Nuggets loss at Portland damaging in more than just win-loss column

Say one thing about this shortened season in which you play most teams in the same division just three times: It takes the guesswork out of tiebreakers. Win two, and you own it. As such, the Nuggets’ loss to the Trail Blazers on Saturday night had sting beyond the final score. Portland earned the tiebreaker over the Nuggets, meaning the boys in powder blue are going to have to finish with a superior record in order to get the higher playoff slot should they be tied at the end of the season. Portland’s win pushed it to 2-0 against the Nuggets so far with the third, and final, game in the season series set for Feb. 29 at the Pepsi Center. In a division with the team with the best record in the NBA – Oklahoma City – it’s a fairly serious development, yes, even this early in the season. Should OKC continue to be dominant all season long, Denver, Portland and Utah are all playing for second in the Northwest Division. If the Nuggets and Portland are the two that finish second and are t...