Nuggets shift into "must-win" mode as Denver drops back-to-back against Dallas and Cleveland

Will Barton can’t help it. After games, the Denver Nuggets’ swingman logs into his phone to check the standings in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets are fighting for their playoff lives. They’re 9-5 since the start of February. Still, they woke up Thursday ninth in the West — on the outside looking in of the postseason picture.

“Yeah, I check the standings,” Barton said. “I can’t lie about it. I do. But at the end of the day, it’s about us. We can’t be banking on teams to lose games. If we take care of our business, we’ll be fine.”

Denver’s playoff odds took a hit after back-to-back losses this week. FiveThirtyEight is giving the Nuggets a 44 percent chance of qualifying for the postseason after they dropped games to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

The Nuggets put forth a competitive effort against the Cavaliers on Wednesday, but LeBron James took over at the end. Their effort against the tanking Mavericks on Tuesday was a different story.

“We can’t afford to drop too many more,” Gary Harris said. “It feels like every game is a must-win. That’s why we can’t drop games like we did last night. These last 17, we’ve got to be locked in.”

With each loss, the margin for error grows smaller. There are eight teams competing for six playoff spots. Two teams will get left out.

On Jan. 22, the Utah Jazz were nine games under .500. They’ve gone 16-2 in their last 18 games and look like a safe bet to leapfrog Denver in the playoff picture barring a massive injury. FiveThirtyEight is giving the Jazz a 77 percent chance of making the playoffs.

If Utah (35-30) does continue on its current trajectory, the Nuggets (35-30) will need to pass two teams they’re trailing. The Los Angeles Clippers (34-29) have played well since the Blake Griffin trade, but they’re vulnerable. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who are without Jimmy Butler, appear to be as well.

Making up that ground won’t be easy. The Nuggets still have to navigate a seven-game road trip at the end of March. After that, their final six games of the season come against teams that are all in position to make the playoffs.

“We put a lot of pressure on ourselves in a back-to-back to come in here and get a win against a fresh team who we just saw four or five days ago,” Mason Plumlee said. “We needed one of the two, and we didn’t get any. Each game becomes bigger.”