| 18 January 2010
(Denver-CO) Isn’t it fitting that my first recap since hiatus is against the Utah Jazz seeing how it was after the previous victory over the Jazz when I took an extended break from published coverage?
Last night’s, 119-112, win over the Utah Jazz was special indeed and not because I've decided to again start sharing my thoughts. Denver unveiled its two point guard look for much of the game as Ty Lawson played 27 minutes, many with Chauncey Billups also in the game. But what makes this game a bit of an anomaly is how the Nuggets won a game with just 16 total assists. This is mainly due to the foul-happy Jazz putting Denver on the line for 49 free-throws - of which they made 41 of.
Let me start out by saying I absolutely love Lawson and Billups on the floor together. At no juncture in last night’s game when both of them were in did the Nuggets' offensive demeanor stray from pure attack. There weren’t any stretches were Denver settled for jump shots or the offense stood around and watched. It couldn’t. Ty Lawson is a relentless slasher with the basketball and if he’s not scoring it himself he’s setting up a teammate. Chauncey is the most calculated passer in the game. He makes every dish count for something within the offense. It’s pretty cool to watch!
The results of the fluid, fundamental synergy were astounding. Chauncey finished with 29 points, four assists (again, the foul-happy Jazz), five rebounds, two steals, and just one turnover. Mr. Big Shot was also Mr. Sure Shot from the free-throw line finishing 17-19 from the stripe. Lawson added eleven points, two steals, an assist, and just one turnover as well.
The league’s leading scorer also had a fabulous night. Carmelo Anthony was spectacular with a final line that reads a game-high 37 points, eight rebounds, two assists, three steals, but ’Melo did have a rough time turning the ball over with three miscues in the first quarter and seven overall. However, the Jazz had no answer for ‘Melo. When they would put Andrei Kirilenko on him he would just take it strong to the cup and draw the foul on the weaker Russian. If they tried to put a stronger player on ‘Melo, he would just simply leave the ball in the net from the perimeter as Boozer and Millsap had to respect his speed and play a step off him.
One area that I didn’t like about last night’s game was how the Nuggets finished quarters. In the first quarter, Denver lost a five-point lead in the final two minutes and finished tied at 28 apiece. Again in the second, Denver played up tempo and scored 32 points overall, but sputtered in the final two minutes and let a 17-point lead be cut down to seven at the half, 60-53. In both final two minute stretches in the first half the Nuggets were only able to score a pair of free-throws.
And believe it or not, the same was true in the third quarter. The final two minutes of the third quarter saw the Nuggets once again score just two free-throws by Carmelo Anthony as an eleven-point lead was whittled to just four, 85-81. Thankfully, the fourth quarter belonged to Mr. Big Shot. Chauncey fended off the Jazz for the last time with the score, 110-106, (and after the Nuggets had again managed to squander a double-digit lead, sheesh) with a huge three to give Denver some breathing room and with Billups scoring seven of the final nine points for the Mile High crew the Nuggets were able to down the Jazz for the third time this season.
This big win ensured that Denver has the tie-breaker in the division over the Jazz if both teams finish with identical records at the end of the season.
Last night’s, 119-112, win over the Utah Jazz was special indeed and not because I've decided to again start sharing my thoughts. Denver unveiled its two point guard look for much of the game as Ty Lawson played 27 minutes, many with Chauncey Billups also in the game. But what makes this game a bit of an anomaly is how the Nuggets won a game with just 16 total assists. This is mainly due to the foul-happy Jazz putting Denver on the line for 49 free-throws - of which they made 41 of.
Let me start out by saying I absolutely love Lawson and Billups on the floor together. At no juncture in last night’s game when both of them were in did the Nuggets' offensive demeanor stray from pure attack. There weren’t any stretches were Denver settled for jump shots or the offense stood around and watched. It couldn’t. Ty Lawson is a relentless slasher with the basketball and if he’s not scoring it himself he’s setting up a teammate. Chauncey is the most calculated passer in the game. He makes every dish count for something within the offense. It’s pretty cool to watch!
The results of the fluid, fundamental synergy were astounding. Chauncey finished with 29 points, four assists (again, the foul-happy Jazz), five rebounds, two steals, and just one turnover. Mr. Big Shot was also Mr. Sure Shot from the free-throw line finishing 17-19 from the stripe. Lawson added eleven points, two steals, an assist, and just one turnover as well.
The league’s leading scorer also had a fabulous night. Carmelo Anthony was spectacular with a final line that reads a game-high 37 points, eight rebounds, two assists, three steals, but ’Melo did have a rough time turning the ball over with three miscues in the first quarter and seven overall. However, the Jazz had no answer for ‘Melo. When they would put Andrei Kirilenko on him he would just take it strong to the cup and draw the foul on the weaker Russian. If they tried to put a stronger player on ‘Melo, he would just simply leave the ball in the net from the perimeter as Boozer and Millsap had to respect his speed and play a step off him.
One area that I didn’t like about last night’s game was how the Nuggets finished quarters. In the first quarter, Denver lost a five-point lead in the final two minutes and finished tied at 28 apiece. Again in the second, Denver played up tempo and scored 32 points overall, but sputtered in the final two minutes and let a 17-point lead be cut down to seven at the half, 60-53. In both final two minute stretches in the first half the Nuggets were only able to score a pair of free-throws.
And believe it or not, the same was true in the third quarter. The final two minutes of the third quarter saw the Nuggets once again score just two free-throws by Carmelo Anthony as an eleven-point lead was whittled to just four, 85-81. Thankfully, the fourth quarter belonged to Mr. Big Shot. Chauncey fended off the Jazz for the last time with the score, 110-106, (and after the Nuggets had again managed to squander a double-digit lead, sheesh) with a huge three to give Denver some breathing room and with Billups scoring seven of the final nine points for the Mile High crew the Nuggets were able to down the Jazz for the third time this season.
This big win ensured that Denver has the tie-breaker in the division over the Jazz if both teams finish with identical records at the end of the season.
Go Nuggets!
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