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Nuggets don't plan on overlooking Timberwolves

Apr 5, 2009 - 5:40 AM By Matt Beardmore Stats Writer

Denver (51-26) at Minnesota (22-54), 7:00 p.m. EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Playing its best basketball of the season, the Denver Nuggets don't plan on slowing down now. Especially being so close to earning home-court advantage in a playoff series for the first time in 21 years.

On Sunday night, the Nuggets go for their ninth straight win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are looking to knock off another playoff-bound team.

Denver (51-26), looking for its first seven-game winning streak since taking eight in a row from April 1-13, 2007, increased its lead to two games over idle Portland for the Northwest Division lead following Saturday's 120-104 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

J.R. Smith has been a major catalyst as the Nuggets have won 11 of 12.

After matching a career high with eight 3-pointers and scoring 28 in Thursday's 114-104 win over Utah, Smith was 7-of-14 from 3-point range and tallied 34 against the Clippers as Denver capped a 4-0 stretch at the Pepsi Center.

"Just everything I throw up is going in right now," said Smith, who's shooting 39.3 percent from beyond the arc and averaging a career-high 15.0 points. "Hopefully I keep it up right into the playoffs."

With a one-game lead over San Antonio for the second seed in the Western Conference, Denver controls its playoff fate heading into the final five games of the regular season. If the Nuggets secure home-court advantage in the first round, it will be the first time since the Western Conference semifinals in 1988 against Dallas that they've held that edge in a playoff series.

Denver, though, is not going to overlook Minnesota (22-54), which will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

"They just beat Utah in Utah - they're a good team," Smith said of the Timberwolves.

The Nuggets seek their fourth straight win in Minneapolis, but that could be a challenge against a team playing for nothing much more than pride. The Timberwolves snapped a nine-game road losing streak on Friday, defeating the Jazz 103-102.

"We've got to go out there and I guess got to try to be spoilers or whatever you want to call it," Ryan Gomes said after the Timberwolves rallied from a 15-point deficit.

Gomes is averaging 12.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in three losses to the Nuggets this season, but the fourth-year forward is scoring 20.3 points with 5.7 rebounds as Minnesota has won two of three.

Rodney Carney, averaging only 6.8 points, tied a career high with 25 against Utah. He scored 10 in the final 12 minutes.

Minnesota is coming off one of its best road wins of the season, but the Timberwolves are just 3-14 at the Target Center since winning six of seven there from Dec. 29-Jan. 25.

In the teams' last meeting on Dec. 10, Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 45 -- including and NBA record high-tying 33 in the third quarter -- and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 116-105 win.

Kenyon Martin could miss his second straight game with sore ribs, according to Denver coach George Karl.

The Timberwolves' last win over Denver was 99-94 on Feb. 14. 2007.