Denver @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 30, 2017 ) Philadelphia 107, Denver 102

The Denver Nuggets are finally learning how to win on the road, just in time to stay in the race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Nuggets are 2-2 on their seven-game trip, but the road gets tougher when they visit the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

Denver entered play on Sunday one game behind the Utah Jazz for the No. 8 spot in the West and dropped the first two games of the road trip before winning at Chicago and Washington to improve to 13-23 away from the Mile High City. The final three opponents on the trip -- Philadelphia, Toronto and Oklahoma City -- are all in the top four of their respective conferences and the Nuggets are just trying to stay in the race before finishing up the regular season with four of six at home. The 76ers are on the verge of clinching their first playoff berth since 2011-12 and are sitting in the No. 4 spot in the East after breezing past the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-108 on Saturday. Philadelphia is just 1 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 3 spot and will face five straight opponents with losing records after finishing up with the Nuggets.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, Altitude (Denver), NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (40-33): Will Barton scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter at Washington on Friday, including four free throws in the final 26 seconds to clinch it. Barton is seeing his role increase with fellow shooting guard Gary Harris (knee) out and is averaging 20.3 points over the last three contests. "I think people criticize Will because he's not the most efficient player at times," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters. "And I understand that. But Will Barton is a guy that has tremendous self-belief. He's never afraid of the moment. He wants to be in that moment. He wants the challenge. He has the courage, if you will. The greatest thing about these last two wins is Will has been a big part of them."

ABOUT THE 76ERS (42-30): Philadelphia point guard Ben Simmons is leading the team and trying to lock up the Rookie of the Year Award, and he collected 15 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds on Saturday for his 10th triple-double. "The play I had over the season has been pretty consistent," Simmons told reporters. "I'm doing some things that haven't been done in a while." Simmons isn't the only young star making a major impact down the stretch, and Joel Embiid needed only 24 minutes to collect 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks on Saturday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nuggets PG Jamal Murray is averaging 20.8 points over the last eight games to lift his season mark to 16.6.

2. 76ers SG Marco Belinelli is averaging 17 points on 60 percent shooting in the last four games.

3. Philadelphia earned a 107-102 win at Denver on Dec. 30.

PREDICTION: 76ers 113, Nuggets 111