Game 4: Nuggets 120 - Lakers 101
by Nate Timmons on May 26, 2009 12:49 AM MDT
in Denver Nuggets: Game Recaps
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PrintNuggets 19 point win evens series at 2-2
The Denver Nuggets just won the biggest game in their franchise history. Yes, Game 5 against Seattle was great in 1994, but it was not the Western Conference Finals. So now Game 5 in this series becomes the biggest game in Nuggets' history.
It's getting interesting right?
Had the Lakers won last night's game they would have had a strangle-hold on the series. The Nuggets however, refused to lose and an inspired team effort was the story of Game 4.
The Nuggets trailed 1-0 to start the game, but when Kenyon Martin made a 17-foot jumper he gave Denver the lead for good as the Nuggets wouldn't trail again.
Seven Denver Nuggets scored in double-digits and all the points were needed as Carmelo Anthony wasn't finding his shot early. We found out that Melo was battling a stomach flu and received an IV at the half ... gutty performance. Melo did not record his first field goal until the one minute mark of the 2nd Quarter when J.R. Smith found Melo for an easy dunk giving the Nuggets a 50-42 lead.
J.R. did a great job of finding his teammates open dunks early and found his shot late to seal the win for Denver. It's been key for somebody to step up and last night J.R. took his turn.
Denver had great energy last night and it showed up on the stat sheet. The Nuggets outrebounded the Lakers 58-40 (20 offensive rebounds) as Birdman, Nene, and KMart were all over the place protecting the rim and getting Denver extra possessions. Denver's bench also outscored the Lakers' bench 42-24. Like Renaldo Balkman's leg tattoos say, "Hustle ... Harder."
Denver continues to play with confidence against L.A. and they find themselves in a position to prove that while they may not have the best player in this series, they do have the better team. That's the best thing about basketball ... it's truly a team sport and the Nuggets to me look like the better team in this series.
Player notes:
-Melo managed to play 35 minutes with the flu and after turning his ankle while guarding Kobe. 3-16 shooting (0-3 from deep, 9-11 from the charity stripe) for 15 points, 3 rebounds (2 offensive), 5 assists, and 1 steal. Melo was doing a great job of finding the open man when the double teams came last night ... he was making quick decisions out there and helped lead the unselfish attack.
-J.R. Smith: 28 minutes, 9-17 (4-9 threes, 2-6 free throws) for 24 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. J.R. got his game going early by getting his teammates easy shots and getting himself to the rack. All 4 of Swish's assists came in the first half. J.R. still needs to do a better job from the foul line, but like we said of Kleiza's performance in Game 2 ... the Nuggets probably don't win this game without Swish last night. And by the way ... nobody can guard this kid on the Lakers team. Swish blew by Kobe when he wanted to and needs to remember that.
-Kenyon Martin: 35 minutes, 13 points on 5-11 shooting (0-1 three, 3-4 free throws), 15 rebounds (3 offensive), 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Kenyon hasn't dominated on the boards like that in a long, long time ... his second highest rebounding total came on Halloween (October 31st) in Denver's second game of the season against the Clippers when he had 13 boards. KMart picked up his 6th technical of the playoffs last night and faces a suspension if he gets one more. He'll have to play under extreme control from here out.
-Nene: 35 minutes, 14 points on 5-8 shooting (4-7 free throws), 13 rebounds (7 offensive), and 6 assists. Nene was a beast getting himself above the rim when he had the ball and he was all over the offensive glass. Offensive rebounding is basically desire driven and Nene put his stamp on the game by giving Denver extra offensive possessions.
-Chirs "Birdman" Andersen: 24 minutes, 6 points on 2-4 shooting (0-1 three, 2-4 free throws), 14 rebounds (4 offensive), and 2 blocks. It felt like Bird was scoring a lot more, but maybe that was just because of the nice ESPN piece they did on him at the half. Bird was all over the glass as well and provided the crowd with some patented sparks by blocking some big shots and getting some crowd roaring dunks.
-Chauncey Billups: 42 minutes, 24 points on 7-16 shooting (1-6 three, 9-9 free throws), 3 reb, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 0 turnovers. Having Billups running things just gives me a comforting feeling. Billups took some quick transition shots, but knew he had to muster some offense with Melo being ... well not-Melo. Billups did a nice job going to the rim and should continue doing so since his outside shot is not falling.
-Linas Kleiza: 13 minutes, 10 points on 3-5 shooting (2-3 threes, 2-2 free throws) and 2 rebounds. I actually found myself wanting LK to get some more burn with Melo out of sorts. LK had his shot going and provided Denver with a nice spark off the bench. This is a different Nuggets team when LK is on as he brings size and shooting. It's been nice to see him with a mini-resurrection.
-Anthony Carter: 6 minutes, 2 points on 1-1 shooting and 2 assists. A perfect game from AC ... he provided Billups with some relief minutes and gave the offense a couple of good plays. AC again is not a good play in this series because of his lack of size. I thought he was used perfectly last night.
-Dahntay Jones: 19 minutes, 12 points on 3-5 shooting (0-1 three, 6-6 free throws), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 great dunk, and 1 horrible trip. I'm hearing that fans say Jones should be suspended and I'd be very surprised if he is for his trip on Kobe Bryant. The play was stupid and dirty and luckily Kobe was ok, but suspending Jones would be a little drastic ... sort of as drastic as making Kobe vs. LeBron commericals and playing them every 5 minutes.
Views you can use:
- Denver scored 120 points last night and after not scoring over 30 points in the first three periods ... Denver exploded for 43 points in the 4th Quarter
- Denver finished +13 from the free throw line over the Lakers ... (37-49 for Denver and 24-35 for the Lakers) The Nuggets were the more aggressive team last night and attacked the rim all night
- The Nuggets were just 7-24 from three-point land ... good for 29.2% or I should say bad for 29.2%
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Nice pic...
Just think — if the Nuggets hadn’t collapsed in the 4th quarter of game 3 and given up an 8 point lead they could be up 3-1 right now.
Trying not to think about that ...
Pickaxe & Roll.com: 5,280 reasons to be a Nuggets fan
by Nate Timmons on May 26, 2009 9:24 AM MDT up reply actions
Thanks for the recap man,
I missed most of the game but I’m glad they won. Btw, I hate those Lebron/Kobe commercials too and I wish very bad things(too graphic to speak here) would happen to whoever created them.
Aprende epsañol y esto tendra mas sentido para ti.
Jones is a punk
While I always knew he was just like the majority of Denver’s players, a thug and a punk, his blatant trip of Kobe just elevated him into Raja Bell territory.
But he won’t get suspended. Because the pendulum has swung the other way, and now every hack, elbow, punch, and trip is no longer a flagrant foul. The NBA has decided that it will just call every blocking foul and jumping into the body (like Billup’s blatant offensive foul on Gasol in the 3rd quarter) rather than dislodging, grabbing, and any other dirty play you can think of.
The best thing I can say is this. The Lakers are used to this. They’ve now had 6 series in the past 2 playoffs against dirty hacking teams, and are a decent 20-12 in those games.
You do understand...
That you gave absolutely no good information in your post. Let’s recap:
Jones is a punk. While I always knew he was just like the majority of Denver’s players, a thug and a punk, his blatant trip of Kobe just elevated him into Raja Bell territory.
Funny, I see what you did there. You made the “A player on Denver did something bad, therefor all of Denver is bad” comparison. The actions of one player really don’t reflect on an entire team, unless it’s very prevalent. Did you notice that Daunte got benched shortly after that play and went and sulked on the bench with a towel on his head for a good little bit? That obviously wasn’t punishment or anything like that …
But he won’t get suspended. Because the pendulum has swung the other way, and now every hack, elbow, punch, and trip is no longer a flagrant foul. The NBA has decided that it will just call every blocking foul and jumping into the body (like Billup’s blatant offensive foul on Gasol in the 3rd quarter) rather than dislodging, grabbing, and any other dirty play you can think of.
Because there certainly haven’t been any suspensions in the playoffs so far, huh? I’d think that you, as a Lakers fan (obviously) would be able to remember far enough back to, oh, last series to know that the NBA has most definitely suspended players. C’mon, keep with it, man! Also, the shove in the back was upgraded to a flagrant foul. Have some calls that should have been suspensions been lightened up? Everyone will have their own opinion, like I think that Rondo shouldn’t have played game 7 vs Chicago. But ah well.
bq. The best thing I can say is this. The Lakers are used to this. They’ve now had 6 series in the past 2 playoffs against dirty hacking teams, and are a decent 20-12 in those games.
I just have to wonder .. who’s the one team out? Look, dude, it’s the playoffs. Everyone gets more physical, everyone starts digging in deeper. Yeah, I think Jones should be suspended for the trip and the shove together in back-to-back games, but if he’s not, ah well.
by bobo_the_vol on May 26, 2009 4:53 AM MDT up reply actions
did a bit of research
and I’d like to take back the “Laker’s Fan” bit! Seem to be a spurs or a Houston fan.
by bobo_the_vol on May 26, 2009 4:57 AM MDT up reply actions
it's all relative
this entire playoffs is a joke, and an atrocity to the pure fans. We’ve spent years defending the NBA against the conspiracy theorists, the superstars get preferential treatment argument, etc. Used to be my defense for the NBA was the speed of the game. But now, I simply can’t use that argument. Because it’s readily apparent most offcials are simply not in position to make the correct call. They make assumption calls. Some of this “may” be due to the speed of the game, and these are human beings, but if an NFL sideline official can see whether a ball hit the ground before a WR can make a basket catch on his knees from 10-30 yards away, then I expect better work from NBA officials who are only a couple of feet away from the action.
One of the best examples I saw last night of officials out of position was Fisher’s strip of K-Mart. While for a brief second Kenyon’s hand was still on the ball (that’s usually what happens when one player grabs the ball from another’s grip), Fisher had yet to finish his twist, but yet the ref, I think it was Bavetta, who was looking at both player’s backs, and NOT THE BALL, called a jump ball. I’m not calling for a foul there, because within another second, Kenyon would have released, realizing he lost the ball, and would run back on defense. But the officials, making an assumption, called a jump ball.
Too often plays like this exist. Think of the slap down strip when a player drives to the hoop. A player drives in, the player beaten reaches in and slaps down on the ball. Majority of the time, they miss, and hit the arm. And that’s a foul. But a good quantity of the time, a player actually gets the ball. But because the refs, through the forest of bodies in the pain, cannot fully see the ball (no ref sits directly under the hoop), or even the front of the players, they call a foul on the windup, regardless of whether it hit ball, arm, or air. While it’s hard to always tell from a TV perspective on what exactly the refs can see, especially in the paint, there are often times fouls/non-fouls called on the perimeter because the officials cannot see through the bodies. So they go with the notion that “normally that’s a foul” so they call it.
what about
Kobes elbows he throws routinely. Oh wait I get it, it was against that POS LA team
somethings wrong, Trying to conquer these fears i thought were gone. And it's been so long, I'm dying to live in a world i don't belong
by broncfanstuckinsd on May 26, 2009 3:48 PM MDT up reply actions
You're referring to this?
Comedy gold.
Aprende epsañol y esto tendra mas sentido para ti.
by Diosnomeama on May 26, 2009 3:05 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs
flagged for inappropriate content
2009 LA Kings Hockey: thanks to Joe Sakic's snowblower, WE'RE BETTER THAN THE AV'S!!!!
by DodgerBlueBalls on May 26, 2009 1:25 PM MDT up reply actions
Oh no, I offended someone, how will I ever sleep at night?
Aprende epsañol y esto tendra mas sentido para ti.
I love this.
It's not the Lakers I hate with every bone in my body, it's just the players and their fans.
I really hope the two best defensive teams meet in the finals
because i miss the 1994 Knicks/Rockets Finals :)
The Charles Barkley Playoff Ancestors Count: 7 Grandmothers , 0 Mother
"There were arms coming from everywhere, and I knew they weren’t going for the ball," Miller said. "I was just trying to get [the shot] up before they called some crap like ‘on the ground.’ "
"What do you want me to do?" Wright asked. "Do you want me to Derek Fisher him?"
"Give them some fucking credit, i mean for real." Jackson said.
"I just fell on my face for no reason," Bryant deadpanned. "I'm a klutz."
Nice recap, Nate.
I missed the entire game because of some internet problems. :( And it seems like I chose the wrong day to quit sniffing glue — I mean miss a Nuggets game.
"A spaceman. That’s what they say I am."
by Tempestuous Binary on May 26, 2009 6:30 AM MDT reply actions
Nice win from the Nuggets
The game never fell out of their grasp.
"I was playing in the streets one time and my friend broke off a leg to a chair and threw it at another guy through his heart and he died." - Ron Artest, QB's finest
Nice recap Nate
Great game by the bigs, JR, Chancey, and LK in limited minutes. Incredible game on the boards. Finally a real committment to pounding the ball inside on the Laker big softies. Some other observations:
- Am I the only one who would have liked to have seen more of LK and less of Melo last night? Melo is a gamer, but he obviously was playing at way less than 100%. Seems to me that LK has earned more minutes and could have at least spread the floor a little bit more.
- Jones’ trip on Kobe was cheap and stupid. I don’t think it should be anything warranting a suspension, but probably a flagrant one.
- To give Kobe credit, he didn’t dwell on the play after the game and didn’t whine about officiating. Phil Jackson, on the other hand, whined enough for all of the Lakers. He whined about Jones. He whined about the officiating in general, noting the 49 free throws the Nugs attempted. Gee Phil, what kept you in game 3? Here’s a hint: 11 fouls to 3 in the 3rd quarter, 51 Laker free throws for the game. Well, that and the fact that the Nugs played like hell and took horrible shots.
MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.
by Bob in Boulder on May 26, 2009 10:22 AM MDT reply actions
With you on Melo ...
I was also thinking that if Melo was truly not going to be able to play that LK should log some more minutes. Pretty scary right … the resurrection of LK! There wasn’t one time in these playoffs where I thought LK could and should be trusted … once again, I was wrong!
Pickaxe & Roll.com: 5,280 reasons to be a Nuggets fan
by Nate Timmons on May 26, 2009 2:48 PM MDT up reply actions
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