Suns-Nuggets is still marquee here

Suns-Nuggets is still marquee here

Key Nuggets subs: Al Harrington, Chris Andersen, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov and JR Smith.
Key Nuggets injuries: Arron Afflao (left hamstring strain) and Danilo Gallinari (toe fracture) are listed as out for tonight's game.
Apologies for the later-than-ever version of game-day Orange Slices. As a result, they'll be snack size too for the 8:30 p.m. game.
* It is easy to focus just on the two teams immediately in front of the Suns, Memphis and New Orleans, as teams they could pass to get into the playoffs but West positions five through 11 are so tightly bunched that you can't be sure who might fall out. Let's not discount the possibility of Denver, even with its 5-2 record since trading Carmelo Anthony.
If the Suns beat Denver tonight (and they have 12 consecutive times in Phoenix), they would be within two games of the Nuggets and split the season series 2-2. The Nuggets are a team prime to be beaten on the road with an 11-20 away record after dropping a 100-94 decision Tuesday at Staples Center to the Los Angeles Clippers.
In that loss, Nene, the NBA field goal percentage leader, was great (25 points and 14 rebounds) and most of his teammates were terrible. Ty Lawson, JR Smith, Wilson Chandler, Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington made 11 of their 56 shots.
* TNT did not want this game, leaving Denver for New York just like Carmelo Anthony did. TNT is doing New York's game at Dallas but the Nuggets still have a better record than the Knicks and this game has its own intrigue besides the West's playoff race.
The last time they faced, the Suns had their rock-bottom moment of the season. They took a 32-20 lead after the first quarter and then gave up 82 points over the middle quarters to wind up getting rocked 132-98 at Pepsi Center on Jan. 11. Since that game, the Suns are 18-8.
Even though TNT dropped the game, the Suns kept the tip time at 8:30 p.m. because it had been listed as that on schedules and the game tickets. They had switched a game to an earlier time in a similar situation in the past and had several fans missing half of the game because of the time change.
* Suns coach Alvin Gentry talked up Denver from the time of the trade, saying they were capable of staying in the playoff mix because of JR Smith.
"JR Smith is such a wild card," Gentry said. "The guy is capable of averaging the same amount of points Carmelo averaged. He could get 25 points every night out."
*  The Suns are 30-5 at home after the past three All-Star breaks under Gentry.
* This will be the first game Afflalo has missed this season.
* The Nuggets' 12-game losing road streak at Phoenix is their longest active road skid.
* Denver has given up at least 100 points in 21 of its past 22 road games.
* Denver leads the NBA with 107.3 points per game but has improved defensively since the trade. They allowed 105.2 points per game before the trade and 94.3 since the deal.