Denver Vs. San Antonio

ROUND ONE - Western Conference
Denver Nuggets (6th seed) Vs. San Antonio Spurs (3rd seed)

The Denver Nuggets (45- 37) enter this series averaging 105.4 PPG and having won 9 of their last ten games. They have a +1.6 point differential. The San Antonio Spurs (58- 24) earned the third-best record in the league and finished second in the Southwest Division. Their points for and point against differential (+8.4) is the best in the NBA. They have allowed only 90.1 PPG, which is also tops in the league.

Since coming from the 76er’s, shooting guard Allen Iverson (26.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 7.2 APG), who hits threes at a rate of 32%, has provided Denver with a lot more firepower. Across from him, point guard Steve Blake (6.4 PPG, 5 APG, O.7 SPG) is a solid ball handler.

Inside, the Nuggets feature small forward Carmelo Anthony (28.9 PPG, 6 RPG, 3.8 APG) and center Marcus Camby (11.2 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.3 BPG). Anthony and Camby are both fine rebounders. Anthony is a shot machine, while Camby is one of the best shot blockers in the NBA.

For the Spurs, forward/center Tim Duncan (20 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.4 BPG) is both an offensive and defensive power. Duncan is athletic and smart—an able court leader. Outside, point guard Tony Parker (18.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, 1.1 SPG) commands the floor, generating three-point baskets at a rate of 40%. Along with being a fine offensive player, Parker is tenacious on defense. As a team, San Antonio hits three-pointers at the rate of 38% while Denver connects 34% of the time.

The Spurs defense could be instrumental in this series. Both teams can score points but only one is capable of stopping opponents from scoring. San Antonio won the regular season series 2 games to 1. In both victories, they kept the Nuggets at least 20-points below their season average. This series could go 6 or 7 games.

Maddux Sports Series Prediction:

San Antonio Spurs in 6 Games

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