The Post Up: Big names in Denver
Nuggets Good, Nets Bad
By Holly MacKenzie
It was a relatively quiet night in the NBA last night, besides Denver’s big win over Cleveland and the New Orleans/New Jersey game which was awesome to watch. I just love watching Chris Paul play. From college to now (and everything in between), I love everything about this guy’s game. He makes good basketball exciting to watch. Utah does the same with their disciplined play. I like to see good team basketball played in a way so that it does not become boring. That is why I am enjoying the Lakers so much these last few games. The ball movement, contributions from all around, it makes me smile. Back to the Cleveland/Denver game and Larry Hughes. I didn’t get to see why he was ejected but 4 minutes into the game? He must have been fired up from the get-go. Anyone who has seen it, how about a brief recap? Thanks.
It was nice to see Iverson have such a nice game. I miss the finals with LA versus Philly. I saw that clip of Iverson stepping over Tyronn Lue a few days ago and it was good to see him come out and play a great game tonight. Also, JR Smith. Coming off the bench to score 29 and hit 7-8 three-pointers? 29 points on 13 shots? Guy might be crazy but that is just crazy good.
New Orleans 84 New Jersey 82
Chris Paul ensured the Hornets two game skid would go no further last night, as he hit the game winning lay up with 2.6 seconds on the clock to defeat the New Jersey Nets, 84-82 in a come from behind victory. While the Hornets led 49-37 at the half, the Nets outscored New Orleans 30-16 in the 3rd quarter and had an 11-point lead with less than five minutes remaining in the game. The Hornets pulled together and came up strong in the final minutes of the game, going on a 10-1 run to cut the Nets lead to 80-78 with 2:11 on the clock. After New Jersey scored on Antoine Wright’s jumper with 1:52 left in the game to take an 82-78 lead, they did not score for the rest of the game and New Orleans took advantage. With exactly one minute remaining on the clock Jason Collins fouled Morris Peterson and Peterson made the three-point shot. He then went to the line, knocked down the free throw and tied the game up in that one play, 82 all. With 42 seconds on the clock, Nenad Krstic was fouled and went to the line but bricked both before Jason Kidd grabbed the offensive board. Krstic then misfired on a potential game winner with 18 seconds remaining. Paul took control of the Hornets last possession and hit a driving lay up for the game winning points, putting the Hornets up 84-82. In the game, Paul finished with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, Tyson Chandler had 14 points and 12 boards as all of the Hornets starters were in double-figures. Richard Jefferson continued his strong offensive play for the Nets as he had a game-high 32 points while Jason Kidd was only one rebound short of a triple-double in the loss with a line of 14 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists. Krstic finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Nets were without Vince Carter who is out indefinitely with a sprained ankle.
Denver 122 Cleveland 100
While the Nuggets have lost Nene for 6 weeks they have refocused and have found their offense along the way. Last night, the Cavaliers were on their second night of a back-to-back, coming off of a win against the Clippers and their road-weary legs could not withstand a season-high 37-point effort from Allen Iverson. Behind Iverson’s big night the Nuggets defeated Cleveland by a score of 122-100. At the end of one the Cavs trailed only 21-18 but they were unable to contain Denver in the 2nd quarter, as the Nuggets went on a 13-2 run and were able to stretch out their lead to 58-43 at the half. Denver continued to pour it on in the 3rd and had their largest lead of the game in the quarter, 78-51. Try as they might, Cleveland could not bridge that gap and they went into the 4th down 20, 88-68. For the rest of the game the closest that they would come would be 16 points as Denver hit 12-22 three-point field goals, always hitting one to break Cleveland’s back after each attempt at a Cavalier run. The trio of Carmelo Anthony, Iverson and JR Smith combined for a total of 88 points for the Nuggets. Anthony finished with 22 while Smith had 29 points off of the bench. For Cleveland, LeBron James had a team-high 27 points, Ira Newble had 17 and Shannon Brown added 12. The Nuggets shot 55% from the floor while holding Cleveland to only 41.9%. Iverson went 14-20 while Smith shot 10-13 to boost that percentage. Denver gave up 17 offensive boards in the win. Larry Hughes was ejected for jawing at an official with 7:41 remaining in the 1st quarter.
Utah 117 Sacramento 93
Until the Kings get Mike Bibby and Ron Artest back, things are going to be shaky at best for Reggie Theus and his guys. Last night, Carlos Boozer had another big night as he led the Jazz over the Kings, 117-93 behind his double-double of 32 points and 10 rebounds. In addition to the absence of Bibby and Artest, Sacramento was also without Brad Miller who was nursing a bruised quad. The Jazz started the game strong and were up 35-18 after the 1st quarter where they went on to lead by 23 at the half, 65-42. After a lackluster 3rd quarter that saw the Kings narrow the gap to 10 points the Jazz were able to get things back on track in the 4th by going on a 13-2 run of their own. Free throws and rebounds were prominent stats in this game, with the Jazz leading in both categories. Utah out-rebounded Sacramento 41-32 and they also shot 37 free throws as a team (finishing 31-38 from the line), while the Kings attempted only 19 free throws in the game (going 14-19 as a team). Besides Boozer’s big night, Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko had 15 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocks, while Ronnie Brewer added 13. For the Kings John Salmons had 22 points while Kevin Martin scored 21. Francisco Garcia also added 19 points in the loss for Sacramento.
87 Responses to “The Post Up: Big names in Denver”
Nov.13 at 10:54 am
white hot eboy says:
Holly, these are the types of games that Cleveland is supposed to show up big for. They are the Eastern Conference champs and they don’t have injury issues right now. There is no excuse why they get blown out in Denver. They just aren’t that good. And I think New Orleans is for real. Lakers better watch their ass cause they may sting them if they slip up.
Nov.13 at 11:02 am
white hot eboy says:
Are the Jazz and the Boozer/Williams destined to be the actual reincarnation of Stockton/Malone? They have a really great 1 & 2 punch, some good pieces behind them, but they just don’t seem to have that third guy that puts a team into the championship atmosphere. And Sloan’s coaching style always keeps them competitve so they will always have a strong playoff push in them, but they just don’t seem to have “it”. Wierd.
Nov.13 at 11:05 am
Russ Bengtson says:
a) Carmelo must have read the Barkley thread yesterday, b) Iverson has been playing like he’s 22 not 32–I actually saw him get a two-handed dunk on the break the other day, c) the Nets frontcourt has been looking a lot like the Bulls frontcourt lately (scoring, what’s that?), and d) The Jazz are–by far–my favorite Western Conference team.
Nov.13 at 11:06 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
I think this is why so many of the “experts” are counting them out right now. I will say in their defense that it was the 2nd night of a back to back, those are killer early in the season. I’m not really about making excuses because, like you said they are the defending conference champions and need to bring it every night period but, it is so damn hard to pin-point anything this early in the season. Like we said yesterday, besides Boston’s early success and the Spurs, no one really stands out to me as being head and shoulders above everyone else. And NO? yeah, they are tough. West comes up big for them when needed, Chandler is playing like he actually likes to play and Chris is just amazing. I mean, he could average 20,10,5 this year if he keeps his numbers up. I love watching him play.
Nov.13 at 11:07 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
Utah just plays good basketball. And, Russ, Iverson does have that spring in his step. It’s good to see.
Nov.13 at 11:08 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Boozer and Williams are way different than Stockton and Malone. They can play smashmouth pick-and-roll ball, sure, but they also like to get out and run. And with a focused Kirilenko, Memo and guys like Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap, I can see them being able to accomplish what Stockton and Malone were never able to.
Nov.13 at 11:09 am
Keith says:
Holly, out of interest (this has probably been answered before), when the Lakeshow clash with Phoenix - who’re you going to root for?
Nov.13 at 11:11 am
white hot eboy says:
I’d like to see the Jazz make that move but are they able to be get past teams like SA, Phoenix, Dallas even Denver as long as these teams are intact? They have a rough road like everyone else in the West.
Nov.13 at 11:15 am
Keith says:
I think with a committed Kirilenko this year, they are going to be playing at a higher level. AK47 brings so much more to them now that he’s returned. Sloan just has to keep him happy.
Nov.13 at 11:16 am
Gumdrop says:
The Jazz seem like they will be freakishly good for a long. Their offense is killer and with with Sloan there is no way that they are going to sleep on defense. Deron and Chris are everything point guards should be: quick, athletic, gritty and most of all great passers. Western Conference dominance ain’t going nowhere soon.
Nov.13 at 11:16 am
neaorin says:
So end-of-road-trip, mid-November games are must-wins now? Whatever. On a more positive note, it’s nice to see Shannon Brown get some burn even though it’s looking more and more like this is his last season in Cleveland.
Nov.13 at 11:17 am
Gumdrop says:
*long time.
Nov.13 at 11:17 am
white hot eboy says:
Keith, you really think AK47 can keep that up for a full season. You know the tears will flow once things don’t go his way.
Nov.13 at 11:18 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
Keith..in their first meeting this season I was beyond torn and it blew me away that there was even the possibility of me cheering on another team who was facing the Lakeshow, you know? I don’t even know what I will do if they meet in the play offs again. I have always got to go for the Lakers though even if it is just out of loyalty to my 8 year old self!
Nov.13 at 11:18 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
I really love the entire Suns team though. They are just fun to watch.
Nov.13 at 11:19 am
Gumdrop says:
The Stockton/Malone vs. Deron/Boozer comparison won’t be truly fulfilled until Carlos starts throwing elbows like the Macho Man Randy Savage.
Nov.13 at 11:20 am
Russ Bengtson says:
I think they have as good a shot as anyone. San Antonio’s the only one they really have to worry about, IMO. Denver and Phoenix are both defensively deficient and I don’t see Dallas having an answer for Booze. Dude is a straight-up beast. Not to mention in two or three years Nash and Iverson will both be finished and Utah is really, really young. Memo’s their oldest key piece, and he’s only 28.
Nov.13 at 11:21 am
white hot eboy says:
I’d like to see him put his hand behind his head while he one-hand dunks in traffic.
Nov.13 at 11:22 am
Keith says:
I feel you on that one Holly. The Suns just seems like the most fun organisation out there. From top to bottom (Sarver excluded), they seem classy. Their philosophy is spot-on, their playing personnel is likeable to a fault and they have enough drama surronding them (Marion and Stoudemire) to keep you on edge. Like I have said before, if I could marry a sports team, it’d be the Suns.
Nov.13 at 11:22 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
I’m making like Sam and hitting the gym early today. Talk with you guys later.
Nov.13 at 11:22 am
Russ Bengtson says:
I think the AK-47 incident happened, and it’s over. He’s already playing much better this year than he did last year. Clearing the air was the best thing that could have happened to that franchise, even if it got a litle overly emotional and soap operaish.
Nov.13 at 11:23 am
Keith says:
Remember when Danny Fortson was labelled as a mini Malone? Those were dark, dark days for the NBA.
Nov.13 at 11:24 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
I’d marry them to! haha Barbosa alone makes me love them. His humble way of truly appreciating everything the D’Antoni’s and the rest of the coaching staff gives is so damn refreshing.
Nov.13 at 11:24 am
white hot eboy says:
Good points all, Russ, although I’m feeling Denver, if Camby and K-Mart can defend the paint in a playoff series. With AI and Melo, they have two deadly options with the ball on the perimeter that no one else has, maybe in the whole league and that can be priceless in a bogged down playoff matchup.
Nov.13 at 11:25 am
Russ Bengtson says:
A mini Sam Malone, maybe.
Nov.13 at 11:25 am
Gumdrop says:
Ha, good one Russ.
Nov.13 at 11:26 am
white hot eboy says:
Keith, your “marry the Suns” comment made me shiver.
Nov.13 at 11:26 am
Keith says:
Have a sweaty time Holly.
Nov.13 at 11:27 am
white hot eboy says:
That one too, Keith.
Nov.13 at 11:27 am
Gumdrop says:
Perhaps Eddy Curry could be Cliff Clinkscales.
Nov.13 at 11:28 am
Keith says:
But also gave you a strange excitement you haven’t felt since you once brushed that little boys backside when you were in school.
Nov.13 at 11:28 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Denver’s window is only open a crack, though. Between the injury issues with Camby, Nene and Kenyon and the alpha dog issues with AI and Carmelo, I don’t think they have what it takes to get things done in the playoffs. So far this year alone they’ve had games where they’ve looked really, really good (last night), and games where they’ve looked really, really, REALLY bad (getting torched by the Knicks and the Celtics). I’d feel a LOT better about them if they had a real point guard, too.
Nov.13 at 11:29 am
white hot eboy says:
Keith, that’s pretty sh*tty considering I have a 3 year old son.
Nov.13 at 11:30 am
white hot eboy says:
Steph??? Oh, a real point guard, not too many to be had right now.
Nov.13 at 11:33 am
Russ Bengtson says:
If they could somehow trade Nene for, say, Andre Miller, that would be nice. Not that it’s going to happen. Hell, even Brevin Knight could help them. Having five guys on the court who need shots is bad news (and now even Eduardo Najera wants to shoot threes).
Nov.13 at 11:33 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
Just to chime in before I go
-Eboy your son is beautiful.
-that comment about there not being too many good pgs out there brings us right back to my men Nash and Paul.
-I agree with everything that Russ said re:Denver being a team on borrowed time. One more injury and they are screwed.
Nov.13 at 11:34 am
white hot eboy says:
Najera=the latin Jason Kapono.
Nov.13 at 11:35 am
white hot eboy says:
Thanks, Holly. Re: the Nugs, aren’t they the team most capable of stealing a big series just on Melo and AI’s scoring heat alone?
Nov.13 at 11:36 am
Gumdrop says:
Keith’s comments make me feel like the next episode of “To Catch a Predator” will feature slamonline.
Nov.13 at 11:37 am
white hot eboy says:
I think a bunch of us would be taken to task if that happened. Luckily, Shia hasn’t woken up yet this morning.
Nov.13 at 11:38 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Kapono? Sheesh. Najera’s the new Andres Nocioni–a born banger who wants to be the next Larry Bird. Go inside and do the dirty work like you’re supposed to, jerks.
Nov.13 at 11:40 am
white hot eboy says:
A little perturbed at Mr. Nocioni, Russ? I like his game, alot, but I think he needs to be showcased elsewhere. He doesn’t seem to make the impact he should on the current Bulls team. Which sucks, because I think they were a better team with a brighter future before the King Of All Headbands came through.
Nov.13 at 11:44 am
Nadav says:
Nocioni wants to be the next Oscar Schmidt
Nov.13 at 11:46 am
Keith says:
No offence meant White Hot.
Nov.13 at 11:46 am
Bryan says:
Eduardo Kapono? I think not.If JR Smith could actually get his sh*t together the Nuggets would be a lot better than people think. And I don’t know why I was called out up there but ok.
Nov.13 at 11:47 am
white hot eboy says:
Hi Shia. I still love you, Keith.
Nov.13 at 11:48 am
Ryan Jones says:
That picture’s the present and future of South Beach Goombah. LOVE it.
Nov.13 at 11:48 am
Russ Bengtson says:
I’m convinced the Bulls are all smoke and mirrors at this point. Looking back I have NO IDEA how they won 49 games last season. I don’t even want to talk about it here–I’ll post a column on them later this week. And it’s not that I’m perturbed at Noc–at least he goes out there and plays hard every night–it’s just weird to me when guys with a distinct innate talent try and develop an entirely different part of their game that’s already being provided by others. The Bulls don’t NEED another three-point shooter, they need someone who’s gonna post up, get opposing bigs in foul trouble and score some free points at the line. Nocioni is capable of doing that. Instead he wants to be Antoine Walker (who’s the poster child of this affliction). Gah.
Nov.13 at 11:50 am
white hot eboy says:
Why does this happen to me?
Nov.13 at 11:52 am
white hot eboy says:
That comparison to Toine just made me feel really bad for you and really glad he’s not in Miami anymore. And they still whipped the Heat’s ass, so what is that saying about the Heat last season? Horrid.
Nov.13 at 11:55 am
Bryan says:
I think Ben Wallace has declined a lot more than people thought, people don’t seem to be intimidated by him anymore so their interior defense is shot.It’s bad enough they can’t score in the paint but they get worked down low on the other end too.
Nov.13 at 11:56 am
Keith says:
Have faith Russ.
Nov.13 at 11:57 am
Ryan Jones says:
On an unrelated topic, I’ll have 4,600 words of game notes from last night’s St. Francis-Penn State game up within the hour. You know, in case anyone was wondering where those were.
Nov.13 at 12:01 pm
Captain America says:
Face it! East elite doesn’t come close to West elite. Detroit is as good as it gets for East. Jazz, Spurs, Suns, now Rockets are all better than anything East. It is nice to see Chris Paul unload though. Exit question: What happens to C’s when they don’t grab a ring over next two years?
Nov.13 at 12:03 pm
Joel O's says:
@Russ: Is it THAT hard to develop a post-up game? Shouldn’t the coaching staff’s number one priority be making sure Noc gets planted on the low block, and doing whatever it takes to make Tyrus Thomas into a low-post monster? He’s got the tools. If he continues to just dunk on people, all he’ll become is a poor man’s Kenyon Martin; to begin with, Kenyon Martin’s success depends largely on playing with a transcendent PG, which Chicago lacks.
Nov.13 at 12:04 pm
Captain America says:
Russ, Tyson Chandler must look pretty good to the Bulls right now.
Nov.13 at 12:08 pm
Joel O's says:
@Cap: The thing with the Celts is, 2 of their star players were very recently the centerpieces of legit Western conference playoff teams. It’s become fashionable to either totally write them off, or blindly jump on the Celt’s bandwagon. But 5 games in and they’ve taken every opponent apart; I think we can’t judge yet how good they actually are, and we can only see once their supporting cast has settled into their roles. The fact remains however that 5 games in, the Celts have proved how dominating they can be.
Nov.13 at 12:10 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Joel: You’d think so, right? CA: There’s no guarantee that Chandler would be playing like this in Chicago. His relationship with Skiles was broken, and he needed a change of scenery. You can’t just say he’d be putting up the same numbers back there. And honestly? I’d rather have Eddy Curry back playing alonside Big Ben.
Nov.13 at 12:13 pm
white hot eboy says:
You need good college teachings to be a great post player. Talent and footwork is huge too. Think of the games best post players. They all played college ball and were successful. Early dismissal (ie: Greg Oden) keeps your post game limited and your arsenal at a minimum.
Nov.13 at 12:16 pm
Bryan says:
I think we had the Chandler Wallace debate already.
Nov.13 at 12:16 pm
jj says:
The Jazz are for real. With the exception of the spurs, they could beat any other team in the West. Sure, Phoenix, Houston and Dallas are tough teams, but I still have a feeling that many people are sleeping on the Jazz. Don’t get caught napping like last year!
Nov.13 at 12:21 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Kevin Garnett never went to college and his footwork is incredible. All it takes is hard work and lots of it. Doesn’t matter where you are at the time. Moses Malone was one of the best post players ever, and he never went to college either. Hell, for all his faults Eddy Curry is a GREAT low-post scorer. What college did he go to again?
Nov.13 at 12:24 pm
H to the izzo says:
Early starters today
Nov.13 at 12:29 pm
white hot eboy says:
That’s three good examples, except KG has spent the better portion of his career as a turn and face shooter and Eddy is no great shakes, regardless of his two goods a season. Moses was a monster (pretty much a once and a liftetime post player) who carved a niche, literally, that no one else could match. And those three don’t make up for the hundreds of other’s who were college-grown (Shaq, Duncan, Robinson, Boozer, Hakeem, Malone, Wilt, Russell, Walton, Kareem etc)
Nov.13 at 12:30 pm
white hot eboy says:
*two good weeks (Eddy)
Nov.13 at 12:31 pm
Candice says:
Russ, Karl has given Eddie the greenlight to shoot a 3 every now and again. Denver can defend when they want to. Also all their Pg’s are injured right now. I think Melo and AI are fine and don’t go around wondering who’s the alpa dog. I think that showcased last night when AI was hot and Melo was on the sideline cheeering and that game last year where AI torched the Sun’s.
Nov.13 at 12:45 pm
Bryan says:
*crickets*
Nov.13 at 12:59 pm
Captain America says:
KG never went to college and he has stellar footwork (thanks to the tutor named McHale).
Nov.13 at 1:02 pm
Captain America says:
Candice, the inconsistency in Denver is not due to a lack of offensive play makers (understatement). Coach Karl must be pulling his remaining hairs out at times. I like Denver but would like to see more defensive consistency.
Nov.13 at 1:12 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
I just don’t think Denver has what it takes to beat a steady team like San Antonio or Utah in a seven-game series. Regardless of their offensive firepower.
Nov.13 at 1:13 pm
white hot eboy says:
But they have the ability to upset a Dallas, Phoenix or Houston, no?
Nov.13 at 1:23 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Dallas, yes. Phoenix, maybe. Houston, maybe not.
Nov.13 at 1:24 pm
white hot eboy says:
That high on Houston, huh? I don’t trust Tracy’s back for 82 games plus.
Nov.13 at 1:24 pm
Bryan says:
Dallas can be upset by anybody.
Nov.13 at 1:29 pm
white hot eboy says:
I don’t think the Knicks could.
Nov.13 at 1:34 pm
Bryan says:
I bet they could, they have a bunch of swingmen that can make Dirk cry.
Nov.13 at 1:34 pm
Candice says:
Captain America: I said they can play defense when they want to. They have to get through their head’s that they have to play defense all the time, not when they feel like it.
Nov.13 at 1:39 pm
Candice says:
Denver is ranked 8th in defensive efficency.
Nov.13 at 2:10 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Patience, guys. I’ll have that 5,300-word St. Francis-Penn State game notes package ready soon. Promise.
Nov.13 at 2:11 pm
white hot eboy says:
Jones, make it an even 10K.
Nov.13 at 2:22 pm
Ryan Jones says:
OK. I might need another hour, but anything for you guys.
Nov.13 at 2:49 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
St. Francis is a sissy.
Nov.13 at 3:13 pm
white hot eboy says:
Just because he loves animals, Russ?
Nov.13 at 3:48 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Russ! Long story, eboy, one that also involves the smell of homeless-person urine, stale popcorn stolen from the MSG press room, and endless gallons of Guinness… sorry, you had to be there. Pretty sure only Russ and I were.
Nov.13 at 4:01 pm
white hot eboy says:
I like the premise, regardless.
Nov.13 at 4:04 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Yeah, it’s got all the elements of a great story, doesn’t it. No strippers, but there was this one really hot bartender whose mom apparently was…
Nov.13 at 4:26 pm
Nugget$ Fan says:
i was @ tha game but not till tha 2nd q cuz i had basketball tryouts. sorry holly