Pacers' rally table turner

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 28, 2007 at 12:45 a.m.

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Pacers guard Marquis Daniels, right, and Nuggets guard Allen Iverson watch as the ball bounces out of play during the first quarter Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center.

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Apparently, the Nuggets didn't have the Pacers right where they wanted them.

At Indiana on Nov. 10, the Nuggets fell behind by 25 points in the first half. No problem. They came back to win.

On Tuesday night, the deficit was 18 points in the first half. Ho hum. The Nuggets quickly got back in the game.

But just when the Nuggets were ready to celebrate another big comeback win, it was the Pacers who got off the canvas. They fought back from a seven-point deficit late in the third quarter and won 112-110 at the Pepsi Center.

"It's frustrating," Nuggets guard Allen Iverson said. "This was a game we should have won.''

Unbelievably, the Nuggets (9-6) had a chance at the end. After trailing by nine points as the clock ticked under one minute, they got to 111-108.

Then Nuggets guard J.R. Smith stepped to the free-throw line for three shots after being fouled on a tying attempt from the deep left corner. Smith made the first two shots with 2.7 seconds remaining.

But he missed the third, and the Pacers (7-8) sealed the outcome when Shawne Williams made 1-of-2 free throws with 1 second left. With the Nuggets having no timeouts left, all they could manage was a desperation heave.

"The thing we tell J.R. is to keep your head up," said Iverson, who encouraged Smith after the game. "We wouldn't have been in that situation had you not hit the big shots you hit."

After Pacers guard Mike Dunleavy, who scored a game-high 30 points, made a three-pointer with one minute left for a 106-97 lead, the Nuggets looked done.

But they got two three-pointers from Smith, a three-pointer from Iverson and an Iverson drive while the Pacers were busy shooting 5-of-8 from the free- throw line.

Dunleavy was called for the foul on Smith. Indiana coach Jim O'Brien, though, said it should have been a foul on Smith.

"What was going through my mind was that I am a Christian," Dunleavy said. "I go to church and God may not be a Pacer fan, but he gives us fairness and he was going to come through, and basketball never lies. I knew he was going to miss one of those, but it was disappointing that it ever got to that point."

That's because the Pacers jumped to leads of 15-0 and 21-3 against the poor-shooting Nuggets, who shot only 36.1 percent for the game.

But Denver wasted no time getting back into the contest, tying the score 37-37 early in the second quarter and taking its first lead at 45-44 later in the quarter.

The Nuggets, after falling behind by 12 early in the third quarter, led 83-76 late in the period. But then the Pacers got hot and pulled out to a nine-point lead.

"You can't complain about the intensity and the heart that we played with," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "The brain was not there as much as I would like it to be."

The Nuggets were without Kenyon Martin, who suffered a right knee bone bruise Saturday, and an ill Marcus Camby missed the morning shootaround. Camby, called by Karl, "sick, sick, sick," still had five blocked shots and 12 rebounds.

The Pacers were without All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal, who has a sore left knee.

Iverson led the Nuggets with 26 points. But he shot only 6-of-21, making him 15-of-51 in the past three games

"Just a slump," Iverson said. "I might have to go back to Virginia (his home state) and find my game and bring it back to Denver."

Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points, but also misfired often, shooting 9-of-21.

The Nuggets' most reliable player was guard Anthony Carter, playing his third game after missing the first three weeks with a broken right hand. Carter shot 7-of-12 for 17 points and had eight rebounds, six assists and five steals.

"I found a different way to wrap my hand,'' Carter said. "I wrapped it around two fingers, not the palm, so I was able to control the ball better."

Linas Kleiza, who missed two games with a sprained left ankle, started at power forward and shot 5-of-13 for 14 points.

"I'm sore," he said. "It caught up to me in the second half."

The Nuggets didn't have much lift at the start in falling behind 15-0. Iverson said it gave the Nuggets a "hill to climb."

It looked as if they again would reach the summit before they were pushed back.

FG FT Reb

INDIANA Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts

Granger 29:08 4-11 0-0 4-9 0 6 9

Williams 32:28 6-12 7-10 1-11 3 2 21

Foster 29:24 3-6 0-0 3-10 0 2 6

Tinsley 39:21 5-11 4-6 0-8 11 4 15

Dunleavy 33:27 12-19 4-6 0-4 3 3 30

Murphy 19:29 4-6 2-2 1-8 2 2 10

Daniels 30:45 7-16 1-2 2-5 8 4 15

Diener 4:04 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 1 0

Harrison 17:40 2-6 0-2 1-3 3 2 4

Rush 4:14 1-2 0-0 0-1 0 2 2

Totals 240 44-91 18-28 12-59 31 28 112

Percentages - FG .484, FT .643. Three-point goals - 6-21, .286 (Dunleavy 2-5, Williams 2-7, Granger 1-2, Tinsley 1-2, Daniels 0-1, Murphy 0-1, Rush 0-1, Diener 0-2). Team rebounds - 11. Team turnovers - 24 (24 pts.). Blocked shots - 8 (Granger 2, Murphy 2, Daniels, Harrison, Tinsley, Williams). Turnovers - 24 (Tinsley 6, Granger 5, Daniels 4, Murphy 3, Dunleavy 2, Harrison 2, Foster, Williams). Steals - 6 (Tinsley 4, Foster, Harrison). Technicals - Coach O'Brien, 7:45 third.

FG FT Reb

DENVER Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts

Anthony 35:07 9-21 6-9 0-7 2 4 25

Kleiza 31:00 5-13 4-4 1-3 1 4 14

Camby 40:51 2-7 1-2 5-12 5 5 5

Iverson 45:51 6-21 12-14 1-7 8 2 26

Diawara 6:38 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0

Najera 29:48 3-11 2-2 3-5 3 4 10

Carter 33:49 7-12 2-2 1-8 6 3 17

Smith 16:50 3-10 4-5 4-5 0 3 13

Jones 0:07 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0

Totals 240:01 35-97 31-38 15-47 25 25 110

Percentages - FG .361, FT .816. Three-point goals - 9-22, .409 (Smith 3-3, Iverson 2-4, Najera 2-6, Carter 1-2, Anthony 1-3, Diawara 0-1, Kleiza 0-3). Team rebounds - 9. Team turnovers - 16 (23 pts.). Blocked shots - 8 (Camby 5, Anthony, Iverson, Kleiza). Turnovers - 16 (Anthony 4, Iverson 3, Camby 2, Carter 2, Smith 2, Diawara, Kleiza, Najera). Steals - 9 (Carter 5, Iverson 3, Kleiza). Technicals - Iverson, 9:25 third.

Indiana 31 25 26 30 - 112

Denver 25 25 33 27 - 110

A - 13,274 (19,679). T - 2:25. Officials - Jack Nies, Bennie Adams, Matt Boland.

HARRISON'S FUTURE

With the Nuggets over the luxury tax and Indiana center David Harrison, above, a restricted free agent after the season, it would be a long shot.

Still, the former University of Colorado player was asked about his interest in signing with the Nuggets.

"Not really," he said. "It'd be kind of like going back to college for me. It's like regressing. But, at the same time, this is a job and if Denver offers me the most money, I will sign with Denver."

Harrison said he has grown by leaving college temptations and friends behind. Still, Indiana didn't sign him to a contract extension.

Coach Jim O'Brien said Harrison "had to show he is a guy the Pacers can rely on for 82 games." But O'Brien is "happy" with the recent play of Harrison, who has three games of 10 or more points since Nov. 20, and anticipates he'll have a key role in the team's future.

KLEIZA BACK

After missing two games with a sprained left ankle, Nuggets forward Linas Kleiza returned one game earlier than coach George Karl had anticipated.

"(The ankle) definitely feels good," said Kleiza, who started and said his quick return wasn't related to Kenyon Martin being out with a right knee bone bruise.

Karl is "very hopeful" Martin, hurt Saturday at Houston, will return Thursday against the Lakers.

HE SAID IT

"I got to give them the benefit of the doubt before I go wacko on them."

Karl, on not overreacting to the 109-81 loss at Houston, the Nuggets' fourth game in five nights.

Chris Tomasson

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