Heartbreaking...

by Andrew Feinstein on Jan 19, 2009 9:13 AM MST

Nuggets/Rockets recap...

If there's one thing I've never done on this blog it's blame the refs for a loss. In almost 95% of the cases, when a team loses the game they deserve to lose the game for an assortment of reasons.

That wasn't the case in Houston today. This one's on Bennett Salvatore.

The Nuggets had this game. The Nuggets players never waivered in their effort. George Karl even drew up two terrific end-of-game plays (frankly, they were the best end-of-game plays I've seen him draw up in several seasons). This game was meant to be. Until...

Salvatore called a horseshit offensive foul call on Linas Kleiza with seven seconds left. Sure, there was mild contact, but Linas purposely was moving out of the way after feeding Nene that amazing pass under the basket and Chuck Hayes flopped. It wasn't a foul on Hayes either. It was a NON-CALL! Or at least should have been, just as so many flops should be. Non-calls.

It's going to take us a while to get over this one. Hopefully the Nuggets players have shorter memories than we do and can put forth a similar effort against the Kings tomorrow night.

This loss was heartbreaking. Just heartbreaking.

Congrats, Bennett Salvatore. You just became #1 on the Stiff List!!

Nuggets/Rockets preview...

If recent history is any indication, the Nuggets don't like to show up when they play at Houston. In both games at the Toyota Center last season, the Nuggets were pummeled and didn't break 90 points in either contest.

When Denver Stiffs forecast the games to be played sans Carmelo Anthony, we had today's Rockets game down as a probable loss. However, it's looking like both Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest will be out. Could the Nuggets actually steal one without Melo?

Tweet Comment 20 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

If houston shoots 40% or better from 3 we have no chance. I expect Shane Battier to have a big game since he is really good when no one covers him on the corner 3 and you can bet Denver will give him plenty of open 3s.

If either/or Kleiza and JR struggle I would like to see Weems get some meaningful playing time but that is wishful thinking since Karl doesn't play rookies. Why Can't George Karl figure out that you need an actual second unit so the starters don't tire out. So frustrating to watch.

by james b.(seattle) on Jan 19, 2009 11:50 AM MST reply actions

I just saw the new mattress king commercial. I got really mad at everything

by Anonymous on Jan 19, 2009 12:10 PM MST reply actions

there is 7 seconds left in the game. I HATE BENNETT SALVATORE

by Brandon on Jan 19, 2009 2:24 PM MST reply actions

i really do not like bennett salvatore

by Brandon on Jan 19, 2009 2:28 PM MST reply actions

The NBA really needs to get the whole flopping problem under control. But don't you dare say anything about David Stern's precious officials who are always right.

by Anonymous on Jan 19, 2009 2:31 PM MST reply actions

I beg to differ the game was lost on the AIRBALL ANTHONY CARTER missed and Berry came back to hit the three point shot.
Second season half 0-2
Fire GK now

by samiam on Jan 19, 2009 2:32 PM MST reply actions

George Karl deserves credit. Those plays were awesome. Especially that last one. Perfect. Except for the stupid call and the fact that K-Mart's knees wouldn't allow him to throw that down like he used to.

by andrew fisher on Jan 19, 2009 2:53 PM MST reply actions

Yeah. As much as I hate GK, the team has been using a lot more solid plays recently, and that last play was really well designed. So, some reluctant props to Karl.

by Cessair on Jan 19, 2009 3:04 PM MST reply actions

Simply bullshit. Unbelievable.

Have to win Sacramento and Utah now.

by Lucas Navarrete on Jan 19, 2009 3:14 PM MST reply actions

normally I would have to god damn Violet is aref in their game they will lose for sure. (she HATES melo) but since Melo didnt play she left it up to bennett to screw the nuggets this time. If you dont believe me look up Melo's average fouls (personal & tech.) per game when she refs. He averages 1.5 more personals and a tech is Garanteed with her. Also the Nuggets win 15% less games with her reffing. She needs to go back to the womens league where she belongs.

by 1NUGS1 on Jan 19, 2009 3:17 PM MST reply actions

Being a Nugget's fan it's hard to complain about bad calls so soon after JR's "Flailing Elbow" and the Chauncey call. The NBA seriously does have the worst officiating out of all major sports, but it's not necessarily the ref's fault. There are just a lot more judgement calls that they're required to make on a much more common basis than in other sports. They lack any sort of consistency, and it often times ends up looking suspicious.

by Dova on Jan 19, 2009 3:32 PM MST reply actions

If there is one thing that really prevents me from going from a fan that really likes NBA basketball to a fan that loves NBA basketball it is frustration at how the game is officiated. NBA officiating is so miserably inconsistent and subjective that it is mind numbing.

Having said that...I'm really happy we traded for Petro, he is doing a bang up job taking Chucky's spot on the bench.

by Anonymous on Jan 19, 2009 4:16 PM MST reply actions

we once again lost a game due to poor shot selection. and the nugget to blame today is .... chauncy billups! our leader really led us down the wrong path. his ice cold jumpers (with the exception of the 3 he hit) iced the team. because of this the nuggets had no wiggle room.

he needs to sit down and take stock of what he is doing. it's happened before, but this time - it iced us.

man of the hour - birdman! gave up a hundred pound and played like his heart with as big as the toyota center.

all-in-all, this team continues to get better.

by Anonymous on Jan 20, 2009 8:26 AM MST reply actions

Chauncey has had a lot of turnovers and questionable shots in the past few games. I'm not sure if he is distracted by something else, or if he needs Melo to make him look better. We shall see. I just hope the trend doesn't continue.

by Anonymous on Jan 20, 2009 8:49 AM MST reply actions

When it comes to turnovers; Chauncey hasn't been playing well.
You could just about lay this loss at the feet of KMart. He got a stupid technical and then he couldn't make 2 free throws. If you are paid millions to play basketball, it seems that you'd take a little pride and effort in making free throws. It's not as if someone is guarding you and the distance isn't that far either. Players like KMart who struggle at the free throw line need to swallow their pride and go to the Rick Barry school of free throw shooting and learn to shoot underhand. Barry wasn't embarrassed shooting granny shots because he led the league in free throw shooting. His granny could beat anybody in the league, so nobody gave him any grief about his free throw shooting style. Barry was willing to teach Shaq how to do it, but Shaq wasn't willing.

It was a terrible call though.

by Anonymous on Jan 20, 2009 10:00 AM MST reply actions

Close game. Dante Jones and Birdman played above themselves. Kleiza's trip on the fast break was terrible luck. That may have been the most effort expended as a team the whole season. Birdman was amazing.

In a game where Nene had foul trouble and we're playing against a guy bigger than Andre the Giant, and Petro doesn't get any minutes? It is obvious Petro isn't the backup big man that Karl wants. Unless they make another trade before the deadline, you can forget about the playoffs. The nuggets simply don't have enough bigs to stay with the other teams in the west for 7 games. I don't know which of the other teams they currently match up well against.

The nuggets played hard, especially birdman and everyone else guarding Yao. They'll likely be too tired from the short rotation and from playing a much larger team to do much tonight.

by KarlSucks on Jan 20, 2009 10:53 AM MST reply actions

Nuggets fans should be thanking Violet and Bennet for keeping the Nuggets IN the game and not out of it. How many times do you see Yao Ming get a T? Agreed the call at the end of the game was terrible, but the traveling call on Yao Ming when the birdman had his arm hooked so far I thought he was going to ask him to cough was even worse. One of the worst games I have seen from the officials this year, and there have been a few. I expect more from the author to see how bad things were the other way.

by Tobin on Jan 20, 2009 11:14 AM MST reply actions

tobin you are an idiot. the nuggets never ever ever get any respect on calls. yao gets a T because he alwayssssss gets calls and when he doesnt he complains. do you know what he said or didn't say to deserve a T?

by bring back rauf on Jan 20, 2009 2:16 PM MST reply actions

I'm neither a Rockets or Nuggets fan, but I definitely agree that Bennett Salvatore is a horrible referee.

by DDC on Jan 20, 2009 4:14 PM MST reply actions

He probably said how did you not see Chris Anderson's arm hooking me and holding me down you *chinese expletive* no good *chinese expletive* ref. That was an even worse call than the phantom flop, which was a terrible call as well, I won't argue that.

And by the way, your an idiot for not knowing your own team. Denver is 5th in league in free throw attempts,
Houston 20th. You obviously no nothing past the Denver Post, so I'll clue you in. I'm not saying that anyone past Big Shot and Melo gets respect, but how much respect does Luis Scola get? Alston?, Landry?.. please. And to say Yao gets every call is an absolute joke. Maybe that's why NBA TV went on for 15 min after the game how the refs don't know how to call Yao Ming. Maybe that's why during every broadcast, even the Nugget's, which I watch, they mention he gets a raw deal. They were beating the crap out of him the whole game, which is fine but then they call 2 touch fouls (from behind him..), the BS traveling call, and further the facial block which was even cleaner than Anderson's good block (which also got called incorrectly). The Nuggets got screwed at the end of the game, but the refs put them into the position by keeping Yao on the bench with crap calls throughout the night.

Oh but Nuggets shot more free throws 27-20, and got more rebounds, AND more points in the paint. Too bad they can't
take care of the f'ing ball, but they lost because they get no respect and Yao does.

Ok.

by Tobin on Jan 20, 2009 4:30 PM MST reply actions

Comments For This Post Are Closed

STIFF LIST (as of 4/26 by Andrew Feinstein)

1. METTA WORLD PEACE

Metta resorted back to Ron Ron last Sunday by clubbing James Hardenwith an "inadvertent celebratory elbow", landing him a 7-game suspension. Apparently, changing his name didn't prevent NBA commissioner David Stern from overlooking Metta's past behavior problems.

2. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

The 'Cats are on the verge of securing the worst winning percentage in NBA history. Given that the guy who runs the team - Michael Jordan - had previously drafted Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison, should this really be a shock?

3. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
The team that was supposedly built to overcome the lockout-shortened season managed to lose 7 of its last 14 games, ceding the Western Conference's 1-seed to the Spurs in the process. Their reward might be a first round matchup with defending champion Dallas.

4. BILLY HUNTER AND DEREK FISHER

With report after report coming out about NBPA union head Hunter's shady, nepotistic dealings and questions arising about Fisher's own role in dealing with NBA owners behind Hunter's back during the lockout, this off-the-court scandal could prove to be more exciting than the playoffs themselves!

5. STEVE NASH AND THE PHOENIX SUNS
The Suns are on this list for squandering the last few great seasons from Nash. Nash is on this list for his stupidly stubborn loyalty to a franchise as awful as the Suns.