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Nuggets piling up points

Record-breaking night for Denver in 52-point rout

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 17, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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Denver's Kenyon Martin, left, and Seattle's Kevin Durant can't reach a loose ball during the Nuggets' 168-116 win. Martin, with 23 points, was one of eight Nuggets to score in double figures.

Photo by George Kochaniec Jr. / The Rocky

Denver's Kenyon Martin, left, and Seattle's Kevin Durant can't reach a loose ball during the Nuggets' 168-116 win. Martin, with 23 points, was one of eight Nuggets to score in double figures.

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Coming soon to an arena near you: a Nuggets game in which their starters actually play in the fourth quarter.

Then again, the way the Nuggets are playing, maybe not.

For the third straight game, most starters were able to take the final quarter off in a rout. But none was as lopsided as Denver's historic 168-116 destruction of the Seattle SuperSonics on Sunday night at the Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets (40-26) turned the Pepsi Center into a pinball machine. The SuperSonics (16- 51), who might relocate to Oklahoma City, were so bad, they should have moved at halftime.

The Nuggets, who won their three games during the homestand by an average of 35.3 points, launched an all-out assault on the record book. They scored their most points ever in a regulation game, had their biggest margin of victory, tied a team record with 16 three-pointers and set an NBA record with 49 fast-break points.

"We made history," said forward Carmelo Anthony, who, with 26 points, led eight Denver players in double figures. "We played great. We made shots. We passed the ball. We played defense."

And, if the Nuggets made the SuperSonics mad, they weren't saying so. While Seattle players and coach P.J. Carlesimo downplayed it, the Nuggets shot 8-for- 13 from three-point range in the fourth quarter.

"I'm sure Seattle is a little upset with the rhythm of the game," said coach George Karl, whose Nuggets won 138-96 at Seattle on Feb. 27 and became the first NBA team to beat the same opponent by 40 points or more in consecutive games. "But I don't know how to tell your team not to play the way you teach them to play and want them to play. The three ball is the strength of (Denver's) second unit."

Nuggets guard Chucky Atkins, who scored a season-high 19 points and drilled two of his five three-pointers in the fourth quarter, was less sympathetic.

"We don't care if we made them mad," Atkins said.

The Nuggets also got 24 points from guard Allen Iverson and 23 from forward Kenyon Martin. Iverson, already playing with a fractured finger, was the only Nuggets player who didn't seem happy after the game, declining to talk because of a knot above his left eye incurred from a blow.

Oh, by the way, Nuggets center Marcus Camby had his second triple-double this season, before the third quarter was done. Camby, who joined all of Denver's starters on the bench in the fourth, totaled 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

"This is crazy," said Camby, whose team handed out 44 assists, its most in 19 years. "I have never been a part of a game like this."

The Nuggets scored 48 points in the first quarter, the high for any quarter in the NBA this season, tied for the third most in Nuggets history and their most in 17 years. Denver had 84 points in each half, the most in an NBA game in 16 years, the Nuggets' most in 17 years and their third most ever.

"We are not offering any defensive resistance at all," Seattle coach Carlesimo said.

The Nuggets shot 60.4 percent and were 16-for-31 from three- point range (51.6). They threw down dunks all night, including one forward Linas Kleiza had blocked and the ball went straight up and fell through.

It was the Nuggets' greatest offensive show since losing 186-184 to Detroit on Dec. 13, 1983, in triple overtime in the highest-scoring game in NBA history. But that game was tied 145-145 at the end of regulation.

"It is unheard of. It reminds me of the old tapes I used to watch of Doug Moe's team," Camby said of Denver's scoring 168 points and referring to the Nuggets assistant who coached the three- overtime classic.

Denver plays at Detroit on Tuesday to begin a key five-game trip. One would think Denver's starters won't be on the bench in the fourth quarter.

But, after Sunday, one can't be completely sure.

NENE UPDATE: Karl hopes the Nuggets can get Nene, recovering from testicular cancer, "back on the court in a week or two weeks" and he's hoping for him to be a "10-minute player."

Asked if that meant games or practice, Karl said "both" but then backed off a bit. Nene, accompanying the team on the trip, wouldn't speculate. "I don't know nothing about it," he said. "I'm just thinking about getting better. I'm just trying to get back in shape."

Nuggets 168, SuperSonics 116

FG FT Reb

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

JGreen 30:02 4-12 0-0 0-1 4 3 8

Wilcox 24:08 7-12 3-7 6-12 1 1 17

Petro 21:24 7-14 0-0 2-4 2 2 14

Durant 27:16 8-12 7-9 1-3 0 2 23

Watson 27:11 6-11 2-2 0-2 7 4 14

Ridnour 11:52 0-4 4-4 0-1 2 2 4

Collison 22:17 1-7 1-2 4-9 2 3 3

Wilkins 21:01 2-11 0-0 2-4 5 3 4

Gelabale 20:44 6-12 2-4 1-3 2 1 16

Marshall 16:11 0-4 0-0 1-5 1 0 0

Wilks 8:57 3-5 0-0 0-0 1 1 6

Sene 8:57 2-3 3-4 1-1 1 2 7

Totals 240 46-107 22-32 18-45 28 24 116

Percentages - FG .430, FT .688. Three-point goals - 2-10, .200 (Gelabale 2-6, Wilkins 0-1, Marshall 0-3). Team rebounds - 9. Team turnovers - 16 (27 pts.). Blocked shots - 8 (Wilcox 3, Collison 2, Gelabale, Ridnour, Sene). Turnovers - 16 (J.Green 3, Wilcox 3, Wilkins 3, Durant 2, Marshall 2, Collison, Petro, Watson). Steals - 12 (Petro 3, Gelabale 2, Wilcox 2, J.Green, Marshall, Ridnour, Wilkins, Wilks). Technicals - Watson, 2:35 second.

FG FT Reb

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

Anthony 26:10 10-17 6-8 0-2 4 3 26

Martin 25:32 11-13 0-1 1-8 0 3 23

Camby 26:36 4-6 5-5 0-15 10 1 13

Iverson 27:12 8-14 8-8 0-1 6 0 24

Carter 24:48 2-3 3-4 0-2 4 3 8

Atkins 20:13 7-10 0-0 0-2 5 3 19

Najera 16:10 0-3 1-2 1-6 2 1 1

Kleiza 25:23 6-11 4-4 2-5 4 1 17

Smith 21:24 7-15 1-1 1-2 5 2 19

Diawara 12:31 3-5 2-2 2-5 3 0 11

Hunter 8:30 1-2 0-0 1-2 0 2 2

TGreen 5:31 2-2 0-0 0-1 1 0 5

Totals 240 61-101 30-35 8-51 44 19 168

Percentages - FG .604, FT .857. Three-point goals - 16-31, Atkins 5-8, Smith 4-10, Diawara 3-5, Carter 1-1, T.Green 1-1, Martin 1-1, Kleiza 1-3, Anthony 0-1, Najera 0-1). Team rebounds - 11. Team turnovers - 14 (12 pts.). Blocked shots - 10 (Camby 4, Martin 2, Smith 2, Anthony, Najera). Turnovers - 14 (Camby 4, Atkins 2, Carter 2, Iverson 2, Smith 2, Diawara, T.Green). Steals - 12 (Carter 4, Martin 2, Smith 2, Atkins, Camby, Kleiza, Najera). Technicals - None.

Seattle 29 29 27 31 - 116

Denver 48 36 43 41 - 168

A - 19,155 (19,155). T - 2:11. Officials - Joe DeRosa, Bennie Adams, John Goble.

tomassonc@RockyMountainNews.com

IVERSON: NO ANIMOSITY

Allen Iverson said it's "no big deal" he hasn't talked to Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks since the 76ers traded him to the Nuggets in December 2006.

"I just haven't talked to him," Iverson said. "I don't have any bad feelings (toward Cheeks)."

Cheeks talked to The Philadelphia Inquirer about his lack of communication with Iverson, who has faced the 76ers twice in Denver since the deal and Wednesday will make his first return to Philadelphia.

"It hasn't been lost on me that I haven't talked to him, because I still have a great deal of respect for him. . . . I don't want to step on his toes, and I haven't figured out how to (talk to him)," Cheeks told the paper.

Asked if he might talk Wednesday to Cheeks, Iverson said, "I don't know. If so, so be it."

KARL LIKES GREEN

Late last season, Denver signed Von Wafer as a future prospect. Coach George Karl would have no problem with the Nuggets making a similar move this season with forward Gerald Green, 22, waived March 8 by Houston in the midst of his third season.

"I like him," Karl said. "He's always been one of those athletic guys I kind of like."

Green, the 2007 NBA slam-dunk champion, averaged 10.4 points last season for Boston before playing little this season for Minnesota and Houston.

HE SAID IT

"Melo in general, if you had to give him a report card, month in month out, he has made improvement."

Karl, on Carmelo Anthony as a leader.

Chris Tomasson

Big night

168 points in regulation topped team record of 163 against the Spurs on Jan. 11, 1984.

52-point victory margin shattered team record of 46 in a Nov. 6, 1987 win against the Clippers.

49fast-break points broke NBA record (kept since 1997-98 season) of 48 set by Raptors on Jan. 12, 2003.

Comments

  • March 17, 2008

    5:02 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    LOUIE writes:

    God bless Seattle, therapy for thier player's should be generiously made available. Seattle should have drank a few Starbucks before the game! Damn, that's painful!

  • March 17, 2008

    8:29 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    DeimosJB writes:

    Funny that when the Nuggets were getting piled on by the likes of Phoenix, the players, coach, and some fans made a big stink about it (even though Phoenix was just playing their typical style). Now the Nuggets pile on an opponent, just by continuing to play their typical style, and everyone on the team is pretty happy about it. This is nothing out of the ordinary in sports or in life, just worth noting that the complaining should be taken with a grain of salt.

  • March 17, 2008

    9:44 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Squatch writes:

    Seattle could have shown a little more heart and played a little defense I pisses me off when the nuggets start to get their A$$es handed to them a they give up. That Wilcox if a good player and if they built around him instead of Durant Seattle will be fine. Once the Supersonics are trying to play their way out of Seattle so i dont feel sorry for them one bit.

  • March 17, 2008

    10:15 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Jennie writes:

    An amazing game and so fun to be a part of! Glad I got to see the action live.

  • March 17, 2008

    11:13 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    notknowitall writes:

    Way to go Nuggies and Coach Karl. Pile up the score and get into the record books (that's the only memorable item that's going to be notable for this season)
    If the team can do that against Detroit I'll eat crow. I am suprised that Iverson did'nt play the entire game. Just imagine, he probably could have shot 50 out 50 free throws without ever being fouled and maybe 30 out 30 from the field and ending up with a grand total of 110 by himself!
    But then again it was against Seattle and who really cares?

  • March 17, 2008

    11:45 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    kmeissner writes:

    Even if it was Seattle... it doesn't matter. The fact is they finally RAN on both endds of the court and they looked spectacular. They need to keep this up. The last 3 games they have looked like a contender. The next 5 games road trip will tell us a lot about their chances. I'll be happy if they can win 4 of 5.

  • March 17, 2008

    12:20 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    snowbelly writes:

    What even distribution of points and contribution.Like my third grade teacher said "Look what you can do when you apply youeself". Now I want to see this kind of play all the way to the playoffs.Please.

  • March 18, 2008

    2:43 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    GreeleyNugz writes:

    Couldnt agree with you more snowbelly!!!!