| 09 December 2009
(Denver-CO) The Denver Nuggets' luck ran out last night in Charlotte. After winning two consecutive games, on the road, where the Nuggets trailed for three out of four quarters. The best Denver could do last night was tie the game, twice, in the fourth quarter before succumbing to the 'Cats, 107-95.
Now, before I go any further I think it needs to be stated that this isn't the same kind of Bobcat team we've grown accustomed to watching lose over the last few years. Gerald Wallace is blossoming into one of if not the premier 'tweener players in the league (think Shawn Marion, but with a jump shot that doesn't make you want to puke your brains out) and the addition of Stephen Jackson to the backcourt with "Everybody Loves" Raymond Felton makes this team much better than the pushover they've been unfairly tagged as.
But, with credit being paid, this is a team that the Nuggets still should have beat had they played with any sort of collaboration offensively regardless if Kenyon Martin sat with a presumably very sore, and recently dislocated, pinkie finger on his left hand.
Let's look at how the Nuggets lost:
For starters, Denver couldn't rebound a lick. The Nuggets allowed Charlotte 14 offensive rebounds and lost the overall battle of the boards 43-35. Gerald Wallace, the league's leading rebounder, finished with a game-high 16 rebounds and Nene was the only Nugget to get into double figures with ten. This aspect of the game is where Kenyon Martin was missed the most. He is probably the only player on the Nuggets who actually finds a body, puts his backside on them, and then goes to get the rebound more times than not and when playing a guy like Wallace or the seven-foot Nazr Mohammed getting rebounds is all about position.
Secondly, the Nuggets did a terrible job closing out quarters. In the final three minutes of the first quarter, Denver was outscored 8-7. In the second, 11-2. In the third, 13-6. And in the fourth, 12-6. Add it all up, Nuggets Nation, and you have Denver being outscored 44-21 in what makes up an entire quarter of the game. Adding insult was how Charlotte finished the game on a 20-8 run after Denver had knotted the game at 87 with six minutes to play in regulation.
Additionally, Denver (the league's highest scoring team per game) allowed the Bobcats (the league's stingiest team allowing points per game) to dictate the style of game the wanted to play. As a result, the Nuggets were held to under a 100 points total and fell to 2-3 when failing to hit the century mark. Here's why. Denver turned the ball over way too much and were unable to get their fastbreak started. It all starts with Chauncey Billups, who finished with 14 points, one assist, and five turnovers. When Chauncey doesn't set the tone for the Nuggets in a positive way offensively with his passing and decision making things usually go to hell in a hand basket for Denver. Last night, the results were devastating as the Nuggets finished with just eleven assists and 18 turnovers. Oh, and as for a fastbreak attack, the Nuggets finished with just 14 of those points of which they had all 14 of through the first three quarters.
All that aside, the beauty of the NBA is playing 82 games. And by my calculations, if Denver keeps winning three out of every four games their in for a 60-win season. So, it's far too early to be freaking out about a loss on the tail-end of back-to-back games on the road, but I'd be lying to you if losses to the Bobcats, Bucks, and Clippers haven't raised my eyebrow...
So, maybe it's time for a Bookmaker Bonus from Doc's Sports? Powered by BetCRIS to continue with a great legacy, Bookmaker will be always the FIRST sportsbook to post lines. Most books will NOT post lines or odds until CRIS/BookMaker oddsmakers have established the opening line .
Up next for the Nuggets is the final game of this road trip against the Detroit Pistons before coming home for a challenging three-game homestand.
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