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Helping to dull the pain

Despite all of its ailments, Denver outlasts Atlanta

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 24, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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Nuggets guard Allen Iverson drives past Hawks forward Al Horford on Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center. Iverson, who played with a sore left wrist, scored a game-high 29 points in the win.

Photo by Garrett Ellwood © NBAE/Getty Images

Nuggets guard Allen Iverson drives past Hawks forward Al Horford on Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center. Iverson, who played with a sore left wrist, scored a game-high 29 points in the win.

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They might not be on pace for 60, or even 55, wins. But few were complaining after Wednesday's gritty win by the Nuggets.

The Nuggets, reaching the midpoint of the season, didn't have forward Carmelo Anthony, who was out with a sprained left ankle and wearing a walking boot. They played their first game since the announcement that forward Nene has testicular cancer.

Nevertheless, the short-handed Nuggets were in control much of the way in a 107-100 win against the Atlanta Hawks at the Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets are 25-16 heading into the second half. All their injuries have put aside the players' talk of 60 wins and coach George Karl's desire to top the 1987-88 team's 54-28 mark for best record in the team's NBA history.

"Without Nene and Melo and Chucky (Atkins, who has a sports hernia), we're kind of in a survival mode like last year and the suspensions," said Karl, whose team withstood Atlanta's Josh Smith getting his first career triple-double - 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. "We can't expect to win 75 or 70 percent of our games. We've just got to figure out the games we can go after and try to get all the games into the fourth quarter."

Karl didn't even mention guard Allen Iverson being bothered by a sore left wrist. Iverson scored a game-most 29 points but he shot only 6-of-21, although he was 15-of-18 from the free-throw line.

"It's killing me," said Iverson, who took a fall Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers and said X-rays were negative. "I couldn't hit a shot from the field. . . . It's my (nonshooting) arm, but it's just got to be rhythm."

The Left Coast was not kind to the left parts of the body. Anthony also was hurt against the Lakers.

But Nuggets forward Linas

Kleiza, who scored 41 on Jan. 17 against rival Utah, picked another good time to step up offensively. Starting at small forward for Anthony, he scored 23 points.

It was the third different position at which Kleiza has started this season, having gotten nods at shooting guard and power forward. Kleiza was cheered on by about 50 countrymen, many waving Lithuanian flags and nearly all dressed in the national colors of green, yellow and red.

"We all needed to step up," Kleiza said. "(Anthony is) such a big part of our team."

Power forward Kenyon Martin did his part, totaling 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Then there was center Marcus Camby. But he nearly always steps up.

Camby grabbed 21 rebounds, his ninth game this season of 20 or more. After pulling down 15 in the game's first 20 minutes, he looked bound for 40.

"I'm just happy we got the win," Camby said. "Guys played well with Melo out. It was a solid team win."

After the Hawks (17-21) led 7-0, the Nuggets took over, leading by as many as 17 points in the second quarter. Atlanta closed to 100-96 with 3:12 left when Joe Johnson hit a three-pointer, but nobody seemed overly concerned.

The Nuggets held Johnson, who entered averaging 22.1, to only 14 points. They threw double-teams at him all game.

With his team depleted, Karl used three starters for 40 minutes or more and only three reserves, only two logging more than four minutes. The third reserve used, J.R. Smith, didn't help his cause by being the last player on the court at the morning shootaround, and he played only four minutes.

Iverson didn't participate in the shootaround because of his ailing wrist. Karl said there's "concern" about Iverson because the injury is affecting his shot.

"But I don't think the kid is going to sit out," Karl said. "The kid is going to play. The kid's got a big heart and big guts."

Besides, Karl is getting used to coaching with a depleted roster. The Nuggets might not be on pace for 55 or 60 wins, but they're in first place in the Northwest Division and have their best mark at a midpoint since 28-13 in 1977-78.

ETC.: Atkins, who underwent surgery Jan. 11, had six stitches removed from his lower abdomen Wednesday. He returned to the team after spending a week recuperating at his Florida home and will begin to travel. Atkins, hoping to return in late March or early April, will visit the doctor today and then expects to start riding a stationary bike. . . . Forward Eduardo Najera returned after missing a game with a hyperextended right elbow but "aggravated it" and "it's hurting." He doesn't know if he'll play Friday against New Jersey.

Nuggets 107, Hawks 100

FG FT Reb

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

MWilliams 35:31 7-16 6-6 1-6 1 2 20

JoSmith 41:15 8-23 6-7 2-12 10 4 22

Horford 29:07 6-8 2-5 5-11 2 4 14

JJohnson 39:34 5-17 2-2 1-5 5 3 14

AJohnson 33:49 5-10 0-0 0-2 6 4 12

Childress 24:56 3-9 3-4 2-6 3 1 9

SWilliams 4:22 0-2 0-0 0-1 0 1 0

Law 4:08 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 2 0

Lue 17:55 4-9 0-0 1-2 2 3 9

Jones 9:17 0-2 0-2 3-5 0 2 0

West 0:06 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0

Totals 240 38-97 19-26 15-51 29 26 100

Percentages - FG .392, FT .731. Three-point goals - 5-12, .417 (A. Johnson 2-3, J. Johnson 2-4, Lue 1-3, Childress 0-1, Jo. Smith 0-1). Team rebounds - 10. Team turnovers - 15 (18 pts.). Blocked shots - 7 (Jo. Smith 5, Childress, Horford). Turnovers - 15 (Jo. Smith 7, A. Johnson 2, J. Johnson 2, M. Williams 2, Childress, Lue). Steals - 15 (Horford 5, Jo. Smith 3, Childress 2, J. Johnson 2, A. Johnson, Lue, M. Williams). Technicals - Smith, 5:27 fourth; coach Woodson, 5:27 fourth.

FG FT Reb

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

Kleiza 40:21 9-18 3-4 1-5 3 1 23

Martin 37:39 7-14 6-6 3-10 1 3 20

Camby 41:28 4-7 5-6 1-21 4 4 13

Iverson 44:30 6-21 15-18 0-2 6 1 29

Carter 34:31 3-8 2-2 0-3 9 2 8

Diawara 20:23 2-4 1-2 0-0 1 2 5

JSmith 4:21 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 0 2

Najera 16:47 2-2 2-2 1-4 2 5 7

Totals 240 34-77 34-40 6-45 26 18 107

Percentages - FG .442, FT .850. Three-point goals - 5-15, .333 (Iverson 2-5, Kleiza 2-5, Najera 1-1, Camby 0-1, Carter 0-1, Diawara 0-1, J. Smith 0-1). Team rebounds - 9. Team turnovers - 17 (20 pts.). Blocked shots - 7 (Camby 4, Martin 2, Carter). Turnovers - 17 (Camby 5, Carter 3, Iverson 3, Najera 2, Diawara, Kleiza, Martin, J. Smith). Steals - 8 (Iverson 3, Kleiza 2, Camby, Diawara, Najera). Technicals - None.

Atlanta 17 25 28 30 - 100

Denver 29 23 26 29 - 107

A - 14,213 (19,155). T - 2:14. Officials - Joe DeRosa, David Jones, Tommy Nunez Jr.

tomassonc@RockyMountainNews.com

NUMBERS GAME

19 years since the Nuggets' last All-Star starter. Carmelo Anthony, a comfortable second in the latest fan voting at West forward, is expected today to be named the team's first starter since Alex English in 1989. Allen Iverson, who was third at guard, might fall short.

ANTHONY OUT

Anthony sat out Wednesday because of the left ankle he sprained Monday. Coach George Karl believes Anthony most likely also will be out Friday against New Jersey but return Sunday at Dallas.

"If God lets me play Friday, then I'm damn sure going to play Friday," said Anthony, who was worried before he "got some relief" when X-rays and a magnetic resonance imaging exam were negative.

"It stiffened up on me real bad (Tuesday)," Anthony said. "I got some treatment (Wednesday) and it loosened it up. . . . I've had ankle injuries before in the past and it felt different this time, but, obviously, it wasn't major."

ANTHONY AND MAYO

Anthony shrugged off leaving two tickets Monday for the game against the Lakers for friend and University of Southern California freshman O.J. Mayo and doesn't believe it was an NCAA violation.

"I don't know how in the heck it got that serious," said Anthony, asked about a Los Angeles Times report it might have broken rules. "It should be nothing against (Mayo)."

USC coach Tim Floyd said he cleared it, thinking the tickets were allowed. The two were valued at $230 each.

* For more details, go to Extras on the top right at RockyMountainNews.com.

HE SAID IT

"It will be interesting to see a coach who doesn't pick him. . . . I'll make some phone calls (to coaches)."

Karl, believing Nuggets center Marcus Camby should be named an All-Star reserve when voting by coaches is announced Jan. 31.

Chris Tomasson

Comments

  • January 24, 2008

    6:49 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    dkree writes:

    If you look closely, Kobe stepped his foot underneth Carmelo as he shot his jumper. Was it an accident or on purpose?

  • January 24, 2008

    10:40 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    misterbigge writes:

    The Nuggets may be a better team without Carmello, and better again without AI. The ball turns magically from leather into concrete when it touches their hands. The other teams get to rest on defense when those two hog the ball. As Sir Charles noted, the Nuggs have one of the most talented teams but thier atrocious lack of passing and defense keep them a mediocre TEAM. Trade Anthony for a solid forward and 3 point shooter. And get Andre Miller back here ASAP. All the jukes and moves and slams will not win playoff games and the flash boys will be turned into pizza delivery boys for the winners. When the magnificent Marcus retires the Nuggs will immediately drop to a 30-35 win team.