Top Games Remaining in the 2008 NBA Western Conference

With 3 weeks remaining in the 2007-2008 NBA season, the playoff races are in full force. In the Western Conference, the margin for error has been as small as its ever been. A 5 game difference is all that separates the top seed and the final seed. A loss at this point can come back to haunt that team by the end of the season.

The following are the top 10 games remaining in the Western Conference for playoff ramifications, in order by date.

1. Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets
Thursday, March 27

The first game of this TNT doubleheader will feature one team trying to hold on and another trying everything they can to simply land a spot. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they will not have Dirk Nowitzki available after his ugly-looking leg injury last Sunday against the Spurs. They will need to find someone else to step up and take big shots. The Nuggets certainly know how to score, but do they want to defend hard enough to win more games? Even without Dirk, the Nuggets' defense will be tested.

2. Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets
Saturday, March 29

The Warriors will be playing in Denver on the first night of back-to-back games before returning home for another big game against the Mavericks. The over/under for total amount of points scored might reach the 250 mark. The Nuggets have the advantage inside with Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin, but the Warriors can place five guys on the court at any given time that can shoot the 3 or drive to the hoop. Both teams can be a handful to guard. The final playoff spot could very well come down to this game.

3. Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
Sunday, March 30

After trying to keep up with the Nuggets the night before, the Warriors will face a well-rested Mavericks team that will be on 2-days rest. Once again, Dirk Nowitzki should not be ready for this game. Josh Howard, Jason Terry, and Jerry Stackhouse all average in double figures, so they will need to take over the scoring load. At 111 PPG, the Warriors have plenty of scoring options. Most impressive, however, is that Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Monta Ellis all score over 20 PPG on zero days rest. This should be a high-scoring affair.