Oklahoma City Started This Mess, Nuggets Need Retribution

It's hard to describe a team securely in the thick of the western conference playoff race as a mess, but there is a thin line between the ugly and pretty of most things.  What smelled like hope one day soured and quickly became spoiled until the smell was simply unbearable.

If things got messy, I contend that Oklahoma City bumped Denver from the playoff picture leading to the eventual slime we witnessed for 8 games.  The team Denver believed they were expected to win that last game.  Losing it not only cost us a game or 8, the Nuggets shattered every mirror at Pepsi center and lost their identity in the process.  Oklahoma City was a measuring stick then and they are a measuring stick now.  They won't even have Russell Westbrook and they are still the most dangerous team in the western conference just because of Durant and Ibaka.  Denver not only needs an exorcism of the demons they carried away from that game, they need a confirmation game of what has led to 3 convincing wins including 2 blowout games recently.

Blowing teams out in today's NBA is not easy.  If you notice, even the Miami Heat don't bother with it.
In order to blow a team out in today's NBA, you have to rebound in a fashion that makes your opponent stop running to the rim in fear of paying with a fast break on the other end, and you have to shoot well yourself.  The Nuggets have done both.

If you haven't noticed, the Nuggets are rebounding like they never have before.  They are sealing every player on the court and getting guards to grab the ball and start the break.  This is the holy grail of defense because defense does not end until you secure the rebound.  If the big guys do their part, they should seal the most dangerous rebounder's  from the rim and rely on guards to clean up loose balls and start the break. Whenever a team
does not hit shots, they will always run the risk of getting blown out against a good rebounding team.

Oklahoma City  (aka Kevin and them boys) can shoot the ball.  They will have to shoot the lights out tonight to avoid a disgruntled foe with retribution on the mind.  The Nuggets should treat tonight's game like a springboard into the rest of the season just like the first OKC game that nearly became the springboard into the off season.