• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Nuggets try to stay hot against Bucks

Apr 15, 2013 - 2:27 PM (Sports Network) - The Denver Nuggets will try to keep hold of that No. 3 seed in the Western Conference when they visit the Bradley Center Monday night to take on the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Nuggets are one game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies for the third spot in the conference and have won six of their last seven games, including Sunday's 118-109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Andre Iguodala posted 28 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

Evan Fournier added 24 points for the Nuggets, who have won six of their last seven games and set a franchise mark with the 55th win of the season.

"It's been a really good year for us, but we don't want to get satisfied. We still have work to do," Iguodala said after Denver's 22nd straight win at home. "We can't just settle for 55 (wins), we have to get 57."

The Nuggets will conclude the regular season Wednesday at home versus Phoenix.

Denver forward Kenneth Faried left the contest during the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury and is day-to-day.

The Bucks are headed to the postseason as well, but they are limping in. They've lost four in a row, six of their last seven and will face the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

"It's not a surprise," Mike Dunleavy said of facing the Heat. "We've been headed in that direction for the last month now, so we know we what have ahead of us. We have to go finish out these last couple games and some how, some way start playing a little better before we face this monumental task ahead of us."

The schedule is not kind to the Bucks. After hosting the Nuggets, Milwaukee visits the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

The Bucks' most recent setback came Saturday in Charlotte against the Bobcats. Milwaukee fell, 95-85, trailed by 17 points after the third quarter and only shot 39 percent from the field.

Dunleavy led the Bucks with 19 points. Monta Ellis added 16 and J.J. Redick and Ersan Ilyasova both scored in double figures.

Starters Brandon Jennings (sore left Achilles) and Larry Sanders (lower back soreness) missed the Bobcats game. Their availability for Monday is unknown.

The Nuggets have won five in a row against the Bucks, including a 112-104 victory in Denver on Feb. 5. Denver has won in its last two trips to Milwaukee.