Denver, CO – Wilson Chandler scored 21 points and Andre Iguodala added 20 as the Denver Nuggets clinched the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with an easy 118-98 victory over the lowly Phoenix Suns in the regular season finale for both teams.
Ty Lawson checked in with 14 points and seven assists for the Nuggets, whose 57-25 record is the third best mark in franchise history and topped all of their previous NBA win totals. They also won their final 23 games at Pepsi Center and finished with an NBA-best 38-3 record at home
Denver will play Golden State in the first round of the playoffs starting Saturday.
"We're confident, but we know in order to win we have to play good basketball," Iguodala said of Denver's playoff chances.
Phoenix, which was led by Luis Scola's 17 points and 11 rebounds, closed out its second worst season (25-57) at the bottom of the West standings.
The Nuggets kept their foot on the gas from the opening tip, as they shot 15- of-24 (63 percent) from the field in the first quarter and jumped out to a 35-20 lead behind 13 points from Chandler.
The margin reached 27 in the final minute of the second quarter, and Iguodala's alley-oop dunk in the closing seconds gave Denver a 66-40 cushion at the intermission.
The closest the Suns got in the second half was 16.
"No one ever wants to end the season like this, but you have to take steps," Suns head coach Lindsey Hunter said.
Game Notes
The Nuggets won 60 games in 1975-76 and 65 in 1974-75 while playing in the ABA ... Denver has won eight of its last nine meetings against the Suns ... Anthony Randolph and Timofey Mozgov both recorded double-doubles off Denver's bench.
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