NBA scores 2017: How the Nuggets beat the Cavaliers and can still miss the playoffs anyway

On Wednesday, the Denver Nuggets smacked the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-113 thanks to a 73-point first half. That’s exactly the type of win the Nuggets need to retain their now 1.5 game lead in the Western Conference playoff race for the No. 8 seed — a home game, but one against a top team that they desperately need to beat.

Yet when you look at FiveThirtyEight’s statistical prediction model, Denver has only a 38 percent chance of making the playoffs. The team that’s 1.5 games back of the Nuggets right now, the Portland Trail Blazers, are given a 60 percent chance. Making up that game-and-a-half with about 11 games left isn’t insignificant. But when you look at the schedules, it becomes clear why Portland is the favorite to surge ahead.

Denver has 11 games left, with eight coming on the road. The Nuggets have won 54 percent of their home games but only 39 percent on the road, where they’ll spent five straight games during one nine-day trip. They play their final two games of the season on the road, as well.

For Portland, there are 12 games remaining — with only three more happening away from home. The Trail Blazers have the slightly tougher schedule — two games against Utah, one against Houston, and one vs. San Antonio — but they’ve come on strong since the All-Star break, invigorated by the trade for Jusuf Nurkic. Since then, they’ve won nine of their 14 games.

One game is the biggest factor between who wins the seeding: the Nuggets playing in Portland on March 28. It’s impossible to overstate how enormous that matchup — and the guaranteed one-game swing in either direction — is for both teams. The Blazers and their glut of home games could certainly still prevail if they lose that game, and Denver isn’t safe if they win. But it will go a long way toward determining who makes it.

Westbrook triggered the 35th push notification from the NBA app with another triple-double on Wednesday, throwing up 18 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds in a blowout against Philadelphia. With 6-of-6 shooting from the field and a 6-of-6 outing on the line, Westbrook became the first player ever to record a triple-double without missing a shot from anywhere. (Two players, Draymond Green and Bo Outlaw, had triple-doubles where they were perfect from the field but missed foul shots. Green had two.)

Isn’t the actual history being made here that Westbrook only took six shots in a full-length regulation NBA game? We admire his restraint (given the strategy was clearly working).

Denver needed that win, but the Cavaliers allowed 126 points and are just one game ahead of the Boston Celtics at this point. Again, we have to wonder if Cleveland’s defense is good enough to win a championship this year. Certainly, the trash defending we’ve seen this season won’t cut it.

But Cleveland boasted the No. 10 best defense last season, and maybe the Cavs still have that switch. Certainly, minus Matthew Dellavedova, they pretty much have the same personnel. Having the playoff-tested Andrew Bogut would have been a nice touch, rather than forcing Tristan Thompson to take all the minutes at center. Is the rest of the team — LeBron James, particularly, but it’s not just him — able to really pick it up by May and June?

It wasn’t his most efficient night, and the Pacers still lost to Boston 109-100, but George is trying, dammit. Why is Indiana trying to trade this guy away again?

He was joking, to be clear, about a foul call committed on Marcus Smart. But Heinsohn felt strongly that it was an and-one, and as it turned out, it was.

...why!?

Bucks 116, Kings 98 (Brew Hoop recap | Sactown Royalty recap)

Nuggets 126, Cavaliers 113 (Denver Stiffs recap | Fear the Sword recap)

Wizards 104, Hawks 100 (Bullets Forever recap | Peachtree Hoops recap)

Thunder 122, 76ers 97 (Welcome to Loud City recap | Liberty Ballers recap)

Bulls 117, Pistons 95 (Blog a Bull recap | Detroit Bad Boys recap)

Celtics 109, Pacers 100 (Celtics Blog recap | Indy Cornrows recap)

Hornets 109, Magic 102 (At the Hive recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap)

Jazz 108, Knicks 101 (SLC Dunk recap | Posting & Toasting recap)