| 22 May 2009
(Denver-CO) I've awaken from slumber after even dreaming about game two and have a few more thoughts on how Denver prevailed over the Lakers, 106-103. What's amazing is now after two games, in L.A. nonetheless, I truly do feel that the Nuggets are the team to beat with the series moving to Denver after the Lakers were fortunate to escape with game one.
Right off the jump, not enough can be said about the play of Carmelo Anthony - on both ends of the floor. Nuggets fans have witnessed a tremendous maturation process spanning over the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs, but the culmination of his growth has really taken center stage against the Lakers. 'Melo is answering the challenge of guarding Kobe Byrant and is doing so with a fervor. Between the off ball denial, a hand in Kobe's face permanently on the perimeter, and the physical abuse Carmelo is putting the Mamba through within proximity to the basket has the Lakers looking helpless at times when Anthony turns up his game defensively. Sure, Kobe put up 32 points in game two, but ten of those 32 came by way of the free-throw line leaving Bryant's live scoring total at 22 points on which he needed 20 shots to accumulate. That right there is the direct result of Carmelo Anthony assuming the burden of stardom defensively and offensively his game is soaring to new heights as well. Carmelo is averaging 36.5 ppg in the first two games of this series and is doing so by shooting his highest percentage (53% against the Lakers) so far in these playoffs. But, the straight numbers don't do Carmelo nearly enough justice on the offensive end. Last night, Carmelo used his size and superior lower body strength to corral five offensive rebounds of which led to eight of his game-high 34 points. Furthermore, Anthony is displaying unbelievable adaptability in his game by tailoring it to the necessity of the Lakers big front line to average a team-high 7.5 rebounds so far in this series and when you put all of 'Melo's numbers side-by-side with Kobe and LeBrons' there is a strong case to be made for the argument to place the number 15 in the debate as to whether you think 24 or 23 is the best player at this very moment.
Another player who has raised the level of his game has been Kenyon Martin. Defensively, we know K-Mart is going to supply the grit of Denver's interior but offensively is where Martin is surprising L.A.. So far, Martin has been the Nuggets most efficient player against the Lakers. K-Mart is shooting 58% from the field (14-24 combined over the first two games) and is averaging 15.5 ppg against L.A.. And for those of you keeping track... That's half a point more than Pau is averaging in this series and a major component as to how the Nuggets are looking so strong against the Lakers. With Carmelo scoring at a dizzying pace, and Chauncey micro-managing nearly every possession, Kenyon's added offense has been a Godsend with J.R. Smith and the bench struggling to make their impact felt.
And despite his unusual struggles at the free-throw line, Chauncey Billups has put his stamp on the first two games of this series too. Mr. Big Shot may just earn himself another nickname with how safe and efficiently he is distributing the ball right now. Perhaps adding "Steady" to "Smooth" as one of Billups' monikers would be fitting seeing how he is sporting a 6:1 assist to turnover ratio against the Lakers and a true shooting percentage of over 46% with a 22.5 per game average. Furthermore, Chauncey's is giving the Nuggets the best possible outcome scenarios in clutch situations. For instance, with the Nuggets tied last night at 99 Billups made the extremely cerebral decision to create contact with the hedging Pau Gasol to draw two critical free-throws. Other point guards with a lesser pedigree than Chauncey would have probably strayed from that contact, but Billups' knew the time and situation and used Gasol's aggression against him. Those two free-throws truly gave the Nuggets the upper hand down the stretch as both teams traded baskets in the final two minutes of game two. And who can forget Chauncey tying up Gasol on the other end after Nene sprung the ball free from Kobe's control off the dribble? Without hesitation, Billups swarmed Gasol, who already had sturdy possession of the ball on the floor, to force that jump which Denver was able to control. In summation, Chauncey not only scored five of Denver's final seven points at the free-throw line, but did so not with superior athletic plays but rather with his mind. He used a deeper understanding of the game within the game, and the officials, to mastermind a winning game plan that was more tactical then any coach could have drawn up.
And there you have it, Nuggets Nation. Those three players, plus the timely shooting of Linas Kleiza in game two, are why the Nuggets have been able to outplay the Lakers in BOTH of the first two games in this series. It's a shame Denver had to split in L.A., but after stealing home court from the Lakers all the pressure is still on L.A. to now win a game in the Mile High City. Because if they don't... well, we won't go there quite yet.
Go Nuggets!
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