Chris Humphreys – USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Nuggets had a terrible schedule in 2012-13, playing 22 of their first 32 games on the road. This year, the Nuggets won’t have the same troubles, as the league gave them a much more conventional schedule.
In 2013-14, the Nuggets will have 14 back-to-back games.
The first 32 games are split equally: 16 home and 16 away. On Oct. 30, the Nuggets will open season at the Sacramento Kings. The Nuggets will play their first game in Denver on Nov. 1 against the Portland Trailblazers.
This season, the Nuggets will face some strong teams from the Eastern Conference at the Pepsi Center.
The Nuggets will host the New York Knicks on Nov. 29, when Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith will make their second returns to Denver since leaving the team in 2010. They will play the defending champion Miami Heat on Dec. 30. New Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw will face his former team, the Indiana Pacers, on Jan. 25. The team will also cater the revamped Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 27.
In the last 12 games of the season, the Nuggets will play 10 games against teams that made the 2013 NBA Western Conference Playoffs. They will play two games against the San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors. In addition, they will play the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers.
Perhaps the most notable games at the end of the season are against the Warriors. The teams will play twice in six days. Last season, the Warriors upset the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs in five games. On April 16, the teams will conclude the regular season in Denver.
Love or hate the schedule, the Nuggets will have it easier than they did in 2012-13. The team had a franchise-best 57 wins last year despite the tough schedule. With a better schedule ahead, the team will look to improve on last year’s record.
Jordan Morey is a Denver Nuggets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
