Denver Nuggets News

Nuggets overwhelm Grizzlies in 4th for 6th straight
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March 14
InDenverTimes.com
 
"The Denver Nuggets trailed the Memphis Grizzlies from 11:40 of the 1st Quarter to 11:30 of the 4th Quarter when they took their first lead. That dunk by Nene Hilario put up the first 2 of 40 points scored by the Nuggets in the final frame Saturday night in Memphis. After trailing 57-66 at the half, the Nuggets would go on to win 125-108. Denver's bench fueled the overwhelming comeback with physical defense, great ball movement, and at least one hot hand. JR Smith made four threes in the 4th, part of a 16-point quarter and 30 on the game. JR was an awe-inspiring 20 in his 28 minutes of game time. This after scoring only 3 points the night before. Chris Andersen blocked 4 shots in the ..."
Memphis Grizzlies disappear in fourth quarter, fall to Denver Nuggets, 125-108
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March 14
Memphis Commercial Appeal
 
"For the first three minutes of the final period, the Grizzlies stumbled, staggered and slouched. They were collapsing with shots missed or blocked, traveling violations and other unforced turnovers. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets put together a highlight reel of dunks, 3-pointers and celebratory poses that added insult to the Grizzlies' embarrassing 125-108 loss Saturday night before an announced crowd of 17,023 in FedExForum. Box scoreNuggets 125, Griz 108 Grizzlies vs Nuggets March 13, 2010 See all 17 photos at full sizeA game knotted at 85 through three quarters ended in a blowout that snapped the Grizzlies' three-game winning streak. The defeat also extended the Grizzlies' home ..."
J.R. in zone, hits 7 deep
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March 14
Denver Post
 
"Young boys dream about nights like these alone in their driveways, hoisting 3-pointer after 3-pointer while their dinners get cold. J.R. Smith, the Nuggets' shooting guard, hit seven 3-pointers Saturday, including four in the pivotal fourth quarter of Denver's 125-108 win at Memphis. "When he's in a zone," Chauncey Billups said, "there's just nobody better than him." These are the nights that remind everyone why Smith is such an uncommon commodity — with his shooting, he can change the course of a game in a New York 30 seconds. "He has unbelievable range and unbelievable athleticism," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. Yes, Denver fans suffer through nights such as Friday, when he's colder ..."
Road Trip Continues in the Big Easy
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March 13
InDenverTimes.com
 
"Coach Karl will miss the rest of the games on this road trip. He should be back on the bench when the Nuggets return home. As expected, Coach Dantley will fill in his spot. The road trip began with a win in Minnesota and will continue tonight in New Orleans, go to Memphis on Saturday and conclude in Houston on Monday. Ty Lawson will also miss Friday's game. He is still continuing to aide his injured shoulder. Anthony Carter will see more playing time, although he is not as talented as the young Lawson, he is a solid replacement. It would be nice if Carter cold be more of an offensive threat by working on his outside shot, like Lawson has done coming into the NBA. Friday's game in New ..."
Nuggets coach Karl to miss rest of road trip
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March 13
Denver Post
 
"The realities of George Karl's cancer battles are settling in for his Nuggets, who found out Friday that their coach won't join them for the rest of this road trip. The coach, who is undergoing intense treatment for throat and neck cancer, is still adjusting to the feeding tube that was inserted into his stomach during a surgery Monday. He wasn't with the team Friday at New Orleans and won't be in Memphis tonight or in Houston on Monday. The team hopes Karl will be available for Tuesday's home game against Washington, but that's still up in the air. Adrian Dantley is the team's acting coach. "I have tremendous trust in A.D. and my staff," Karl said. "I think they'll keep the team in a ..."
Melo's 12 push Nuggets past Hornets
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March 13
Denver Post
 
"Like cab drivers at 2:01 a.m. or accountants on April 14, basketball players look at a game's final 12 minutes as their time to shine. "It's winning time," Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony explained. Down two points Friday at New Orleans, Melo scored 12 points in those 12 minutes, and the Nuggets were indeed winners, 102-95, for their fifth straight victory during, if you will, the winning time of the regular season. The Nuggets are just a half-game game behind Dallas for the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference with 17 games left in the regular season. "We didn't want to look back and say, 'Aw, this is a game we should have won,' " said Anthony, who scored a game-high 32 points. "Let's go ..."
Denver Nuggets pull away in fourth quarter to defeat New Orleans Hornets
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March 13
New Orleans Times-Picayune
 
"The news was a mixed bag for the New Orleans Hornets on Friday. On the positive side, All-Star guard Chris Paul was given the go-ahead to begin running at half-speed, perhaps the final step in his rehabilitation from knee surgery five weeks ago. However, New Orleans couldn't parlay that upbeat information into a win against Denver, as the Nuggets broke open a close game in the fourth quarter to take a 102-95 win. Carmelo Anthony led Denver with 32 pointsm and David West had 30 for New Orleans. The Hornets played one of their most determined games of the season against one of the three best teams in the Western Conference in front of a sellout crowd of 17,220 at the New Orleans Arena. And ..."
Nuggets' Arron Afflalo rises to prominence as 3-point threat
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March 12
Denver Post
 
"There are times when the NBA's fifth-best 3-point shooter is frighteningly unfettered, looking almost lonely on the court. "It's crazy," the shooter said. In Denver's offense, where an all-star almost always gets double-teamed, Arron Augustin Afflalo often finds himself wide open. "I'm trying to get better at being deceptive about finding an open spot on the court," Triple-A said, "but at the same time, guys like Nene, Chauncey (Billups) and Carmelo (Anthony) get doubled a lot." Which means Afflalo has a chance to find a spot far from the basket, all alone. "It's something I work on because it's not as easy as it looks to get open shots," he said. The powder-blue-collared Afflalo, picked ..."
Nuggets power up with new machine
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March 11
Denver Post
 
"In a corner of a very orange and heavily mirrored room full of state-of-the-art fitness equipment at the Forza athletic club, The Fixed Position Multi sits in a corner, conspicuous in its simplicity. Made by Speedflex, it is essentially a two-part machine — a 6-foot-tall-plus column piece and a rotating bar attached to it. And yet it stands poised to not only reshape how athletes train, but provide medical benefits that extend far beyond the stadium or arena. But first, the athletes. Nuggets strength and conditioning coach Steve Hess has one of the two in public existence to this point. The other is owned by former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz. Hess, who hunts fitness solutions at a ..."
Timberwolves make Nuggets work for win
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March 11
Denver Post
 
"The Nuggets were as flat as Mike Tyson singing "In The Air Tonight." Lifeless Denver trailed Minnesota by five points at halftime Wednesday night, making one wonder if the Nuggets would blow yet another game to the lowly Timberwolves. But they Clark Kent-ed it into the locker room, and out came a pair of super heroes — Birdman and J.R. Swish. In the Nuggets' 110-102 victory at the Target Center, Chris "Birdman" Andersen soared around the paint for three second-half blocks, while J.R. Smith hit a trio of 3-pointers in the third quarter and dunked a how-is-that-possible, 360-alley-oop. The Nuggets (43-21) outscored the Wolves 62-49 in the second half. But on a night when Memphis brutalized ..."
Martin could be sidelined for a couple of weeks
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March 11
Denver Post
 
"Asked how his first platelet rich plasma therapy session felt on his left knee, Kenyon Martin used an expletive in quite a descriptive way — alas, you won't read it in newsprint. The power forward said Wednesday he isn't sure when his next PRP therapy session will be and said "we'll see how it works," in reference to the first session Monday. The therapy takes place at Vail's Steadman Hawkins Clinic, and it's possible Martin could be out for a couple of weeks. Johan Petro again started for Martin on Wednesday at Minnesota (Petro, Denver's only 7-footer, took the tipoff). Asked what he brings with Martin out, reserve post Chris Andersen deadpanned: "I bring some more injuries. My back and ..."
Ty Lawson's injured shoulder will sideline him for tonight, questionable Friday
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March 11
Denver Post
 
"The big injury talk surrounding the Nuggets is about Kenyon Martin, the starting forward who is out for likely a few weeks due to his left knee, but Ty Lawson's injured shoulder is still a big issue – it will keep him out of tonight's game at Minnesota and possibly Friday at New Orleans. "It's day-to-day now," the reserve point guard Lawson said after today's shootaround at Target Center. "It doesn't hurt a lot, I'm moving it now, there's just one spot (in my shoulder) that catches every time I dribble and make a move. So I'm trying to work it out. … Once it stops catching, then I'll be able to play.""
Opportunity to play fuels Petro's passion
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March 10
Denver Post
 
"No matter the sport or the contract value, perhaps the hardest thing for an athlete is to patiently wait for playing time. In the case of Nuggets center Johan Petro, it has been wait and wait and wait and wait. But Sunday, what was four minutes here and seven minutes there became a start and 23 minutes against Portland. The time was made possible because of the knee injury to Kenyon Martin, and Petro made the best of it with six points and 10 rebounds in the Nuggets' win. With Martin out for the foreseeable future, Petro is staring at a real chance to show the Nuggets they don't need to look outside the organization for help in the paint. "He's a seven-footer who is athletic and can play," ..."
Nuggets' Martin will return, but maybe not before playoffs
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March 9
Denver Post
 
"The pain in Kenyon Martin's left knee was so bad Saturday, he couldn't play golf — "that's my plant leg" — so the Nuggets forward spent the sunny day indoors, instead golfing on a Nintendo Wii video game. The pain has persisted, and now Martin will miss an undetermined amount of time while undergoing platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy. He plans to return this season, although perhaps not until the NBA playoffs, the team announced Monday. Martin began the PRP therapy Monday. It's definitely a good news-bad news situation for the Nuggets (42-21), who rank third in the Western Conference. The good news is Martin won't require surgery on the knee, which is suffering from patella tendinitis. ..."
Nuggets’ Karl: surgery today, chemo tomorrow… coaching Friday?
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March 8
InDenverTimes.com
 
"Denver Nuggets coach George Karl will have surgery today as part of ongoing treatment for throat and neck cancer. Karl will then take on a Chemotherapy session Tuesday before resting Wednesday when the Nuggets play the Timberwolves in Minnesota. Coach Karl last missed a game on February 25th at Golden State, a game the Nuggets won 127-112. Minnesota snuck up and bit the Nuggets in Denver earlier this year, but have the worst record in the Western Conference at 14-49. With George recovering, expect Denver veterans like Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony to carry the team. Amazingly, Karl says he will try to make it back to the Nuggets’ bench for Friday’s game at New Orleans. Radiation ..."
It's Nuggets over Blazers, by a mile
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March 8
Portland Tribune
 
"It was an uphill struggle all Sunday night in the Mile High City for the Trail Blazers. Denver jumped in front 34-21 after one quarter and held off every Portland rally en route to a 118-106 victory at the Pepsi Center. Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points to lead the Nuggets (42-21), who shot .589 from the field and equalled the most points scored by a Portland opponent this season. "We played him straight up, and our double-teams got to him late," Portland coach Nate McMillan said. "He's a tough matchup for us. They have shooters who can spread the floor, so you have to mix up your defenses and your double-teams. Tonight he had the opportunity to find shooters on the other side of the floor, ..."
Nuggets power past Trail Blazers 118-106
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March 8
Denver Post
 
"The Los Angeles Lakers (gasp!) have lost three consecutive games for the first time since the Buchanan administration. The Dallas Mavericks have won 11 straight games, not one loss since the big trade. But quietly hanging around the top of the Western Conference are the Nuggets, who just keeping finding fun ways to win. On Sunday night at the Pepsi Center, it was via the pass — coach George Karl's favorite way — and good team defense. The Nuggets tallied 31 assists in the 118-106 victory against Portland (37-28). Denver (42-21) is 3 1/2 games back of L.A. and a half-game behind Dallas. "Well, for two years I've been saying that if we play with intensity defensively and pass the ball ..."
Nuggets' Carter due more minutes
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March 8
Denver Post
 
"One thing we forgot as Anthony Carter spent night after night on the end of the bench: If Ty Lawson hadn't exploded onto the scene as an NBA rookie, ol' A.C. would still be playing major minutes. And so, with Lawson out Sunday (and possibly Wednesday) with a bruised shoulder, Carter is back in the backcourt, spelling Chauncey Billups. "There's no doubt in anybody's mind that he can contribute," teammate Kenyon Martin said. "He plays every possession like it's his last on the defensive end. He does an excellent job at roaming and helping other guys. He's constantly roaming. He can guard two, three guys on every possession. He helps more than Jason Kidd, and he never guards his man — he's ..."
Coach Karl to undergo surgical procedure
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March 8
ESPN.com
 
"Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, who is being treated for throat and neck cancer, will have a surgical procedure on Monday. That will be followed by chemotherapy on Tuesday. "You probably won't see me for a while," Karl told media members before the Nuggets played the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday."
Nuggets await word on how badly K-Mart is injured
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March 7
Denver Post
 
"While Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin awaits test results that will determine when - or if - he can return to the court this season, the Nuggets remain optimistic that their current roster is championship-worthy. "Of course," forward Carmelo Anthony said. "We have a similar team that we had last year with a couple of big pieces that we picked up in the offseason that will help us out a lot. We had a chance to make some moves before the trade deadline, but it didn't work out, or whatever the case may be or excuse may be, we just didn't do it." Any thoughts of a deep playoff run will take a big hit if Martin is not able to play the rest of the season. Martin will not play tonight and missed ..."
Practices taking on a new look
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March 6
Denver Post
 
"At a time when on-court adjustments and practice time are becoming crucial, the Nuggets are just trying to stay healthy. As a result, recent practices have been scaled back to glorified shootarounds as the emphasis has been on getting players' bodies healed as the season winds toward the playoffs. "It's been very clear that we're worried about our bodies more than we're worried about X's and O's," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "Right now we're trying to get everybody a little more juice, a little more energy, a little healthier. We're doing some maintenance stuff in practice, but X's and O's and scrimmaging we're staying away from right now." The Nuggets have a number of players who are ..."
Karl praises bench after easy victory
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March 6
Denver Post
 
"The word of the night was not "worry." The emotions of the night rarely strayed from satisfied and content. There wasn't much suspense in the Nuggets' game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, and that wasn't a problem for the Nuggets or anyone watching at the Pepsi Center. Denver cruised to a 122-114 victory over the Pacers, getting a comfortable win against an inferior opponent, which has been all too rare this season. It was the kind of night where starters could sit back and relax in the fourth quarter and reserves could get some much-needed court time. It was just what the doctor ordered for a Nuggets team that is banged up and could use extra downtime. "I think the film will ..."
Nuggets' Andersen blocks out the hurting
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March 5
Denver Post
 
"Walking out of the Pepsi Center on Thursday in a green sweater cap, a black T-shirt, sweat pants and sunglasses, the Birdman had pep in his step. You would never know that hours earlier, as he rose out of bed, he could barely walk. You would never even guess that to keep smiling, Nuggets forward Chris Andersen has had to focus on the things that matter most in a season as frustrating as it has been fun. Andersen has dealt with nagging injuries this season but finds optimism in two places: the win column and the blocked shots list. The Nuggets improved the former Wednesday night in a 119-90 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Andersen was in the middle of it with 13 points, seven ..."
Karl gets visit from a fellow cancer patient
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March 4
Denver Post
 
"Melo could wait. A Rocky Mountain High School senior attended the Nuggets' shootaround Wednesday morning, and the primary person he wanted to meet was coach George Karl. "I wasn't focused on meeting the players as much as meeting him, because we're going through the same things," Garrett Karp said. G.K. met G.K., and the two fighters shared stories about their bouts with cancer. Karl is undergoing treatment for throat cancer, while Karp is in remission with Hodgkin's lymphoma, and will undergo a bone marrow transplant today at Children's Hospital. "He's got a serious surgery coming up, and cancer is an incredible foe for all of us," Karl said. "I wish him the best. He looks like a tough, ..."
Melo-Billups dynamic duo
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March 4
Denver Post
 columnist Woody Paige
"The utmost 1-2 punch in sports history belonged to John L. Sullivan, the last bare-fisted heavyweight champion. But who possesses the best pair of knockout sledgehammers in the NBA today? The topic was discussed on ESPN's "Around the Horn" on Wednesday, and the responses were varied — Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, LeBron James and anybody. Yet, two of the superior dynamic duos, legitimate contenders for the title, converged at The Can on Wednesday night. In the blue trunks were Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, playing out of Oklahoma City, and wearing white were Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey ..."
Energized Anthony fuels rout
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March 4
Denver Post
 
"Carmelo Anthony woke up as tired as he was when he went to bed, his mattress pulling him down as if he were in quicksand. Finally, the exhausted Anthony escaped Wednesday morning, but on his way to the Pepsi Center, he "felt no energy at all," needing IV fluids for hydration after a shootaround. At noon, he looked like he didn't even have enough energy to play Oklahoma City in a video game. But by game time, "the juices kicked in," he said after his 30-point effort in Denver's 119-90 rout of the Thunder, which was playing the second game of a back-to-back. "I think it was just me having some energy to do what I do on the court," said Anthony, who had subpar games on Sunday and Monday, both ..."
Hoops nightmare: "Durantula"
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March 3
Denver Post
 
"Glum, with ties undone after the deflating loss, the Nuggets' coaches looked snake-bitten, but they should have known better. They were spider-bitten. The "Durantula" got them that night in Oklahoma City — 30 points on 12-for-19 shooting — in the Thunder's 101-84 victory. Nuggets coach George Karl looked at his staff afterward and said: "We've got to do something different." Tonight at the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets will face Kevin Durant for the first time since that January disaster. Karl's new defensive plan is to try and do a better job of denying the 6-foot-9 Durant the ball, as well as rotate bigger defenders his way throughout the game. "You can't just let him shoot and fire," Karl ..."
Suns rally comes early in win over Nuggets
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March 2
Arizona Republic
 
"The Suns come back more often than Freddy Krueger, but the suspense in Monday night's turnaround was gone early at US Airways Center. The Suns rallied from a deficit of at least 13 points for the fifth time this season, and they did it decisively with a 24-point second-quarter swing that catapulted Phoenix to a 101-85 victory over the Denver Nuggets. The Suns extended their home winning streak to five games by holding an opponent to fewer than 90 points for the third time during that run. Phoenix has defeated Denver 10 consecutive times at home, all since Steve Nash returned. But Nash's backup, Goran Dragic and benchmates Louis Amundson and Channing Frye had more to do with this one than ..."
Nuggets' Lawson sits out with injured shoulder
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March 2
Denver Post
 
"After Sunday's game, Nuggets guard Ty Lawson said he doubted he would play Monday at Phoenix, and confirmation soon came via Twitter (@TyLawson3): "my shoulder is killin me . . . i can barely lift my arm." Lawson sat out Monday's game with a bruised left shoulder, and his availability for Wednesday's home game against Oklahoma City is uncertain. "I think Ty will be back soon, but I don't know if he'll be back the next couple games," coach George Karl said. Anthony Carter, last season's backup point guard, filled in Monday. One positive about A.C. is "we have a better defender and probably a smarter defender on pick-and-rolls," Karl said. "We lost speed, but gained some defense.""
Nuggets' horrible second quarter leads to Suns' victory
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March 2
Denver Post
 
"Muhammad Ali sat courtside Monday at US Airways Center while the Suns Sonny-Listoned the Nuggets. "It happened so fast," Carmelo Anthony said of the second-quarter knockout. In the Suns' 101-85 home win, the Nuggets actually led by 13 points in that second quarter but ended up being outscored 33-11 in those 12 minutes and trailed by 13 at halftime. "I can't deny that the zone (defense) bothered us," Denver coach George Karl said of the Suns' adjustment. "They went zone with their second unit — they've done it before — and they got turnovers, which they're good at converting. For three quarters we played them pretty much the right way, and the one quarter, it kills us." Denver played its ..."
Lakers re-establish swagger against Denver
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March 1
Orange County Register
 
"Only the Lakers, content to be good rather than great in typical behavior for a defending champion, can decide when they'll bring their best and make a stand. They made their choice and their stand in the second half Sunday at Staples Center, pushing back the Denver Nuggets, 95-89. The Nuggets were eliminated by the Lakers the past two postseasons but then won the first two regular-season meetings between the teams. With a defense led by Ron Artest against Denver star Carmelo Anthony, the Lakers held the Nuggets to 37 second-half points and overcame a nine-point halftime deficit. The effort was meant to quell notions that the Nuggets could threaten the Lakers this season. "They were much ..."
Nuggets not giving up wooing Ilgauskas
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March 1
Denver Post
 
"The Nuggets are not surrendering. While many throughout the NBA feel that Zydrunas Ilgauskas is heading back to Cleveland, Nuggets coach George Karl spoke to the big man on the phone Sunday and tried to persuade him to sign with Denver instead. "I'm not giving up on that," Karl said of wooing Ilgauskas. "I think he should come out to Denver and hang out." During the Nuggets' game Sunday, vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien sent text messages to Ilgauskas' agent, Herb Rudoy. Ilgauskas can join any team except Cleveland immediately. To rejoin the Cavaliers, the team that dealt him near the trade deadline, he would have to wait a few weeks before signing. Ilgauskas was ..."
Lakers get first win over Nuggets this season
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March 1
Denver Post
 
"Surely, over at NASA, there's some hotshot astronomer whose intergalactic intelligence will someday discover the planet that gave us Ron Artest. The Los Angeles Lakers forward, who thrived in Sunday's 95-89 victory over the Nuggets at the Staples Center, wears No. 37 because, of course, that's how many weeks "Thriller" was atop the pop charts — though Artest also publicly pontificates on the glorious catchiness of the "Free Credit Report" song. He used to drink Hennessy at halftime, once wore a bathrobe to practice and challenged a few unsuspecting fans to a fistfight. He sings, he raps, he tweets (@ThugRaider37) and, most zany of all, he likes playing defense more than offense. "If I ..."
In battle of heavyweights, Lakers' Artest wins this round against Denver star Anthony
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March 1
L.A. Daily News
 
"In one corner, standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 230 pounds, dressed in the blue and white colors of the Denver Nuggets, small forward Carmelo Anthony. In the other corner, standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 255 pounds, dressed in the gold and purple colors of the Lakers, small forward Ron Artest. When the bell rang Sunday afternoon (figuratively, of course, since this was basketball, not boxing), Anthony and Artest went toe-to-toe or chest-to-chest or nose-to-nose, depending on the situation in the low post or on the perimeter. Anthony scored 21 points; Artest had 17. Anthony fouled out late in the game; Artest stayed on the floor. Anthony and the Nuggets lost; Artest and the Lakers won for the ..."
Loss to Lakers doesn't slow George Karl, Nuggets
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March 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"Not that we didn't already know what a gap there was between the West's best team and everyone else . . . Of course, in Sunday's first half when the Denver Nuggets, who had already beaten the Lakers twice by an average of 19.5 points, led them again by 13, it looked as if there was a new best team in the Western Conference, standings or no standings. Staving off panic locally, the Lakers came back to win . . . barely . . . going ahead to stay with 3 minutes 2 seconds left, even with Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups shooting a combined 11 for 31 and turning the ball over 13 times. By now we're past asking whether the Nuggets are on the same level as the Lakers. Now the question is ..."
Lakers put Nuggets in lockdown and earn a key victory
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March 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Lakers pledged to play a physical game and did it. They promised to beat back the swagger and strut of the Denver Nuggets and succeeded. On an afternoon when little went right for Kobe Bryant, the Lakers boxed out their main rivals in the Western Conference, elbowing aside the Nuggets in a 95-89 victory Sunday at Staples Center. It took a second half of defensive resolve, specifically a fourth quarter in which the Lakers forced the Nuggets into five turnovers and five-for-19 shooting. The Nuggets think they have the Lakers' number? Not so fast. "I think we answered the call," said forward Lamar Odom, who set the physical agenda for the Lakers after Saturday's practice by saying they ..."
Nuggets playing with a chip on their shoulder
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February 28
Memphis Commercial Appeal
 columnist Ronald Tillery
"The Denver Nuggets have manhandled the Los Angeles Lakers twice. They are 2-0 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coach George Karl"
Billups finds offense's fountain of youth
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February 28
Denver Post
 columnist Benjamin Hochman
"There's a guy out there named Justin Bieber, who the kids like. He's a singing sensation with singles scattered on the pop charts. He was 1 year old the last time Chauncey Billups averaged this many points in a season. The Nuggets guard puts up 20.3 per game, the most points he's averaged since his senior year at George Washington, back in 1995 (23.5). Trying to explain this, Billups went Benjamin Button: "I'm getting younger, man!" Heading into today's game at the Lakers, the 33-year-old has led Denver in scoring the past four games and has scored 20-plus in 16 of his past 22 games (20.4). Pretty impressive, sure. But check out this dandy of a stat, courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau - ..."
Nothing mellow about Anthony's array of moves
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February 28
Denver Post
 
"Those grandiose grandmasters of chess sure are cocky. Alexander Alekhine would play blindfolded. Emanuel Lasker would play mind games with opponents by purposely making questionable moves. Bobby Fischer, at age 15, called some renowned chessmasters "patzers," (that's like calling LeBron James a scrub), then KO'd many of them. And then there's Carmelo Anthony, who grinned when told he was like a chessmaster, proclaiming: "You never know what move I'm going to make." If basketball "is a chess match," as Nuggets assistant coach Larry Mangino believes, then "(Anthony) has all the moves." Sure, basketball is played at mach speed, but slow the game down and what do you have? Ten pieces, each ..."
Nuggets have the Lakers' full attention
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February 28
L.A. Daily News
 
"When the Denver Nuggets routed them by 26 points Nov. 13, the Lakers shrugged it off as one of those games. They were tired and it showed during the second half as they played for the second consecutive night early in the season. When the Nuggets beat them by 13 points Feb. 5, the Lakers paid a little closer attention. This wasn't just one of those games. Besides, the Nuggets pasted the Lakers while leading scorer Carmelo Anthony watched from the bench with an injured ankle. The Lakers now say they know what to expect from their closest Western Conference challengers. They say they realize they must raise the level of their play when the teams meet this afternoon at Staples Center."
For Nuggets Coach George Karl, this one truly is a must-win
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February 28
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Dwyre
"Sunday's big game at Staples Center, Lakers versus Denver Nuggets, presents a different challenge for fans in attendance: clapping with your fingers crossed. The clapping will be for good basketball, great plays, outstanding athletic performance. Also, for a Lakers victory. The crossed fingers will be for George Karl. Assuming he feels well enough, Karl will be the squat, 58-year-old guy prowling the Nuggets' sideline. He will yell sometimes, but mostly, he will have his hands crossed over his chest, watching, plotting and trying to figure out Phil Jackson's next move before Jackson makes it. He will probably be a bit less active than in the past. The skin may be a bit pastier, the focus ..."
Lamar Odom has a plan to beat Denver
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February 28
Los Angeles Times
 
"Lamar Odom is well aware of what needs to be done. The Lakers forward has seen the confidence in the Denver Nuggets, witnessed the swagger of the second-best team in the Western Conference, and was definitely on the court as the Nuggets easily took two games against the Lakers this season. For those wondering about a solution to the pesky, pugnacious Nuggets, Odom has one for Sunday's game -- get physical. "It will be a hard game," he said Saturday. "We have to embrace the game being hard. I don't think we've done that the last couple of times we've played them." The Nuggets pasted the Lakers in November, 105-79, as the Lakers set a team record for fewest points in a half, mustering only ..."
Ex-Piston Chauncey Billups thrives in Denver's system
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February 28
Detroit Free Press
 
"Chauncey Billups, 33, was asked why it seems he's getting better as he's getting older. Billups had just made several huge plays down the stretch of the Nuggets' 107-102 victory over the Pistons on Friday night to finish off a 25-point game. Billups cut off the reporter midway through the question: "Getting younger ... getting younger, man." When the reporter finished the question, Billups told why he is putting up some of the best numbers of his career. "I'm playing in an offense that allows me more freedom to do what I do," Billups said. "Last year, I came and my scoring was pretty much the same as it was in Detroit because I was just getting a feel."
Pistons fall, Billups won't let Nuggets fade
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February 27
Denver Post
 
"Back-to-backs are an easy excuse for a loss. They are rough with late-night flights, draining games the night before, and the request that players amp up the energy again sometimes less than 24 hours later. But the elite teams win anyway, particularly when the second game is against an inferior opponent. The Nuggets are on a shortlist of NBA Finals contenders. These games are musts. Friday night, the Nuggets treated the game that way in a hard-fought 107-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons. A day earlier, the Nuggets had their legs run ragged in Oakland, scoring 127 points at Golden State. The toll was apparent in a slow start Friday, but the team kept its composure and walked away with ..."
Nuggets 107, Pistons 102: Billups gets some revenge
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February 27
Detroit News
 
"Chauncey Billups finally earned some revenge against his former team. Billups had lost his three previous games against the Pistons but was a big part of Denver's 107-102 victory Friday over the Pistons. Billups had 25 points while displaying his usual clutch play. His driving layup with a little less than three minutes left gave the Nuggets a 97-93 lead. Billups also sank a triple from the top of the key, giving the Nuggets a 100-95 lead with 2:17 remaining. Was it fun finally defeating the Pistons? "Only because there is so much friendly rivalry with my guys; other than that, it's a regular game," said Billups, who was in the Pistons training room after the game milling about with ..."
Bruised knee forces Martin to sit again
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February 27
Denver Post
 
"As the season winds to an end, the Nuggets may be forced to consider how they will handle Kenyon Martin's playing time down the stretch in hopes of avoiding injury. The Nuggets forward missed Friday night's game against the Pistons with a bruised left knee, but it's not the first time this season that Martin's left knee has given him problems. This season, the big man has played under increasing pain in that knee, which caused him to miss two games prior to the all-star break with tendinitis. Asked how the Nuggets would handle Martin in the final two months of the season, Nuggets coach George Karl wasn't overly concerned. "I think Kenyon does a good job keeping the pulse of his body," Karl ..."
Golden State can't recover from slow start
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February 26
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The first results of the rip-Andris-Biedrins-in-the-media-and-see-if-you-spark-life-in-the-center experiment sent mixed messages. Two nights after calling Biedrins' play lifeless and a day after saying "he needs to light his own fire," Warriors coach Don Nelson tried Thursday to get the center involved in the action. Biedrins matched his season-high of eight field-goal attempts in the opening 10 minutes and said his confidence was boosted, but he missed six of the shots, including three layups and an airballed hook shot. By the time the reality set in that the Warriors would be better served with Biedrins on the bench in this particular game, it was too late to come back from a 19-point, ..."
Nuggets among teams courting Ilgauskas
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February 26
Denver Post
 
"The steps have been taken for Zydrunas Ilgauskas to sign with a new team. The question is whether it will be a new team. On Thursday, the Wizards finalized the Ilgauskas buyout and waived the 7-foot-3 veteran center, who is now deciding between a return to the Cavaliers — the team that traded him to Washington last week — or another contender, possibly the Nuggets, who are making a strong push to bolster their bigs with "Big Z." The center's agent, Herb Rudoy, said the process could take up to a week. Ilgauskas can sign with any team right now but must wait 30 days to rejoin the Cavaliers. "He knows I would love for him to be back here," Cleveland forward LeBron James told reporters ..."
Billups drives Nuggets past Warriors
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February 26
Denver Post
 
"Here, hope is as rare as a four-point play. But there sat Anthony Morrow on the hardwood Thursday night, surrounded by 18,555 screaming believers. Morrow's 3-pointer and ensuing free throw cut Denver's one-time 19-point lead to six in the fourth quarter. But before the fans could sit down, Chauncey Billups spun around one defender, bumped into another, drawing a foul and banking in a shot. In Denver's 127-112 win against the woeful Warriors, Billups was the game-changer, scoring 37 points, two from his career high, and willing his team to an emotional victory. "I think we definitely fed off that play," Billups said. "If we come down and turn the ball over and they get another bucket, now ..."