Nuggets buck losing trend

Iverson, Najera get hurt as Denver ends skid at five games

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 9, 2007 at midnight

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Box score

It was a duel of the depleted.

Both teams entered Monday night with plenty of bodies missing or ailing, and it only got worse. But at least the Nuggets could feel relief about breaking a five-game losing streak with a 104-92 win over Milwaukee at the Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets, without suspended Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, lost Eduardo Najera in the first half with a left shoulder contusion and had star guard Allen Iverson aggravate a toe injury.

The Bucks, playing without injured Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva, lost Mo Williams for the game after he sprained his left shoulder late in the first half.

Considering the Bucks have a lot less depth than the Nuggets, they had little hope without three of their top four scorers. Milwaukee announced earlier in the day that Redd, averaging 27.7 points, is out from four to six weeks because of a strained left knee and Villanueva will be sidelined at least another week because of a shoulder injury.

"They've had a tough hand dealt them,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We've been dealt a tough hand. I feel this will be a win we will remember if we go on and have a good year.''

The good news for the Nuggets (17-15) is Smith returns Wednesday against San Antonio from his 10-game suspension. Anthony won't be back from his 15-game penalty until Jan. 22.

The Nuggets got further good news after the game when X-rays were negative on Iverson, who scored 23 points while backcourt mate Earl Boykins tallied a team-high 26.

Iverson has a right big toe contusion, aggravating it Monday after he had jammed it into the floor Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"If it was cut off, I'd play,'' Iverson said of his status for Wednesday's game, for which he is listed as probable. "Once you get one injury, it seems like every game you play you keep aggravating it.''

At least the victory made Iverson feel better, although it was hardly easy. The Nuggets led 97-92 before forward Linas Kleiza, who tied a career high with nine rebounds, drilled a three-pointer with 1:05 remaining.

Iverson shot just 9-of-21 and committed four turnovers. But he hit a three-pointer for a 92-84 lead with 3:18 left.

"I've been struggling so bad,'' said Iverson, who had shot 10-of-36 the previous two games. "I'm trying desperately to find my game. . . . (The three-pointer) felt like one of the first shots I made in months.''

It seemed like months since the Nuggets had last won.

"Just happy to get one,'' said Iverson, acquired Dec. 19 from the Philadelphia 76ers. "And just to get back on track. That was tough to lose five in a row. I kind of learned a lot about this team being with them early, just going through some type of adversity instead of everything being peaches and cream. I learned how they are as a squad. You feel good about that.''

Healthwise, not too many Nuggets players are feeling good. Najera was lost for the game in the second quarter after banging his shoulder on a screen.

"It's my shoulder, my neck,'' said Najera, who said he could have returned and presumably will play Wednesday. "It seems like my whole body.''

Meanwhile, Nuggets center Marcus Camby said his right hand is "real sore'' and it hurts "every time'' he plays. But Camby, who aggravated a broken ring finger when he hit it against the Lakers, returned after missing one game.

Did he ever return. Camby totaled 19 points and 15 rebounds and tied his season high with seven blocked shots.

"Marcus was fabulous,'' Karl said.

Boykins wasn't too bad either, scoring at least 20 points for the ninth time in 10 games and handing out a season-high 11 assists. And forward Reggie Evans totaled 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Bucks (16-18) got a strong performance from forward Ruben Patterson, who also nearly proved to be a prophet.

"He told us he was going to give us 30,'' Evans said of Patterson, who played his first regular-season game against the Nuggets after Denver traded him in August.

Patterson rolled up 29 points. He also grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out seven assists, which impressed Karl since Patterson wasn't known in Denver as being much of a passer.

"I was trying hard playing against my old teammates,'' Patterson said. "I would have felt better with a win. Those guys over there played a lot better.''

Milwaukee's cause would have been helped had Williams not been knocked out. He banged hard into Kleiza in the final minute of the first half.

For a change, another team was as depleted as the Nuggets.

		FG	FT	Reb
MIL.	Min	M-A	M-A	O-T	A	PF	Pts
Skinner	25:39	1-3	0-0	2-7	1	1	2
Patterson	37:55	13-21	3-6	7-12	7	3	29
Bogut	25:59	3-15	3-4	3-11	1	6	9
Bell	36:59	3-12	2-2	0-1	2	3	8
Williams	21:09	4-11	1-3	0-3	3	1	9
Noel	18:12	1-4	0-0	1-1	3	3	2
Gadzuric	15:23	3-7	1-2	3-4	0	1	7
Blake	33:13	4-12	0-0	2-5	7	5	11
Ilyasova	24:03	5-10	4-4	0-3	0	3	15
Markota	0:44	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0
Greer	0:44	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0
Totals	240	37-96	14-21	18-47	24	26	92

Percentages - FG .385, FT .667. Three-point goals - 4-15, .267 (Blake 3-6, Ilyasova 1-5, Noel 0-1, Bell 0-3). Team rebounds - 7. Team turnovers - 12 (17 pts.). Blocked shots - 2 (Gadzuric, Blake). Turnovers - 10 (Gadzuric 2, Williams 2, Patterson 2, Bell, Blake, Noel, Skinner). Steals - 8 (Patterson 4, Bogut 2, Ilyasova, Noel). Technicals - None.

		FG	FT	Reb
DENVER	Min	M-A	M-A	O-T	A	PF	Pts
Kleiza	27:12	4-8	0-0	3-9	2	3	11
Najera	9:35	1-1	1-2	0-2	0	1	3
Camby	39:56	8-15	3-5	5-15	3	4	19
Boykins	41:07	8-20	8-8	0-4	11	2	26
Iverson	43:39	9-21	3-4	1-2	3	0	23
Evans	27:40	4-5	5-7	4-11	2	3	13
Diawara	23:37	0-5	0-0	1-3	1	4	0
Nene	15:48	0-2	7-10	1-4	0	2	7
Hodge	11:26	1-2	0-0	0-2	1	0	2
Totals	240	35-79	27-36	15-52	23	19	104

Percentages - FG .443, FT .750. Three-point goals - 7-17, .412 (Kleiza 3-5, Iverson 2-4, Boykins 2-5, Diawara 0-3). Team rebounds - 13. Team turnovers - 16 (14 pts.). Blocked shots - 8 (Camby 7, Nene). Turnovers - 16 (Iverson 4, Boykins 3, Diawara 3, Kleiza 2, Evans 2, Camby, Nene). Steals - 8 (Iverson 2, Nene 2, Boykins, Hodge, Kleiza, Najera). Technicals - Nene, 13.8 first.

Milwaukee ......29	20	19	24	-	92
Denver ......35	25	19	25	-	104

A - 14,220 (19,099). T - 2:20. Officials - Joe DeRosa, Sean Corbin, Leroy Richardson.

With and without

How the Nuggets fared before forward Carmelo Anthony was suspended 15 games for his role in a brawl Dec. 16 against the New York Knicks and how they have fared without him.

Before susp. During susp. Category

Points a game 108.5 100.4

Opp. points a game 105.3 102.0

Rebounds a game 43.4 47.3

Opponents' rebounds 41.8 48.0

Assists a game 25.4 19.7

Turnovers a game 16.9 16.7

Shooting percentage 47.1 41.6

Opp. shooting percentage 44.0 44.2

Three-point percentage 31.6 29.9

Opp. three-point pct. 35.0 31.1

Free-throw percentage 75.4 73.1