dakota Reid |

Keys

Denver Nuggets

With Nicklas Good and Tommy Stevenson both fiercely protecting the lane, the Nuggets backcourt will be vital in this series. Big games will be needed by Taylor MacKenzie, Cody Campbell and LeBron James in order to get through to the next stage of the playoffs. If Duncan Werner can also chip in with a few points off the bench, that will help their cause to no end.

Memphis Grizzlies

What was said about the Nuggets can also be said about the Grizzlies. Howard and Perko are the two premier defenders for their positions and Memphis might have to catch fire in order to win this one, because they're not going to get a lot of easy hoops. Look out for big games from Dave Russell, Tyler Jones, Darrell Flanagan and Borislav Perko... the Memphis one.

I still think you've got the determination and talent on the roster to finish off this year of redemption in style. 4-1, if not another sweep.

There are two guys named Borislav Perko in this league?

I wonder if Darrick Griffin is a cross between Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin.

That'd be an entertaining player to watch.

I still think you've got the determination and talent on the roster to finish off this year of redemption in style. 4-1, if not another sweep.

I was tempted to call season 13 "LeDemption", but I felt it was a bit on the nose plus it kinda implies that he's a bigger deal than he really is. Hopefully it's a redemption season

There are two guys named Borislav Perko in this league?

Indeed there are, just like there are two guys named Pablo Carlos and there's even a second coming of a guy named Nach Carlos.

I wonder if Darrick Griffin is a cross between Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin.

That'd be an entertaining player to watch.

Isn't that essentially Michael Jordan?

I'd say Jordan was a better defender though...

NBA Playoffs 2022: Denver Vs Memphis

The First Four Games

Game 1: Nuggets Avoid Mile High Meltdown



The Nuggets were lucky to escape with a 102-93 win against the Grizzlies in game one. The game was seemingly won by Denver as they went in leading by 28 at the start of the 4th, but their offense became lazy and stagnant. They even let it get within 5 at one stage, sending fear into the Pepsi center crowd.

LeBron James scored 29 points to lead the Nuggets, but the telling stat of the night was the fact that he was goose-egged in the final quarter. Taylor MacKenzie added 22, while Dwight Howard was one rebound away from a double-double with 14 points and 9 rebounds. The Performer of the Game went to the all-round ability of Borislav Perko, who notched off another triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

As expected, the Memphis backcourt got most of the point, led by Darrell Flanagan, who himself almost had a double-double with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Guards Tyler Jones and Dave Russell both added 19 each, while Tommy Stevenson put up 12 points.

The Nuggets were comprehensive in the first three quarters, but complacency crept into their game and the Grizzlies out-scored them 39-20 in the 4th. Even though they were happy with the win, it was a performance that was sure to leave George Karl fuming.

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MEM@DEN

DEN: 102 (James 29, MacKenzie 22, Howard 14)
MEM: 93 (Flanagan 24, Jones 19, Russell 19)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko [DEN] 10 points 10 rebounds 10 assists 1 block 3 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 10
MEM: Good 13

Assists

DEN: Perko 10
MEM: Russell 4

---------------------------------

Game 2: Grizzlies Even The Series



Memphis carried on their 4th quarter momentum from game 1 to beat the Denver Nuggets by 93-88 in game 2. It was a shared effort by the Grizzlies, as they had 5 players in double digits. Once again they were led by Darrell Flanagan, who scored 19. Tyler Jones and Dave Russell both contributed 17 each. Tommy Stevenson had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Memphis' Borislav Perko came off the bench with 12 points

It was a bittersweet night for Taylor MacKenzie. He personally had a huge night with 40 points, but unfortunately he had little help, with both Cody Campbell (12 points, 8 rebounds) and LeBron James (12 points, 8 assists) the only other notable contributors on the offensive end.

The Grizzlies came out of the gates early as they went to a 24-15 lead at the end of the first. It was a game of scoring runs, as the Nuggets had the best of the second (36-22 for the quarter), but they were trumped by the Grizzlies in the second half.

The series is now in the balance as it heads to Memphis.

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MEM@DEN

MEM: 93 (Flanagan 19, Jones 17, Russell 17)
DEN: 88 (MacKenzie 40, Campbell 12, James 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Taylor MacKenzie 40 points 4 rebounds 2 steals

Rebounds

MEM: Stevenson 13
DEN: Campbell, Howard, Perko 8

Assists

MEM: Jones 5
DEN: James 8

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Game 3: Nuggets Savage Grizzlies



After losing game 2, the Nuggets hit back emphatically with a 94-68 win in Memphis. After having a quiet playoffs, Duncan Werner came off the bench with 28 points to lead the Nuggets. However, Dwight Howard was named as the Nuggets best, as he had 22 points and 14 rebounds. Taylor MacKenzie added 17, while Borislav Perko was more understated with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

Memphis were a farcry from the team that beat the Nuggets in game 2. It was a massive come down for them as Dave Russell and Borislav Perko both top scored 16. Tommy Stevenson (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Tyler Jones (11 points) both added double digits as well, but they were unable to create many opportunities close to the basket.

The Grizzlies still have a chance to pick up the split in Memphis, but the Nuggets now have all the momentum.

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DEN@MEM

DEN: 94 (Werner 28, Howard 22, MacKenzie 17)
MEM: 68 (Perko 16, Russell 16, Stevenson 13)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Dwight Howard 22 points 14 rebounds 3 assists 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Howard 14
MEM: Good, Stevenson 10

Assists

DEN: James, Perko 6
MEM: Russell 5

---------------------------------

Game 4: Denver Hold On and Go to 3-1



In another up-and-down affair, the Nuggets were able to hold on for a 96-93 win in game 4. All five starters for the Nuggets scored double figures, with Taylor MacKenzie leading the way with 19. Dwight Howard was once again the best player on the court, this time with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks. LeBron James (15) and Borislav Perko (12 points, 10 assists) both had meaningful contributions, while Duncan Werner got 11 points off the bench. Cody Campbell was 2 rebounds off a double-double with 10 points and 8 rebounds.

With the exception of Tommy Stevenson, the Grizzlies starting 5 all scored in double digits as well, led by Tyler Jones (23). Dave Russell kept up his consistent scoring with 19 and Nicklas Good finally got in the offensive action with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Darrell Flanagan had a better game with 14, while Borislav Perko provided a spark once again off the bench with 13 points and 6 assists.

It was the story of two halves; Memphis had the better of the first (50-43), but Denver were able to take control. The Grizzlies had a last-ditch effort in the final minute, but it was in vain as Denver held on.

The series is now heads back to Denver, where the Nuggets have the opportunity to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

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DEN@MEM

DEN: 96 (MacKenzie 19, Howard 16, James 15)
MEM: 93 (Jones 23, Russell 19, Flanagan 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Dwight Howard 16 points 10 rebounds 5 assists 5 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Howard 10
MEM: Stevenson 12

Assists

DEN: Perko 10
MEM: Perko 6

---------------------------------

There you go... I can finally say that Borislav Perko truly led both teams in one statistical category

The conclusion will be up sometime tomorrow probably.

Good job taking control of the series. A bit disappointed that jr smith's thunder are already out of it though.

Game 3 was pivotal for you guys taking both games at Memphis. If you guys don't get complacent like in the first two games, you should be able to seal the deal in Denver.

4-1, I guess.

Man, I'm very disappointed. For the series previews -- what happened with all of these?

Good job taking control of the series. A bit disappointed that jr smith's thunder are already out of it though.

I was disappointed as well. It would have been fun playing against him, like I did several seasons ago when he played for Memphis.

Game 3 was pivotal for you guys taking both games at Memphis. If you guys don't get complacent like in the first two games, you should be able to seal the deal in Denver.

I think I fall into the trap of "extended garbage time" a little bit sometimes. I'll give my bench warmers a run, thinking no real harm will be done, then I'll get a huge scoring run against me. Still, I think I have at least 5 guys who haven't played yet in this post-season, so I'm not out of control with it.

4-1, I guess.

I think that was your original guess anyway. Might turn out to be a good one since the Grizzlies have managed to take one off me so far.

Man, I'm very disappointed. For the series previews -- what happened with all of these?

You realise out of the 30 players in this series, only 4 of them actually have a photo on ESPN? That's 26 times I have to hit paste on that "no photo" photo I figured it was a good time to phase it out. The generated players are taking over the league and the no photo guy was only meant to be a placeholder in the initial years.

Random fact: The player's profile I got Mr No Photo from was Andrew Gaze

NBA Playoffs 2022: Denver Vs Memphis

The Conclusion

Game 5: Nuggets Advance To WCF



After a close call in game 4, the Nuggets put this game early with a 97-70 win over the Grizzlies. LeBron James (26) and Taylor MacKenzie (20) both had productive nights on the offensive end, but the night once again belonged to Borislav Perko. He was one block and one steal away from a 5x5, while also completing a 20-20 stat-line with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 22 assists, 4 blocks and 4 steals. Dwight Howard also contributed to Memphis' horror night with 14 points.

The Grizzlies were absolutely woeful in game 5. They had 3 double digit scorers, but when your high point man has only 13 (Nicklas Good), you're going to have problems defeating a top seeded team. Darrell Flanagan chipped in with 12, while Tommy Stevenson was arguably their best player, but even his stats were modest as he got 11 points and 8 rebounds.

It was somewhat of an anti-climax to the series. With the exception of game 3, the Grizzlies looked to trouble the Nuggets in the first 4 games of the series. But Denver were clinical on both ends, with scoring flare and defensive intimidation.

The Nuggets will play the winner of the Hornets-Rockets series in the Western Conference Finals.

----------------------------

MEM@DEN

DEN: 97 (James 26, MacKenzie 20, Perko 20)
MEM: 70 (Good 13, Flanagan 12, Stevenson 11)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko [DEN] 20 points 11 rebounds 22 assists 4 blocks 4 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 11
MEM: Stevenson 8

Assists

DEN: Perko 22
MEM: Russell 6

NBA Playoffs 2022: Conference Finals




Semi Final Results

WEST
(1) DEN 4 - 1 MEM (5)
(6) HOU 4 - 2 NOH (2)

EAST
(1) PHI 4 - 2 BOS (5)
(6) TOR 4 - 2 CLE (7)

(1) Denver Nuggets Vs Houston Rockets (6)

It's been well documented that Denver's biggest obstacle to a title would be the New Orleans Hornets... but now they've been eliminated, don't think the Nuggets are breathing a sigh of relief. These two teams have history and both are capable of winning this series. While the Nuggets were the surprise first round casualties of last season, the Houston Rockets surprised everyone when they made it to the NBA Finals. It seems no matter how they do in the regular season, Houston have been proven to be hard to handle in the playoffs and they'll be looking to vengence after some close misses against the Denver Nuggets.

It's set to be one hell of series; the best in the West versus the reigning Western Conference champions. Will the Nuggets continue on? Or will the Rockets throw the NBA playoffs another curve ball?

The Lineups

Denver Nuggets

The Starters

| Dwight Howard | Borislav Perko | Cody Campbell | Taylor MacKenzie | LeBron James |

The Bench

| Duncan Werner | Bartholow Meyer | Liam Leopold | JaVale McGee | Adrian Young | Dennis Da Conceicao | Ed Reed |

IR

| Cyrus Banks | Jakov Branco | Jesus Carlos |

Houston Rockets

The Starters

| Bertrand Hofmann | Armando Ferrer | Carl Ellis | Walt Watters | Quentin Moller |

The Bench

| William Coles | Patrick Barnes | Waldo Bonner | Lloyd Robinson | Terry MacKenna | Simon Powell | Ronald MacDermott |

IR

| Austin Nolan* |

*recovering from a torn achilles tendon. Likely to be back in a week.

Keys

Denver Nuggets

Taylor MacKenzie is the one that stands out for Denver in this series. T-Mac has been known to sink the Rockets when the chips have been down, so his ability to hit late baskets could be crucial here.

Houston

Armando Ferrer has been known to out-play Borislav Perko in some games and he'll be the key for the Rockets on both ends. Houston are an excellent perimeter shooting team, but when they're not, Ferrer has the ability to get put-back baskets. Also, once Austin Nolan comes back, the Rockets will be an even better team.