Nuggets skipping visit to White House to focus on key matchup vs. Timberwolves, per report

The Denver Nuggets are opting to not visit the White House on what was supposed to be a scheduled visit on March 18 as they try to prepare for their upcoming matchup against the No. 2-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves on March 19 in Minneapolis, per Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. Haynes says the decision to skip the visit was a “basketball decision.”

The Nuggets were originally supposed to visit the White House when they played the Washington Wizards on Jan. 21, but scheduling conflicts with President Joe Biden prevented that from happening. The meeting was rescheduled for March 18, but Denver is opting to focus on what is a crucial matchup on the calendar instead. Denver sits just a half-game behind the Timberwolves for the No. 2 seed in the West, and are a game back of the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. 

With the race atop the Western Conference so tight, it makes sense that the Nuggets would want to focus on their matchup against the Wolves, as well as two more meetings after that as it could have significant implications on the playoff standings. Denver also faces the Mavericks in Dallas on March 17.

The Nuggets seem to be hitting their stride at the right time with the postseason just around the corner, as they’ve gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, including a dominant game against the Boston Celtics on Thursday in what could be an NBA Finals preview. Jokic is once again in MVP form, and with 76er star Joel Embiid disqualified from winning the award for a second consecutive year, Jokic is once again in a prime position to walk away with the honor.

Since the All-Star break the Nuggets have had the third best net rating in the league. as well as the best record, at 7-1. While the Thunder and Wolves have been atop the West standings for most of the season, the Nuggets appear to be making a late run here, and the decision to spend more time planning for their meeting against the Timberwolves suggests they’re trying to secure that No. 1 seed for what could be another deep postseason run.