| 19 February 2009
(Denver-CO) I apologize for the late post on last night's, 101-89, victory over the 76ers. If you haven't got your Nuggets fix yet here's what transpired in a nut shell and then some:
The Nuggets played sluggish and selfish in the first half. Their performance resonated of a team that hadn't been together in a few days and to be perfectly honest with you it reminded me of the Nuggets with Allen Iverson. That me-first attitude left the Nuggets trailing by eleven, 24-13, after the first quarter in which they looked like they were still on All-Star break. It was basketball that was tough to watch. One pass, jumper. Penetration, missed lay-ups. Six turnovers, three assists. This first quarter left me with the grimmest feeling I've had as a Nugget fan this season.
The slow and rusty start gave way, albeit a little, in the second quarter as Denver fought back from down by as many as 14 points in the first to enter halftime down by ten, 47-37. However, the good news was signs that the Nuggets were returning to pre-All-Star break form after getting back to basics, starting with eight free-throw attempts in the second quarter, and the ten point margin didn't seem as bad as the Nuggets should have been trailing after that abomination of a first quarter.
In the second half, and you may not have realized it, but we saw something very special of this year's Nuggets. Last year, and even the year before, we maybe could have won this game with Carmelo or Iverson getting hot in the second half. It's only a shame that all too often it didn't work out as scripted and a first half like the aforementioned would have had the Nuggets bags packed up and on the bus before the third quarter ended. But, with the leadership - hell, and downright willingness and wisdom to imply what it takes in any given situation to give his team the best chance at winning the game - Chauncey Billups showcased in the third quarter is why his presence has been the difference in this year's team.
Hear it straight from the horse's mouth, "Billups changed the attitude of this game. He's pretty special. He takes responsibility to win the game", said Head Coach George Karl after the eventual, 101-89, victory.
Billups scored 17 of his 22 points in the third quarter and rallied Denver back from a 16-point deficit. And what's more than his obvious scoring impact was how his willingness to do whatever it was going to take to win this game - a game a true contender should win - was contagious as evident by how the rest of the Nuggets fell in line like troops taking notice of their General's example. His two best soldiers were Carmelo Anthony and Nene. 'Melo finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Nene added 17 points and seven rebounds. The rest of the platoon may not have had standout games individually, but they too played a role in winning this game by doing all the little things. Anthony Carter put forth yet another yeoman effort of nine points and five assists, Birdman grabbed eight rebounds and swatted four shots, and J.R. Smith recorded a team-high three steals while playing solid fundamental basketball despite netting just six points on an honest 2-5 from the field.
I'll be honest with you, Nuggets Nation. What we saw out of the boys last night gave me goosebumps! I'm not saying we're championship ready, but the Nuggets have improved so much as a team in the last three months it's scary exciting. They're beating teams on nights when they only score 37 points in the first half for crying out loud! They're beating teams with defense AND offense, and that's something I don't think has ever been said with a straight face in the history of the Denver Nuggets.
With the win, the Nuggets are now 37-17, above .500 by 20 games for the first time this season, and hold the rights to second place overall in the Western Conference by a full game over the Spurs. Denver also has a 3 1/2 game lead over Portland in the division. It's a good time to be a Nuggets' fan!
Go Nuggets!
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