The Denver Nuggets went into last night’s game against the Sacramento Kings after a four-day break, and it showed. The Kings are one of the worst teams in the NBA but managed to keep the Nuggets down into the third quarter, although Denver claimed the game 104-90. Coach George Karl admits the Nuggets played “really bad: turnovers, sluggish offense, missing easy baskets, not making the extra pass” (Denver Post). He says the team is going to keep things relatively simple for the remaining eight games as they prepare for the playoffs, and then “we’ll try to trick it up in the postseason.”

Denver sits in the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings, five games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and two games ahead of Portland and New Orleans. If the standings don’t change, the Nuggets will play Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs, a tall challenge for any team. Meanwhile, former Nugget and beloved home-town hero Chauncey Billups may end up staying in New York, as the Knicks consider extending his contract (CBS Sports).