(My Sportsbook) - Nobody is surprised that the Nuggets are having a tough time capturing victories this season. But they didn't have to make it this boring.

Heading into Friday, the 2-5 Nuggets were averaging a league-low 79 points per game and shooting 38.9 percent from the field (second worst in the NBA). On the plus side, they were holding opponents to 83.6 points per game (third-best in the league).

First-year head coach Jeff Bzdelik appears to be implementing the dreaded slow-down ball that plagued the league in the late 90s.

The style consists of lulling teams to sleep by eating up clock and disguising bruising play as defense. It was pioneered and mastered by the Detroit Pistons of the late 80s and the New York Knicks used it to try and contain Michael Jordan during the 90s. Ever since the tactic has been popular among new coaches working with weak talent.

Rick Carlisle, last year's Coach of the Year, utilized it in his first season as the Pistons coach and the team won the Central Division title. But it came back to bite him in the playoffs, as Detroit was smoked by the run-and-gun Celtics.

But the Nuggets' roster is void of talent outside of Juwan Howard, so Bzdelik has to do whatever he can to keep his team in games.

The strategy almost worked against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

The Nuggets trailed by nine points heading the final quarter, but held the Suns without a field goal for the last seven-plus minutes to remain close.

With Denver down 73-70 with 16 seconds to play, rookie Nene Hilario had an open three-pointer, but instead passed down low to Howard for a dunk.

"I got the ball and I wanted to take it, but I knew it was not the play that we had designed, so I passed the ball off," said Hilario, who ended with 14 points and 10 boards.

Phoenix's Stephon Marbury sank two free throws with 5.9 seconds left to push the lead back to three, then Rodney White missed a desperation trey at the horn.

The Nuggets shot 33 percent from the floor in the game, missing all six three- point attempts, and just three Denver players scored in double figures.

"If we could shoot, we would be dangerous," said Bzdelik.

They'd also be a little easier to watch.