Victory over the Pistons, finally (Nuggets/Pistons recap)
by Nate Timmons on Feb 27, 2010 2:16 PM MST
in Denver Nuggets: Game Recaps
Email
Print
The Nuggets have now officially defeated all 29 teams in the NBA with Chauncey Billups. Ironically, the Detroit Pistons, Billups' former team, had been a pain in the Nuggets rear-end and they didn't go quietly into the chill Denver night.
After dropping their last three contests against the Pistons will Billups in a Nuggets uniform, Denver earned a victory over the boys in blue with a 107-102 win. It was good to see coach George Karl back on the sidelines with the Nuggets after his absence against Golden State. It was also nice to see Joey Graham get some run last night and he made the most of his 21 minutes as Kenyon Martin was unable to go.
Graham, built like a linebacker, was the one-man comeback at the beginning of the second quarter last night. The Nuggets down 29-22 after the first quarter were brought back by a series of Graham dunks. Joey scored 9 of Denver first 15 points in the period and in a flash the Nuggets were up 37-33.
It must be frustrating to only see the floor due to another player being injured, but hats off to Graham for being a professional and being ready whenever he is called upon. I have been surprised by the rare use of Graham this season, especially since his defense and skills were talked about at length before the season. The Nuggets, as we all know, rely heavily on Chris Andersen, Nene and Kenyon Martin and it'd be nice to see some more of the Nuggets' reserves as the season winds down. I think it's safe to say that Graham would like this as well.
It's just too bad Graham isn't 6'11'' ... if he were perhaps the Pistons wouldn't have had so much suceess on the glass last night. Detroit outrebounded Denver 50-38 and the Pistons grabbed 20 offensive rebounds ... 20! Jason Maxiell and Ben Wallace were able to combine for 11 of those offensive boards. Maxiell proved to be a handful all night scoring 16 points off the bench. Too bad Joe Dumas didn't gift wrap him to the Nuggets as well, but his $5 million annual salary for the next four seasons (including this one) are not too appealing.
What was appealing was the Nuggets bench. J.R. Smith, Birdman and Graham really came through for the Nuggets in the win with 36 combined points. The Nuggets were led was again by their two headed offensive monsters in Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony. Billups' daggers were again deadly, but the two really did the job at the foul line. While getting to the line was key, Melo's shooting while at the charity stripe contined to disappoint. In Melo's last two games he was 3-8 and last night 8-13 at the line. Hopefully this small hiccup will be fixed soon as we've all gotten used to the Melo-man being practically automatic at 83% this season from the foul line.
It was good to see the Nuggets step up and beat a couple non-playoff teams in their past two games. A big game looms tomorrow in Los Angeles against the Lakers and the Nuggets will be riding their three-game win steak into Hollywood.
ntimmons73@yahoo.com
Twitter: Nate_Timmons
Photo courtesy of AP Photos: David Zalubowski
50 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Chauncy billups
finally gets his revenge to the detroit pistons, and it was greta to see him light it up, any word on kenyon though???
by rickyestrada15 on Feb 26, 2010 11:35 PM MST reply actions
joey graham
after going toe to toe with ron ron at the last laker game he deserves more minutes and should be in the rotation. solid all around game and would have had a double double if he blocked out maxiel. the 4 players that were not on the roster last season were major factors in this game. malik allen in spite of his limitations still out rebounded melo.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
He's actually not that bad at D
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
nate called billups and melo a 2 headed monster on offense
kmart and graham could be the same on the defensive end. i do not agree with nate that it is too bad graham is not 6’11". he is the same size as jon brockman of sacramento. joey could play the same role for denver.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
All I meant by that is that if he were 6'11'' he'd get more playing time ...
Denver Stiffs.com: Defending the sovereignty of Nuggets Nation.
by Nate Timmons on Mar 3, 2010 12:18 PM MST up reply actions
good win
i’d still like to see nene and melo more agressive on the boards. none of this weak tapping the ball around crap. this aint volleyball! missed kmart in the paint though it was good to get the win without him. rest up son.
JR finally stringing together some solid games consecutively ???
i hope so
it seems that chauncey has finally gotten into jr’s ear or jr has resolved his spiff with george or junior’s just showing his after all star rebound…
whatever it is, i like it! i was particularly impressed by his 2nd half choices: a steal (or more??) and then a fast break dish to another nugget with a defender right by his shoulder. the old jr would have tried to force it. heck, the old jr did a lot of things… anyone notice the lack of showboating this season? it’s not completely gone, but he’s a lot more focused & i don’t cringe at his ‘my shot’s so hot that my hand is on fire’ antics anymore:P
who's hot? who's not?
Getting hot:
JR swish, Chauncey- he just has that ‘I-refuse-to-lose look’, Afflalo’s unflappability- that guy is steady as a rock, Petro & Graham have been getting minutes and improving…
Not so hot, not as hot as before…:
Ok, I just have to say it. Lawson’s ball handling & turnovers has been atrocious these last couple games. I know he’s a rook, but we know what he’s capable of. I think that if Karl continues to trust him and the vets give him some advice about playing down the stretch and into the playoffs, he’ll be fine. Melo’s free throws. Most worryingly to me, sometimes our bigs look a little lost around the boards …(and like Karl says, bigs matter much more down the stretch!) eek. C’mon…get your confidence back…
Melo's bumped up his FT% a good deal
Lawson needs to just get back to what he was doing earlier this season.
Joey Graham really gave us that spark we needed
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
what made this win sweeter is that utah lost to the kings now their 2 games back
again, lets win some more for coach!!!!
Mavs only 1.5 back
Because Atlanta made one of the worst offensive collapses in recent memory (i.e. past few months). Worst since that Bulls’ collapse against Sactown
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
I watched that game on ESPN360
They were up by 15 halfway through the fourth, but let Jason Kidd rain threes and started bricking long jumpers. Then, in OT, they didn’t score for the first 4 minutes or so, with many plays being 1-on-3 isolations.
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
and face the dreaded second of a b-to-b tonight
although at their house. Go Rockets!
Karl's bench mark for a solid team
Karl always preaches that a championship caliber team will win 40 games before they lose twenty, cleveland and LA have already done this, and only the Nuggets are on the list of teams left in the league that can do it. So what will it be the 40th win against LA or 20th loss?
As said on DBB
Nuggets’ bench creamed Pistons’ bench. Our starters however….but I’m fine with that because Malik was starting, and Malik got us TACOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
Denver Stiffs meme fail
Malik always = tacos.
Always.
Member: 10-man rotation for deep playoff push advocacy group
Great Game
Thought the Nuggets looked tired, but showed a lot of fight in winning against a scrappy Pistons team.
George Karl did a good job with substitutions. Was important to get the right guys on the floor, because guys were tiring out quickly.
Joey Graham really played well. I don’t know why he isn’t getting regular minutes to spell Melo.
The Nuggets have shown throughout the season they can get to the basket (lead the league in FT attempts); but what they really need to do is shoot well from the outside. If they can do that consistently, they’ll be tough to beat in the postseason.
catch and shoot vs. off the dribble
making the extra pass on offense results in wide open shots. the shooter has his feet set, a wide open look and time. trying to create a shot off the dribble helps the defense in many ways. passing the ball will force the defense to rotate and opens up rebounding opportunities on the offensive glass.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
Back-to-back wins
Is a big deal for this team. I was wary of going to the game last night because I didn’t want to see a bad game. It wasn’t a pretty win by any means, but all things considered, I’ll take it.
• I think Joey Graham helped the Nuggets get back into the game early on.
• I think Billups is awesome but still prone to taking questionable three-pointers early.
• The Nuggets rebounding, especially without Kenyon, continues to be atrocious.
• Liked how JR went to the hole after missing some jump shots. Frustrated that Melo took five more jumpers before taking it to the hole and getting to the line.
• Melo’s free-throw shooting wasn’t good, but it was great last night when it matter.
• As exciting as it is for Denver to win games on the strength of three-point shooting, I find this extremely worrisome. The fact is, some night the shots just don’t fall.
That’s all I can think of for now. But to echo a lot of you: I think Graham and Allen deserve some more minutes. Graham a little more so. Not a lot. But a little.
This game coming up against the Lakers will be most interesting. My spider sense is tingling, and it isn’t looking good for Denver.
Member: 10-man rotation for deep playoff push advocacy group
Concur about the Lakers
This is clearly the biggest regular season game left on their schedule. If they lose, then the Nuggets move within striking distance for the #1 seed, the Lakers start to doubt if they can beat Denver, and a bunch of bad things (for them) happen. If they win, they practically wrap up the top seed, and no matter what happens the rest of the way, they feel like they can turn it on and beat the Nuggets if/when they have to.
Compare that with Denver, who probably has already written this off as a don’t-need-it game on paper.
I’m predicting a blowout.
by BridgeportJoe on Feb 27, 2010 9:19 AM MST up reply actions
A blowout? Seriously?
You really think the Nugs have written off a game against the defending champs? Their biggest rival? Who they’ve smoked in twice in a row? Once without their best player?
I’m not guaranteeing a W or anything, but I seriously doubt we’re flying all the way there just to roll over. Have a little faith guys!
I don't know about a blowout
But I do know that the Lakers have been smacked around by the Nuggets twice now and are eager to make a statement to the rest of the league that they, indeed, are as good aas their record and hype would indicate.
And as much as I hate the Lakers like any good Nuggets fan should, that hardly blinds me to the fact that they have an immensely talented squad. This is a team of competitors and while they struggle like any one else to get excited about some match-ups (they struggled last night against the 76ers on the road and barely beat Memphis before losing to Dallas), they will not overlook the Denver Nuggets tomorrow.
Blowout? I doubt it. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see LA beat Denver solidly.
All that said, I certainly think this is a game Denver can win if they get serious about controlling the boards and taking smart shots with the basketball. I’d love to see Graham and Allen get some minutes to be physical inside and rattle the Lakers a bit. I’m a big Gasol fan but he is soft.
Member: 10-man rotation for deep playoff push advocacy group
I think they're a squad with two immensely talented players
But outside of Kobe & Gasol, there’s not a single guy on their team I’d want. Bynum is a high-priced disappearing act, Artest a liability on the downward slope of a mostly-hype career, Odom old & creaky, and Farmar/Brown/Vujacic/Walton flat-out jokes.
Call me a homer, but I’ll take JR, Nene, KMart, Afflalo, Bird & Ty over the Laker supporting cast any day.
Agree re: Graham
He plays physical, creates weird matchups for opposing D’s, and has been a significant contributor in more than a few games this season.
But on what basis can you possibly argue Allen deserve more minutes? If he’s gotta be out there ‘cus of injuries, so be it, but guy’s like the AC of big men – bad things happen when he touches the ball. Not to mention that Camby-style jumper from the top of the key he’s WAYYYYYY too comfortable hoisting…
I agree about Allen
I don’t think he deserves as much minutes as Graham. His jump shot can be accurate at times and it is nowhere near as painful to watch as Camby’s crank. He also isn’t the sort that tries to assert himself offensively.
I lobby to get him some minutes not because I think he is especially good, but because I think it can help spare Martin, Nene and Andersen a little bit of playing time and hopefully keep them fresh and healthy for the playoffs.
The Nuggets are definitely better with any of the three-man big rotation in than Allen or Petro in any game situation. My lobbying stance is that while these minutes won’t exactly help you in a game, they will help down the road as the Nuggets make a push for a championship. Eyes on the prize.
Member: 10-man rotation for deep playoff push advocacy group
I wish Karl would do that
I don’t see why Graham, Petro and Allen couldn’t get any playing time. Martin and Bird are both hurt, so giving them time to heal would be the proper thing to do. Nene, surprisingly, hasn’t had a injury worth sitting out, but he’s been dealing with some injuries himself. If the Nuggets want a shot at winning the Championship, they’re bigs are going to have to be 100%. What’s going to happen if, God forbid, one of the three get seriously hurt? We didn’t make a trade. Graham, Petro, and Allen aren’t as talented as Nene, Andersen, or Martin (though Graham has shown me otherwise) I believe it’s time for Karl to throw some minutes towards Graham, Petro and Allen so won;t have to panic come playoff time.
7-8 on second night of b2b
No b2b’s in the playoffs, which is good, but we aren’t the only team with back-to-backs, so we can’t use that as a big excuse.
Can’t wait until Sunday
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
From John Ireland ESPN- LA
I’ve talked to several people in Denver who have confirmed something many of us who cover the Lakers have suspected for a long time. The Nuggets are the only team in the NBA not scared of the Lakers, in any way. Denver has won both meetings so far this season, one in each city. The Nuggets feel as if they can win any time they play L.A., and think they should have won last year’s playoff series. Not only do they welcome another matchup with the Lakers in this year’s playoffs, they seem to be rooting for it.
At the heart of it is Denver’s belief that the Lakers are soft defensively. Guys such as Kenyon Martin and Nene feel that if they get physical with the L.A. big men, the Lakers won’t push back. In the first meeting this season in Denver, the Nuggets won by 26 and outscored the Lakers 42-28 in the paint. In the second meeting at Staples Center, the Nuggets shot 57% from the field, and Chauncey Billups had a career-high 39 points. But what the Nuggets feel the best about is they scored 105 points in the first game, and 126 in the second one. This is against a Lakers team allowing only 96 points per game on average.
All of it makes Sunday’s game fascinating. One team is the champ, while the other team doesn’t respect that, and actually believes the champ is an emperor with no clothes. If the Lakers lose Sunday, Denver will have more confidence than any team in the NBA in hopes of keeping L.A. from repeating in June.
I live in LA
and I’ve heard a TON of this lately. Frankly, it smacks of drama-making. Laker fans have been on cruise control all season, just waiting for the “inevitable” matchup with LeBron/Shaq in the finals. The media is desperate for some dramatic storylines, so they are trying to drum up the Nugs as an enemy to amp up interest in the regular season/western conf playoffs. The Nugs are the obvious choice after last year and the current standings, and because Lakers fans really hate the Nugs as a “thug” team, so this “these guys are not scared” storyline works well. (the only other team that LA fans “respect” as a credible threat is San Antonio, but they obviously aren’t a good storyline right now). The fact is, nobody in Lakerland really fears the Nuggets (or anyone, including the Cavs, really), though they certainly hate Kenyon and JR.
This might play out like the Rox/Dodgers last year, where they didn’t take us seriously until we really started pressing them for the #1 seed. Hopefully we can start putting on that pressure tomorrow.
A story/drama angle no doubt - it just happens to be true
I’ve watched a lot of Nugget/Laker games over the years, and the difference over the past two seasons is palpable. You see it in their play and in their attitude. Before, no matter how well things were going, they knew, even expected, that Kobe & Co. would somehow find a way to to pull the rug out from under em – it was only a matter of time. Now when they play, they expect to win, pure & simple. They’re just another team to the Nuggets now, and that’s where the “no fear” thing is coming from.
I love this attitude from the nuggets
The, “screw you” persona and tough mindset that makes them unafraid of any other team. In my opinion, we have every right to think we are the best team in the nba. We just have to prove it on a consistent basis. I love how other teams hate us because of birdman’s enery and attitude, kmarts defensive toughness and in your face mentality, and jr letting an opponent know about it after a big 3. This team is great
by Cargo5 on Feb 27, 2010 5:41 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
He had four against the Warriors
Coincidence or something more?
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
Rebounding and Defense
Those have to be the keys to victory. The Lakers are going to be tougher to beat, especially if Kenyon Martin can’t go. This is where Nene and Bird have to shine the most. I wouldn’t mind seeing Joey Graham start for Martin either.
Coach Karl said he knows how to beat the Lakers, so it’s time to make yet another statement.
It’s time for the Nuggets to believe
Everyone knows how to beat the Lakers
You make Kobe & Pau work for their 50-60 pts (which are pretty much automatic), body Bynum ‘til he folds (which he almost always does), and make the rest (Artest, Odom, Fisher, Brown, Farmar, Vujacic – do these guys scare anyone?) beat you. Provided they’re healthy, Denver is the stronger team 1-12, and I think both squads know it. Keep Kobe & Pau within their averages, don’t let the scrubs go off, and the Lakers are thoroughly mortal.
ok for all those saying put Graham in over Allen
they play different positions…Graham is a 3 and Allen is a 4.
even tho Graham is tough…he’s only 6 7 which is definitely a bit small for a 4
But he's built strong
That’s gotta count for an extra 2 inches or so. He’s also a bit more physical than Malik, and we were playing the Pistons, who have approximately 0 good offensive big men, so defense isn’t a matter.
Positions don’t matter that much, and I’m fine with Graham playing the 4 instead of the 3.
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
I agree
Graham is a much more athletic, quicker, smarter, and more physical player than Allen, who seems slow, confused, and lost half the time. Graham could sub for either Martin or Melo better than Allen. I’d love to see more of his rim-rocking dunks and physical play. [Now, if the coaches can get him to hoover up rebounds like DeJuan Blair (same height, incidentally) we’ll be sittin pretty.] His play has earned him more burn than Allen. Hope he gets it.
Charles Barkley ...
Was one of the best power forwards (a four) to play the game. He was generously listed at 6’6" and the truth is he is barely taller than a lot of point guards.
I don’t think Graham would have any problem playing power forward if called upon. I hope to see more of him to spell Denver’s bigs when Denver can get away with it.
Member: 10-man rotation for deep playoff push advocacy group
Barkley was huge
Well he still is huge. You don’t need height to play the 4. Dejuan Blair is also generously listed, at 6’7", and he plays center.
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
And Barkley gives us these gems
Note: DO NOT look below if you do not want to see a picture of a huge, 400-pound man making out with an old dude.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
by LACK on Feb 27, 2010 3:16 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
...........
what is that man doing to my grandpa? lol
Thanks. I just threw up a little bit
Troy Tulowitzki - Best SS in the MLB - 2010 MVP
"With a guy like Melo, it’s tough to stop him with one person. You can’t. I don’t know one guy who can stop Melo on a consistent basis."-CP3
Brad Hawpe - Will prove the doubters wrong
PS Let's win the NL West in 2010, shall we?
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Andrew Feinstein
(denverstiffs@gmail.com)
Nate Timmons
(ntimmons73@yahoo.com)
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
DENVER STIFFS T-SHIRTS!
Enter your email for updates
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
