(Denver-CO) The  Nuggets didn’t look like they were ready to play in the first 15 minutes of their match up with the Bulls, but after Chauncey Billups came alive in the second quarter so did his teammates as Denver won its 15th straight home game, 112-93.

All of Denver’s problems in the first half were defensive. The Bulls are a team who struggle to score points, but you wouldn’t have know that by watching them put 27 points on the scoreboard in the first quarter as the Nuggets twitched like road kill on the tail end of back-to-back games. Offensively, Denver scored just 14 points (a new season-low) in the first quarter after a three and a half minute scoring drought early in the first, but even if they had been able to score the Nuggets weren’t stopping anybody from doing so. Things came too easily for the Bulls. Denver was having trouble (again) with defending the pick and roll of Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose, and to their credit, Chicago was shooting the lights out with their midrange jumpers.

After the frigid offensive start by Denver, the Nuggets found themselves down by 14 points early in the second quarter and in danger of having the Bulls run away from them. It was at this point that I think the Nuggets were getting a little bit frustrated and a touch of personal pride was jeopardized in front of their hometown faithful. With that being said, the Nugget with possibly the most pride, Chauncey Billups, rose to action with his team still down by double figures midway through the second quarter. It was then that Mr. Big Shot finally found his shooting stroke after having three straight games of single-digit scoring output and went off for 14 points in the final seven minutes of the half.

Chauncey’s 14-point outburst in the second fueled a 35-point quarter for the Nuggets and put them right back into striking range at intermission. It was at this point that the Nuggets, who perhaps had their pride injured in the first half, got defensive.

Remember how I said the Nuggets missed the Bird’s presence in L.A.? Well, no half of basketball highlighted that point more than the second half of last night’s game as Chris Andersen’s energy and defensive presence was nothing short of palpable. The Bird finished with the line of nine points, five rebounds, and three blocks while anchoring the Nuggets defensively as they allowed the Bulls just 41 points in the second half. The Birdman also altered numerous other shot attempts and played such intelligent defense on Joakim Noah, and Brad Miller that neither player made much of an impact in the second half.

Offensively in the second half it should come as no surprise that Denver was able to run the floor off of defensive rebounds and drill the Bulls with 63 points in the final 24 minutes. Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony each finished with eleven rebounds and Nene added nine boards as the Nuggets, perhaps, had their best half of defensive rebounding effort of the season. Going into this game I was worried that Chicago would own the rebounding battle coming in with the sixth best rebounding clip in the NBA, and the league’s top individual rebounder , Joakim Noah, but Denver actually won the rebounding battle 47-41 overall.

And boy is it fun to watch this team when they get out and run! I don’t have to go out on much of a limb when I say the Nuggets have one of, if not, the best compilation of fast break scoring weapons in the NBA. Ty Lawson is a blur in transition and can finish at the rim or find his streaking teammates. Chauncey is one of the best pull-up three-point shooters in the game. Earl Smith can either shoot it from deep or finish at the rim with flare and authority. And, I almost forgot, Carmelo Anthony is basically unstoppable with the ball in his hands from the minute he walks in the gym!

Carmelo finished with his eighth 30+ point effort (a league-high) against the Bulls with the near triple-double of 30 points, seven assists, two steals, and the aforementioned eleven rebounds. It’s amazing to watch Carmelo accumulate points in the manner he does. He truly does score in everyway possible with an ease that makes you forget how many points he’s amassing while the game is being played. It’s this reason why the Nuggets are nearly unbeatable when Carmelo puts his focus in areas like rebounding and getting his teammates involved because he has the rare ability to just find points wherever they are within the fold of the game.

Chauncey Billups broke out of a three-game scoring funk to end the game with 21 points, five assists, and four rebounds, and was the Nuggets’ difibrillator when the team was on the verge of flat lining in the second quarter. The baller formerly known as "Earl" scored 19 points, including a swooping two-handed, double-clutch slam that he punctuated the Denver win with by blowing kisses to the crowd, and he handed out four assists to lead the Nugget bench outscoring Chicago’s, 43-19.

Up next for the Nuggets is the biggest of all trap games, the 0-13 New Jersey Nets. I think we can all agree that New Jersey isn’t going to lose all 82 games, but what’s scary is the outside possibility that the Nuggets give them their first win at Pepsi Center on Tuesday night.

Hey! It’s a long shot, but you never know…

Go Nuggets!