Troy Renck: The Avs shot for the moon and landed with the Stars. And the Nuggets plummeted to earth and found themselves paired with the Paper Clips. Sometimes sports are not fair. The local hockey team made every move this season to win a Stanley Cup, from junking its goalies to shipping out a star to overhauling the entire middle of the ice. And the Avs’ reward is a cage match with Dallas, a rival just as deep and motivated as them. The Nuggets face a Los Angeles team that is 14-2 in its 16 games, but it’s not the Timberwolves, a proven Denver killer. With the playoffs kicking off this week, which team has a better chance of winning its first-round postseason series: the Avs or the Nuggets? Sean Keeler: Never seen a dead cat bounce quite that high before. Maybe the Nuggets had stopped listening to Michael Malone, but they heard Josh Kroenke loud and clear, didn’t they?  My head says it’s the Nuggets, but my head also told me that Malone would win the “Cold War” with Calvin Booth and the front office. So going with the heart on this one. And that heart’s wearing a burgundy-and-blue sweater right now. It could be the Gabe feels. It could be the sunshine. But I’m leaning Avs. Renck: It is a juxtaposition with the way they finished their season, getting their coach and general manager fired. But the Nuggets boast a better chance of advancing. The Clippers have won eight straight, and Kawhi Leonard is averaging 25.7 points over his last 19 games. So, it comes down to this: Can Aaron Gordon cool Leonard, keeping him around 20 points? Nikola Jokic has given Ivica Zubac fits in the past, though Zubac is positioned to push Christian Braun for the league’s Most Improved Player award this season. There are many X factors. But it comes down to Gordon taming Leonard. Keeler: Every NBA fan base deserves an Aaron Gordon in their lives — an unselfish superstar with mad skills and a moderate ego, a plugger who’ll do whatever a team needs at that moment. Take 25 shots? Can do. Be a defensive stopper? He’s your man. The only worry I’ve got isn’t AG’s heart — it’s his wonky right calf. The spirit is always willing. But what if No. 32’s body won’t cooperate? The only way the Clip Show sails on is if Kawhi goes crazy, and it’s not fair to expect Peyton Watson and Christian Braun to slow Leonard alone. Renck: The Avs finished on cruise control, using the final few weeks to get healthy and work on line combinations. They will be juiced to face former teammate Mikko Rantanen and the endless agitator Jamie Benn. Can the Avs avenge last season’s playoff loss to the Stars? Of course. But it comes with the uneasy questions: Will untested goalie Mackenzie Blackwood meet the moment? And can Gabe Landeskog be a factor? Neither the Nuggets nor the Avs has margin for error (which is why Russell Westbrook playing hero ball is so dangerous). Based on the home court and the remaining bump from interim coach Rick Adelman, the Nuggets have a better chance of moving on. Keeler: I didn’t believe in miracles until I saw Landy skate with the Eagles on Friday and Saturday. I didn’t believe in the Avs, either. Peter DeBoer and Jamie Benn have some kind of hex on the Mile High City right now that defies logic, let alone explanation. But this time? This time could be different. For one, the Avalanche will have almost a week of rest before Game 1 in Dallas, marking the first time Colorado’s had more days off heading into their first-round Stanley Cup matchup since all the way back in 2006. Fun fact: That opponent 19 years ago? Dallas. In a series, get this, that also started in Texas. A series the Avs went on to win, 4-1. Sometimes, history rhymes. ...read more read less