NBA schedule makers do the Suns a huge favor in matchup with Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets know their next opponent and when they will face them, as the NBA released a schedule for Round 2 just moments after Tuesday’s Round 1 series-clinching win.

While Nuggets fans can get to planning for the matchup with the Suns quickly, the series will be anything but quick. From the end of Round 1 to when Game 7 of Round 2 will be played the two teams could spend 19 days on this head-to-head.

The Suns are favorites to win the west and even Nikola Jokic has conceded that. But the Nuggets had the best record in the regular season, meaning home-court advantage. Whoever comes out of this series is very likely to go to the NBA Finals.

Here is the slate and tip times we know so far:

April 29, 6:30 p.m. (TNT)

May 1, 8:00 p.m. (TNT)

May 5, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN)

May 7, 6:00 p.m. (TNT)

May 9, N/A

May 11, N/A

May 14, N/A 

The Nuggets will host Games 1 and 2 on Saturday and Monday, with the Avalanche possibly using Ball Arena for Game 7 on Sunday night against the Kraken. Then the series takes a dramatic pause, stopping for four days before Game 3 in Arizona. There will also be two rest days between Games 6 and 7 if the matchup goes that far.

The rest days and pauses before the series starts, earned by both the Suns and Nuggets who won in five games, and the stoppages during which is unearned should help Phoenix a bit more than Denver.

The Suns are one of the five-oldest teams in the league and they have a very shallow team due in part to the trade for Kevin Durant. Both Durant and Devin Booker averaged over 43 minutes a game in Round 1. While Chris Paul played 38 minutes and Deandre Ayton 35 a night against the Clippers. The Suns have only been playing six players for more than 11 minutes a game through five playoff games. All this rest will allow Phoenix to keep loading up.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets have been phenomenal while well-rested this season as well. And who knows, maybe Michael Malone matches Monty Williams in shortening the bench. But it’s unequivocal the odd schedule will impact this second-round matchup and probably not for the better in Denver.

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