Loss pain for Nuggets

Anthony hurting but promises he will play tonight

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 14, 2006 at midnight

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MINNEAPOLIS - Five days after seeing Tracy McGrady crumble to the floor and be carried off on a stretcher to an ambulance, Carmelo Anthony was scared.

After leaving the court for good with 1 1/2 minutes left in Friday night's 103-89 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets forward slumped to one knee after going through the Target Center tunnel. He said his back gave out, although it actually was a painful rib injury getting the best of him.

"I saw what Tracy went through," said Anthony, referring to the Houston Rockets forward suffering Sunday from severe back spasms. "I felt kind of skimmy when I went down."

The news on Anthony, though, soon was better, just as it soon was for McGrady, who has returned to practice.

Anthony was examined by a doctor after the game, and the diagnosis is a strained rib cage muscle.

Nuggets coach George Karl and athletic trainer Jim Gillen expect Anthony to play tonight at Milwaukee. Anthony, who said he feels the worst he has during the 1 1/2 weeks he has had sore ribs, does not disagree.

"I'm not going to sit out," Anthony said. "We've only got eight people as it is."

Anthony is referring to the team's rotation. The Nuggets have been without injured big men Marcus Camby and Nene for a while, and swingman Greg Buckner was out Friday because of a sprained right wrist.

Buckner averages only 5.7 points, but it was a big loss. The defensive stopper would have been used on Minnesota forward Wally Szczerbiak.

Szczerbiak scored 28 points, including 15 in a 20-4 run to close the third quarter. Combine that with Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett totaling 31 points, 17 in the first half, and 15 rebounds, and the Nuggets were doomed.

"Pick your poison," Szczerbiak said. "Try to stop K.G. or me . . . They wanted to play a small lineup, and we made them pay."

The 6-foot-4 Buckner might have had a chance against the 6-7 Szczerbiak, but 6-2 Andre Miller didn't. One time Szczerbiak found himself matched against 5-5 Earl Boykins and made an easy jumper.

Now, if Boykins could have made some shots at the other end, the Nuggets might have had a chance. Three days after scoring a career-most 33 points in a triple-overtime win against Phoenix, Boykins shot 3-for-16, including 0-for-10 in the second half.

"I just missed shots," said Boykins, whose team shot .424 to .564 for Minnesota. "No big deal."

Boykins played 47 minutes in the triple-overtime game, and three other Denver players logged that much or more.

Nobody would say that was a factor, but the Nuggets looked tired in the second half.

The Timberwolves led 49-48 at halftime. After the 20-4 run, Minnesota was up 79-66 at the end of the third quarter, and the lead soon reached 19.

"Garnett had control of the first half and Szczerbiak had control of the second half," said Karl, whose Nuggets (18-19) fell into third place in the Northwest Division, a half-game behind second-place Minnesota (17-17). "The size factor was pretty glaring."

Karl wished he had Buckner and also would have loved another big man to use on Garnett. Forward Kenyon Martin returned after missing a game because of a strained back but looked tired at times.

"I was fine," said Martin, who scored 14 points in 27 minutes and didn't play in the fourth quarter with the game lopsided.

Anthony, who scored 21 points on 8-for-18 shooting while being closely guarded by Trenton Hassell, did not make the same claim.

"They kept hitting me in the side of the ribs," said Anthony, wearing a vest under his jersey for protection. "Just in the heat of battle. I twisted it (in the third), and then I twisted it again. I wanted to come out, but I didn't want to come out. We were trying to make a run."

With 10 seconds left in the third, Anthony became frustrated at Minnesota's Mark Madsen, who was knocking him around plenty. He got a technical for throwing Madsen to the floor, and Anthony said it was a good call.

It wasn't long before Anthony was on the floor himself. But he vows to be standing for tipoff tonight.

Percentages - FG .424, FT .800. Three-point goals - 5-16, .312 (Anthony 2-2, Kleiza 1-1, Johnson 1-3, Watson 1-6, Martin 0-1, Boykins 0-3). Team rebounds - 6. Team turnovers - 7 (5 pts.). Blocked shots - 2 (Elson, Johnson). Turnovers - 7 (Miller 2, Johnson 2, Elson, Martin, Watson). Steals - 5 (Anthony, Boykins, Elson, Martin, Watson). Technicals - Anthony, 10.2 third.

Percentages - FG .564, FT .667. Three-point goals - 7-15, .467 (Szczerbiak 3-6, Hudson 2-5, McCants 1-1, Jaric 1-3). Team rebounds - 7. Team turnovers - 11 (9 pts.). Blocked shots - 5 (Griffin 3, Hudson, McCants). Turnovers - 11 (Garnett 3, Jaric 3, Szczerbiak, Madsen, Hassell, Griffin, McCants). Steals - 2 (Jaric 2). Technicals - None.

A - 18,417 (19,006). T - 2:00. Officials - Steve Javie, Scott Foster, Courtney Kirkland.

Nuggets at Bucks

• When: 6:30 MST tonight

• Where: Bradley Center, Milwaukee

• TV/radio: Altitude. KKFN-AM (950)

• Starting lineups:

Denver (18-19) Pos. Ht. Pts.

15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 25.0

6 Kenyon Martin F 6-9 11.9

56 Francisco Elson C 7-0 4.4

3 DerMarr Johnson G 6-9 5.5

24 Andre Miller G 6-2 14.4

Head coach: George Karl

Milwaukee (19-15) Pos. Ht. Pts.

21 Bobby Simmons F 6-6 11.9

6 Andrew Bogut F 7-0 8.9

20 Jamaal Magloire C 6-11 10.1

22 Michael Redd G 6-6 24.7

11 T.J. Ford G 6-0 13.0

Head coach: Terry Stotts

• Injuries: Nuggets - G Greg Buckner (sprained wrist), doubtful; C Marcus Camby (fractured finger), F Nene (knee surgery), G Bryon Russell (knee surgery), out. Bucks - G Maurice Williams (foot), questionable; G Charlie Bell (sprained knee), F Joe Smith (knee surgery), out.

• Notes: Karl makes his second return to Milwaukee since being fired by the Bucks after the 2002-03 season. The first was a 106-100 Denver win Jan. 28, 2005 in his first game as Nuggets coach. "It will be fun to be back in Milwaukee," said Karl, 2-0 against his former team with Denver. "But the first game is kind of your revenge. Getting the win now allows you be free of ghosts of the past." . . . Stotts, a former Karl assistant, is a candidate for coach of the year in his first year with the Bucks . . . Milwaukee is only 10-7 at home . . . Denver has won five in a row in the series.

tomassonc@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5125

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