When the Denver Nuggets finished off a Sunday matinee by thrashing Sacramento, they simultaneously sat out of the Western Conference playoff picture and 1.5 games away from hosting a first-round playoff series.
That’s the NBA’s version of March Madness, where spots Nos. 3 through 10 were separated by four games in the loss column entering Monday’s action and every contender was at least seven games over .500 with approximately 15 games to play.
Here’s a look at where things stand in the wild West:
Denver Nuggets
Record: 37-30
Place in standings: Ninth
Next five games: Tuesday at Lakers, Thursday vs.