Associated Press
Although their playoff hopes faded long ago, the Denver Nuggets are firmly focused on picking up momentum heading into the offseason.
That will be their motivating force Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, who continued the worst season in franchise history with another defeat their last time out.
Denver (28-49) had won five of seven at home prior to a 107-92 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. Now with 21 losses at the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets have clinched their worst home record since 2002-03, when they went 13-28.
They play their next three games at home before closing the season with two road contests.
"We want to take care of business in these three home games," coach Melvin Hunt said. "Let's start with the Lakers, a young team that's playing hard. We want to come out and make sure we play well in this home stretch."
The Nuggets are currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak, the longest under Hunt, who is 8-10 since taking over for Brian Shaw.
Their offense has been the primary culprit, averaging only 89.7 points per game on 39.3 percent shooting in their last three. Wilson Chandler, who had nine total points in his previous two, broke from his slump with 17 against the Clippers, but received little help with both leading scorer Ty Lawson (forearm) and Danilo Gallinari (rest) out of the lineup.
Lawson and Gallinari both expect to be back in the lineup against Los Angeles (20-57).
The Lakers fell to the Clippers 105-100 on Tuesday for their fourth consecutive loss and 57th defeat, extending the franchise record.
Jordan Clarkson led Los Angeles with 20 points to bounce back from a two-point effort on Sunday. He has averaged 19.4 points in his last nine games, highlighting a Lakers roster filled with young players hoping to remain on an NBA roster next season.
"You see a bunch of young guys that are auditioning," Melvin Hunt said of the Lakers.
Los Angeles sits ahead of only New York, Minnesota and Philadelphia, and is close to clinching the league's fourth-worst record over 24-win Orlando. The NBA's fourth-lowest team has an 11.9 percent chance at earning the top pick at the Draft Lottery, while the worst team has a 25 percent chance.
Still, despite the historic lows of this season, coach Byron Scott plans to see improvement through the end of the schedule.
"The only thing right now that is a definite is that we're not making the playoffs," Scott said. "Other than that, we still have work to do. You're still trying not only to implement some of the things for next year as well -- and we don't know how many of these guys will be here -- but first thing is, I don't quit."
Denver has won eight of nine against the Lakers, including two of three this season.