Division Crown? Check

By beating Portland on Monday, the Denver Nuggets clinched the division for the first time since the league switched to long shorts. The win guarantees them the #3 seed in the playoffs but not home-court advantage. But who cares? They won the division. The road from bottom-feeder to playoff contender has come to an end. Now the Nuggets get to merge onto the Finals highway where traffic is dense and accidents abound.

It's a road the Nuggets haven't been on in nearly two decades, and it will take them a while to get their bearings. Carmelo has made a name for himself in the regular season, but that doesn't mean anything if the team doesn't succeed in the playoffs. The Nuggets need Anthony to play even better than he has been if they hope to advance beyond the first round. He says that he likes to take the big shot and put the game on his shoulders. He'll have that chance this year in the playoffs. Every play is big and every shot counts. This is the stage both Melo and the team have been waiting for the last three years. And expectations are high. No matter the opponent, the fans expect more than a first-round exit. Melo can do it. Viva la Nuggets!!!

PS: Check out the brilliant 'Ode to Melo' on the FreeDarko.com website. It's one of the links to the right of the column.