Andre Miller and Nene (20 points and 14 rebounds) helped the Nuggets snap a three-game losing steak to the Philadelphia 76ers with an amazing overtime win, 108-104. It seemed for awhile that whichever team had the ball last would win. Miller scored 10 straight points for the Nuggets, was 12-20 on the night, and finished with 28 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals ... no bucket or steal bigger than his last ones. Miller was Superman indeed ...
If you watched the game, feel free to skip the running diary. If you missed the game, please join me on my crazy journey ...
1st Quarter:
Ty Lawson starts the game off by missing a wide-open three, but Elton Brand gets hit with a loose ball foul on the offensive boards. Good sign that Nene is crashing early.
Jodie Meeks shows Arron Afflalo why dunking is key ... he blows a wide-open layup and it's still 2-0 Nuggets.
Koufos catches a touchdown pass, but gets his layup blocked by Nikola Vucevic out of Switzerland by way of USC, he's a rookie and was fairly highly touted before the draft. K2 does get a rebound on the other end ... not a bad start for Koufos.
8:02 mark, Koufos misses an open jumper on the baseline, Vucevic hits a little bunny and it's 10-4 Sixers. Koufos misses again with a baby right hook, he's not afraid to shoot. It will be interesting to see if George Karl will call K2's number later in this game. We're at the 6:50 mark and he's still in. And we hit the first TV timeout at the 6:31 mark ... will there be a substitution?
6:31 mark and Elton Brand has 6 points ... well on his way to smashing his season average of 9.8 points per game. And Koufos is still in.
Lawson and Jrue Holiday are of the new lightning-quick breed of point guards that will begin to dominate the NBA.
4:50 mark and Al Harrington and Corey Brewer are in for Koufos and Danilo Gallinari. It's 16-10 Sixers as Thaddeus Young knocks down his first jumper of the night. Young gets an alley-oop as I'm typing and it's 18-10 Philly. Nuggets settling for jumpers, but getting inside a little ... and the Sixers are playing inside-outside game.
Last 3:23 to play and Denver needs to get on a run to close the quarter ... AAA hits a jumper: 18-12 now. Oh, David Stern sighting at this game ... wonder if he'd be booed or cheered on jumbotron?
1st QTR Recap: 28-19 Sixers. Philly closed the quarter with a 10-7 run. Nene with an abysmal start ... 1-6 in the period, he missed jumpers and easy ones at the rim. Not the game Denver needs from their best post player. We got a Chris Andersen sighting tonight as he checked in for Nene. Andre Miller and Birdman continue to try to connect on alley-oops ... Bird layed one in. Denver's defense must improve, the offense needs to get a little more aggressive, find a way to stay close, and win this one late. Not a horrific deficit for the Nuggets, but Miller looks lethargic once again for the second unit. Lawson is going to have to log big minutes in order for Denver to get back into this one.
2nd Quarter:
Thaddeus Young starts the quarter with a dunk over Andre Miller, it's 30-19 Sixers. Young is going to kill the Nuggets tonight ... already with 10 points. This feels like an ugly one ... Nuggets not ready to fight energy with energy right now.
9:50 mark and everyone on the Sixers is hot tonight ... bad sign ... Evan Turner nails a jumper and it's 36-23.
Tony Battie is in the game ... El Busto himself! He's actually been out there for about five game minutes and he has 2 rebounds and 1 assist. He should take a shot - everyone is making them for Philly right now ...
The Nuggets slogan of, "Dig In" makes me think of ice cream, I love ice cream.
7:51 mark and Lawson has been back for about a minute, for some reason Miller is still in the game ... looks to be sleep walking out there. Birdman still on the floor, he is bringing the effort and has 6 points, but also a couple misses (one an easy layup). It's 39-29 Sixers ... maybe the Nuggets can lull the Sixers to sleep and go on a run ...
3:50 mark and it's 43-38 Sixers ... Denver is on a 9-3 run. Let's see how the Nuggets finish.
2:50 mark and 'Dre Miller is now 2-2 from three-point land. It's 43-41 Sixers and should be 43-43 as Lawson blew an open lay-in on the previous possession. Miller having a nice game in front of his old home crowd, big bounce back from his slow looking start tonight ... he has 8 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds and he's one of only two Nuggets with a + in +/- with a +6 and Lawson with a +3.
Andre Miller is fired up! He's posting up, calling for the ball, and just fed Nene for an And-1 and Denver has the lead back at 44-43. The energy is picking up for Denver and it's contagious, whole team playing differently and credit goes to Birdman and Miller - OLD SCHOOL! Nuggets miss three shots in a row and Miller accentuates an elbow from Brand to get Denver the ball back and Afflalo hits a layup from Nene ... nice cutting and passing! Sixers starting to play one-on-one and Denver using teamwork ... 48-45 Denver.
Nuggets use a 26-6 run to close the quarter! Lawson draws a foul with 12 seconds left and goes 1-2 from the line, Nene gets the board, feeds Lawson and he hits a lay-up! GREAT QUARTER FROM DENVER! WOW! They have to WIN this game now.
2nd QTR Recap: 51-45 Nuggets. Birdman may not have the skill to be a top flight player, but he has the right ideas tonight as he's attacking the hoop, cutting down the lane, and being active on the glass. These are reasons why the Bird has had such a successful NBA career - sure he's had his issues, but you can see with him that playing hard does pay off ... he had 6 points in the quarter (8 points total) including 4-4 from the foul line. If Denver is able to win this one ... Bird's quarter will prove to be a big time key.
Andre Miller with a huge quarter, he drew an offensive foul on Brand, hit a couple threes, and looks like he gives a damn for the first time in a few games (while on the floor). Nene leads the team with 9 points and went 2-2 in the second and is now 3-8, but 3-3 at the foul line. Nene is looking more like the beast of the past few games and that's a very good sign for Denver. The Sixers cooled off in the second and allowed the Nuggets to get right back into this game. Will be interesting to see how Philly handles the third quarter ... I expect them to try to get the pace of the game back up and run at Denver's tired legs.
3rd Quarter:
Andre Miller on the floor to begin the 3rd as Koufos sits. Karl wants to keep the good small lineup going ... Gallo is going to have to guard Brand on the other end. Thad Young brought in right away ... small ball all night.
Nuggets start the quarter with a Lawson missed three and a Gallo missed three on the next possession. Meanwhile, Meeks nails a three. 10:13 mark and Miller fakes another three, drives and gets fouled ... he misses the And-1 though and it's now 53-50 as Young hits a lay-in.
9:03 mark and Miller makes an OUTSTANDING bounce pass down the land around two defenders to Nene for a monster jam off the pick-and-roll. It's 57-50 Nuggets.
7:11 mark and the Nuggets commit their fourth turnover ... Denver starting to look a touch gassed. How will Karl handle this? Nene, as I'm typing, over-powers Young and has an And-1 attempt ... gets it! 60-54 Denver. Nene is key for Denver tonight, but he can't play all 24 second half minutes ...
Chris Marlowe comments on a fat guy with his belly dance, "And the jell-o is jiggling in Philadelphia." Nene is out with 4 fouls ... big trouble for Denver. Birdman replaces Nene around the 5:20 mark and Brewer is back in for Lawson.
4:50 mark and Gallo's streak of 24 straight made free throws comes to an end as he goes 1-2 to give Denver a 67-58 lead. 4:27 mark and Harrington comes in for Gallo. We have Miller, AAA, Brewer, Big Al, and Birdman.
3:46 left in the quarter and it's 69-62 Nuggets ... we'll see how Denver closes here.
The Sixers close it to 69-67 ... Harrington and Brewer hit back-to-back threes to push the lead back to 75-67. Birdman picks up his 5th foul.
3rd QTR Recap: 78-72 Nuggets. Hoping there is no overtime as Nene has 4 fouls and Birdman has 5 of his own. Miller plays most of the period and looked pretty good. Birdman logged big minutes as well and picked up some bad fouls that led to some free points for Philly. Big shots made by Harrington, Brewer, and Afflalo. The Nuggets energy is still looking good and I expect to see a lot of this lineup: Lawson, Miller, Afflalo, Gallo and Nene. Let's hope that group and some others mixed in can deliver the win! Perhaps Karl will use Harrington in place of Afflalo ... we'll see. Philly likely to use a lot of Lou Williams, Holiday, and Young.
4th Quarter:
Here we go ... Nuggets ball to start it and ... Bird gets fouled off a pick-and-roll with Lawson. Birdman at the line and goes: 0-2 ... not good. Denver using Lawson, Afflalo, Brewer, Harrington, and Birdman ... I was getting worried about that group and they are still in.
And with 11:23 to go Birdman fouls out ... nice second quarter from him ... Nene in for Birdman.
10:30 ... one minute and tons of sloppy play. Brewer ends it all with a crazy made layup. 80-72 Nuggets.
Violet Palmer calls Harrington for a charge out on the perimeter ... she must be blind. One of the worst officials in the league.
8:42 mark and Violet Palmer calls Afflalo for a reach in and gives Turner and And-1 opportunity ... can we vote her off the island? Did she have some horrific experience on a ski lift in Colorado? She is one of a couple officials who just always seems to have something out for the Nuggets. It's unreal. And Turner hits the And-1 and it's 82-75 Nuggets.
7:18 mark and Philly on a 9-0 run, it's 82-81 Nuggets. Where is Gallo? The Nuggets are a bit lost on offense and need a timeout ... Karl gets one as the lead is now gone. We have a ballgame!
Back from the above timeout and the lineup is now: Lawson, Miller, Afflalo, Harrington, and Nene. The Nuggets need Gallo on the floor. The play after the timeout: Miller feeds Nene, he passes to AAA and AAA bricks a bad three. Philly gets a tip in after a miss and it's 83-82 Sixers.
6:20 and Gallo is in for Harrington. Nuggets looking like they did to open the game. Waiting too long in shot clock, shooting jumpers, and no passing. Denver almost in the penalty ... not good ... 13-0 run and it's 85-82 Philly.
Miller gets a bucket with his usual baseline jumper to end the Denver drought ... 85-84 Philly.
3:51 remaining ... Nene misses a layup, Brand with a dunk, Violet Palmer refuses to blow her whistle as Brand bodies and hacks Lawson on a layup ... Philly ball. We'll see how Denver closes this game, down 87-86.
4th QTR Recap: 96-96 tied up going to overtime. What a quarter ... Andre Miller scores Denver's last 10 points. I'm running around and sliding on the wood floors in my socks, clapping for the effort of Miller and the Nuggets. This has been a wild and crazy game. Violet "I hate Denver" Palmer calls a foul trying to ruin the great ending as Iggy drove the lane, but he missed a free throw and now the Nuggets will play their first OT game of the year! Wow. Miller missed a long corner three or long two to win it for Denver with just 4 seconds left ... this is nuts!
Overtime:
Who has the legs to finish this game for the Nuggets?
Karl goes with: Miller, Lawson, AAA, Big Al, and Nene. Nuggets get the jump ball ... Lawson waits out the shot clock and gets to the rim ... 98-96 Nuggets.
Evan Turner buries a jumper ... this guy kills the Nuggets too! 98-98.
3:30 and Brand buries an open jumper at the foul line ... 100-98 Sixers.
Nene bulls Brand and gets the layup ... 100-100. Nene has been begging for the ball in the post ... he ain't scared. Turnover Denver, Young with uncontested jam.
2:00 left and we're tied again ... Nene jam and it's 102-102 ...
Young hits a tough jumper out at the top of the key and it's 104-102 Sixers.
Afflalo from the foul line after a near Sixer steal ... 104-104. One minute left!!!!!!
Violet Palmer with a charging call FOR DENVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nene gets the call in his favor and it was a horrific one ... Palmer helps Denver, but it was an awful call. Harrington was holding his hand ... injured, he stays in.
Andre Miller buries a jumper off a pick-and-roll with Nene from the foul line ... 'Dre Day All Day! 106-104 Nuggets. Denver back with the tie or lead scenario ... 42.3 seconds to go and I've lost my effing mind!
There is a timeout ... I can't stand this. Great game here. Both teams really battling ... basketball wins again!
Sixers shoot a three ... they miss! Denver's Nene with a big rebound!
Miller misses a jumper to seal it ... MILLER GETS THE STEAL OFF A HOLIDAY ERRANT PASS!!!!!! MILLER IS FOULED! Denver ball on the side ... inbound to Afflalo and he is fouled and at the line ...
Afflalo nails the first freebie! To ice the game ... Afflalo ... NAILS IT! Denver is up 108-104!
NUGGETS WIN 108-104! WOWZA!
Game recap: Wow! Just wow!
This game seemed like a lost cause during the first quarter as the Nuggets faced a double-digit lead. In the second, the Nuggets used a 26-6 run and a 32-17 quarter to take a 51-45 lead into the half. The third quarter saw the Nuggets retain their lead, but Philly showed signs of fighting back. In the fourth ... the Sixers had a 13-0 run of their own and claimed a four point lead late in the game. Andre Miller buried one of his many big shots on the night by making his third three pointer in as many tries to bring the Nuggets back down just one.
The teams traded buckets in the last minute and Miller scored 10 points in a row for the Nuggets. With Denver up just one point (96-95), Andre Iguodala drove the lane, was pushed a bit by Corey Brewer and the ref (Violet "I hate Denver" Palmer) blew her whistle ... you rarely, if ever, see that. Iggy missed the first freebie and made the second. Miller, with four seconds left, took the last shot, fittingly, and missed his first three of the night. To overtime we would go.
You can see the possession by possession breakdown of OT above ... but wow. Lawson, Miller, and Nene were totally unafraid to take big shots and make them. The Nuggets battled back in this one and got a great effort from many different faces.
Miller hit the big shot to give Denver the lead, Miller had the big steal at the end, and Afflalo hit two big free throws to ice the game for the Nuggets.
That was by far the best game of the season from a competitive standpoint. The Nuggets needed to answer the Philly run, make big shots under pressure, and get defensive stops to win the game. They did it, thanks to Millers 28 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals in 39 minutes. Miller Time!
Views you can use ...
Andre Miller missed a triple-double, but filled up the stat line with 28 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals. He shot 12-20 from the field (3-4 from deep, 1-2 from the foul line). What a game by 'Dre Day!
I said in the preview that Denver needed a big game from Nene as he had been averaging around 16 and 9 over the last couple games. Well, Nene started 1-6 from the field and looked a little off, but he was being aggressive. After the slow start, Nene went 7-9 to finish the game 8-15 from the floor and 4-4 from the foul line. His final stat line: 20 points, 14 rebounds (4 offensive), 3 assists, and 1 block.
Al Harrington with a nice and quiet game for Denver with 12 points and 8 rebounds (2 offensive).
Lawson played 45 minutes and put up 13 points and 7 assists, he was key tonight.
Gallo played 33 minutes and was just 1-3 from the field for a final stat line of 3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist. Gallo didn't look very aggressive tonight ... I wonder how his bum wheel is holding up?
And to be clear, I’m not blaming Gallo on that play. I’m blaming the strange PnR D, plus the fact that the 6ers screener (not sure who it was) was allowed to set a moving screen from the 3pt line down to the foul line extended. Gallo had no choice but to switch.
the 76ers are a really good team and gave us a run for our money, they have a solid and tenacious defense and they didn’t have their starting center tonight so that evened out the supposed advantage they did of an extra day rest.
It feels good knowing this game happened against a team that can hold its ground against us as opposed to say, this game happening against someone like the Wizards.
Stern talked about the Sixers’ resurgence before the game. “The 76ers announced their presence against the Heat in the playoffs last year. This is just a continuation of that. It’s exciting,” he said.
Miller made the play of the game while pressuring Elton Brand after the big man grabbed a defensive rebound. Miller pretended to get elbowed in the face, covered up and hit the floor. Brand got called for a foul and Miller quickly got up, cracking a smile as fans booed.
playing a crappy team, coming off a huge, hard-fought win, with Melo’s knicks the next night, this is the dictionary definition of a trap game. Hopefully they have learned from recent games that they are not so good that they can just sleepwalk over inferior teams.
If it is all in fun. I’m totally for grudge matches and competition. But I cannot condone the way a lot of Denver fans act toward Melo. As if Denver’s never benefited from a player wanting to play elsewhere — hello there, Mr. John Elway! As if Melo was that good a player to be upset about in the first place.
but leaving to go to a “better” situation when the Nugget team is and has been better by far, reeks of MEloizm IMO. Which is fine because the more L’s the Knicks pile up, the dumbier the decision looks. Like TIDBM said, hows that working out for you?
Also playing somewhere for better part of a decade and leaving b4 the draft is different to me. To me it’s like breaking up w/ someone after dating a week vs leaving after 8 years of marriage, not apples to apples.
he is anti-Raymond Felton. I love his composure. One of the benefits of not being an emotional player, which he isn’t, is he keeps cool and calm during the entire game.
I’m really glad he is with us this year, even if its only for a year.
FOLKS ... didn't mean to sound or be too much of an asshole above!
I like to keep the recaps mainly game related. You can talk about results of other important games and whatnot. Just don’t go too far off into the rabbit hole!
THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU ALL … MILLER IS MY HERO FOR THE NIGHT! SUPERMAN!!!!!!
Definitely won in spite of the refs. Talk about closing a game on the road when you are playing 5 on 8.
Happy OKC lost, kinda surprised the spurs won, happy NYK lost, happy Portland lost, and someone has to lose between Dallas and LAC…good day in the NBA!
I think Gallo will do well against NYK.
Everyone will love that rest between the NYK game and the Sac game.
Can someone tell me when Faried will play?
I just saw that gary forbes was the raps player of the game
18 pts on .833 shooting, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk, 0 to, in 18 minutes
glad he’s getting some burn. liked that dude
They should rest Gallo against the Wizards if his ankle isn't 100%
That way he’ll be more ready for the game against the Knicks. Dre was the man tonight, no question, but it was concerning that he seemed to be the only one that wanted the ball and would take a shot. I know he was on fire and all, but he could have used some help. Luckily in OT he got that help.
They know the game well and I would hire an ex-ref as a coach in a second especially if they recently quit and have a lot of buddies still reffing.
We know the league is rigged so why not play the game?
a little earlier today argued for the Clippers trading Griffin to get D12. Part of the point was the huge advantage in defense and only slight reduction in offense. Sorta seeing the argument tonight.
He’s the model of a K-Mart, but he’s way more explosive. Are you forgetting K-Mart was basically laughable offensively for anything outside of a dunk? Griffin is far from that.
Griffin’s jumpshots are mediocre at best…just like KMart.
Also KMart’s other shot was his running hook which is the only other shot in Blake’s arsenal.
KMart was a waay better on the ball defender but a worse rebounder. In the end, griffin is pretty much like KMart.
A D12 for Griffin trade would be a steal for the Clippers.
the cincy bearcats were my fave team back in the day. they totally would’ve won the chip that year if kmart doesn’t get hurt. coach huggins always got the most out of his players.
Great win! But doesn’t the way it happened point to one of this team’s major weaknesses? They don’t have players with that extra gear to get buckets when the game is on the line. It was tremendous to see Andre Miller step up—what a crafty player—but he can’t be that guy very often, can he?
Who wants the ball? Who has the skills and the burning desire to create a shot and score and/or get to the line when the team must score some points? The Sixers have several of those guys, and it wasn’t reassuring (in the long run) to see that Dre was our only one tonight.
But I also think he’s gonna need a push from the coaching staff to become the guy. His unselfishness is both a blessing and a curse – kinda like Nene. Also, he’s surely still feeling the effect of the ankle sprain. He just doesn’t currently have the same explosiveness he had earlier.
Don’t forget, Nene was begging for the ball in the post all night…even late. Dre had the mojo tonight… But I agree…would have been more reassuring if it were Lawson or Gallo.
Your statement suggests that the great A+ players like Jordan, Bird or Magic never played an overtime game. It’s like saying, “Well if WE had a player like ’Bron, we would never have gone into overtime.”
If Miller doesn’t do it one night, someone else on our team will. That’s the point of us finally becoming a team. We win games together. lol – Of course I’m talking as if I’m actually one of the players… I’m SUCH a fanboi. :)
No matter how good or cohesive we become, we’re still going to have games where they fight just as hard as we do and we’ll have to figure out a way to win. Which we did last night.
Though I am indeed “old” when compared to most of you Stiffs. But my point above stands: a team that relies on a 35 year old backup point guard to stay in a game they should be leading in the first place is a team in need of a player or two who they can count on to score in crunch time. Let’s not forget this is the guy who can brilliantly get the ball to any player on the court any time he wants, yet last night he knew he was the guy who should have the ball. I guarantee that not even Andre Miller believes that’s how a Nuggets game should go.
Don’t get me wrong: Miller is a fabulous player most any team would be thrilled to have. His stellar performance that made the difference in what for him was a must-win game speaks for itself. He’s far from a gifted NBA scoring machine, yet there he was using his estimable noggin and his undeniable toughness to put the fucking ball in the hole when it mattered.
That last phrase should describe another player or two on the Nuggets. I’m thrilled to see a more team-oriented approach to what is, after all, a team sport. Remember, I’m the guy with “No. More. Stickyball.” as his signature.
I’m not clamoring for another pretty boy who lives for his own nightly highlight reel. But this team has a major weakness that needs to be addressed by management. I love Gallo, but he doesn’t have the footwork or the toughness to be that guy. Ty Lawson is often still quite tentative when it counts. Despite Nate’s pleading above, Nene is soft as can be. Maybe the guy believes the reason that otherwise lovely finger-roll keeps clanging off the back of the iron is that God himself doesn’t want it to go down. I have no idea why he cannot consistently put the ball in the basket at point-blank range, but he’s not figuring it out, either. And no, I don’t give a shit that he shot the highest percentage in the league last year. HE’S SOFT OR INVISIBLE AT CRUNCH TIME.
If you watch that game or re-watch it … look for how much Nene is asking for the ball in the post and posting up! Guy was bringing it last night and had a huge size advantage over Elton Brand (likely helped his aggression).
I’m not cheerleading for Nene here … I’m telling you what I saw. I agree his layups are frustrating, but the guy is asserting himself more.
Fourth Quarter:
Nene’s stats: 0-2 shooting (missed 17 footer and missed layup that he should have dunked or put off the glass)
1 turnover on a bad pass-out – to Afflalo I think.
5 rebounds (1 offensive)
He checked into the game at the 11;22 mark for Birdman with 4 fouls. He logged a lot of minutes and was looking for his offense. Yes, he missed the shots, the 17 footer came with the shot clock winding down – but I liked that he wasn’t shying away.
Overtime:
Nene’s stats: 2-2 (a bunny and a layup) 1 rebound.
Nene was just as key in OT as Miller if you ask me.
I credit Nene with a nice game and one where he didn’t shy away from the spotlight, like he has done at times in the past. I believe he’s attempting to play a bigger role on the team this year.
I must agree that Nene is making strides. I actually like the guy’s game, especially as a solid-to-very-good PF threat on this deep team that has nearly everything. So many weapons, and such good team play, especially in the open floor.
But Nene’s too soft, and in plenty of ways. He can demand the ball all he wants, Nate, but he has to look to his teammates like he can actually a) get and maintain a good position to receive it, and b) be a good bet to get to the hole and put ball in same—or require getting nailed hard by a defender to prevent it. IMHO, he’s neither of those as consistently as he needs to be. He gets moved off the block like crazy, and he’s not exactly a reliably resounding finisher.
Let’s agree to disagree! These Nuggets are exciting as can be, and I’m hoping they get it all put together for more consistent play. They already make life hell for opposing teams, though not well enough as individual players, which is the only glaring hole they have. This fan will continue to clamor for that to get remedied!
I totally agree with you points about Nene not proving he can finish at a high-percentage in the post. I was noticing him getting moved off the block as well.
I was listening to Shaq on TNT talking about Andrew Bynum (not sure if you and I talked about this already) and how Bynum took a page from Shaq’s book and goes right to the front of the rim in transition, while other bigs run for the block. The difference, at the rim you get the ball in prime position and on the block you can be easily shoved off.
There is much that I would change about Nene’s game and I feel like, this season, that he’s trying to change a bit too. Hard for an old dog to learn new tricks … I think me hoping for a 100% change in Nene’s mentality is just not realistic, but a little improvement might also go a long way.
Can you imagine if he had a different mentality? Just dunked all the time! Talking Hall of Fame player then …
Yes, I've been thinking about that mentality thing
Nate, I’ve long said something very similar about plenty of players: “If only they had the personality to dominate.” Or, “Damn, I wonder if he can develop the will to do ______.” As an avant-garde music producer, I’ve even said things like that about improvisers, wondering if they can change the musical choices they’re making on stage or in the studio.
I recently decided how silly I was with that stuff. A player’s (or performer’s) personality is inseparable from their very being, their talent and how they work to develop their skills. How they talk/play/act/relate and so on are all of a piece.
I don’t think I’m explaining this very well, but it’s hard in this space, and I haven’t thought about it enough. Let’s just say I no longer believe anyone will have an epiphany and suddenly change their approach to their life’s work.
Finally, I really appreciate Nene and how hard he’s working. It’s all too easy for us in our armchairs to rag on professionals who have a very difficult job playing against some of the best athletes (and minds on the bench) in the world. At the same time, I believe the Nuggets management pros need to take one more step to make the Nuggets all they can be.
I was happy about the W last night, but it came with the acknowledgment that Dre put the team on his back to get it done or Philly would have run away with it much like they almost did when they went on that 13 point swing when we went cold (and Karl waited until the lead was gone to call a TO…but I digress).
Who else on this current squad can do what Dre did last night when Karl’s random basketball is ineffective, when the opposing crowd is deafening, when the opposition has the momentum…? All I’m saying is that last night’s win revealed how the lack of a go-to guy may unravel this squad in crunch moments. Without Dre presumably next year, who is that player going to be?
Though as I say above, they’re not there yet. Why can’t it be someone Ujiri goes after? It’s this roster’s missing link (said the broken record—again).
And yes indeed, the coaching is responsible for plenty of this problem. We’ve been harping on it so much here, eh? I can’t pretend to understand George Karl, though I continue to say he’s a player’s coach first. (Yeah, some of his former players would laugh derisively at that assertion.) I guess that means those players have to step up.
very impressive win in Philly! That team really has improved this year. I don’t know what was wrong with Gallo tonight… he seemed disinterested. Anyways great game by Nene and great to see Dre show the young fellas whats up every once in a while and win us a game by himself! Great game, now get some rest for the shit Wizzards and then Melo
the nuggets will be without rudy, timo, galo and carrol against the wiz, kufos will start and play 7 minutes, and g.k. STILL will only go 8 deep unless there is a serious blowout.
it is inexcusable that our core players are all gong to be banged up and dog tired in the playoffs due to him stubbornly not utilizing our size/depth.
Serious. When I first started posting here two, three years ago, that was my big gripe. I had a signature calling for a 10-man rotation or something. And back then, Denver didn’t have near the talent on its bench.
I'm not going to bicker too much while we are winning
but I can’t think of any reason not to give Kouf more burn this year, and also play both Brewer and Rudy when healthy. While I’m a huge Faried fan and actually Hamilton as well, I can live with their “tacos” status as its not unusual for rooks to sit early, particularly without training camp. Whatever. It wouldn’t be NBA fan-dom if we’re not all complaining about player rotations.
That's the Nene I am happy to pay 10+ mill a year for!
Andre was the star, but Nene was a beast. Stayed aggressive offensively, didn’t let the officiating bother him (too much), and crashed the boards. Way to go big man!
And it will make the Wizards much less desperate for a win
As a rule, I always like to play an opponent after they’ve won. Preferably in triple overtime the night before while playing late several time zones to the west.
Just kidding about that last part. I actually think wins against tired teams on a back to back are a bit worthless. Still a W. But. You know. Doesn’t mean as much.
any NBA team can beat another. Even a bunch of poorly coached hotshots like the Wizards can beat an excellent team like the Thunder if they pay well and the planets line up just right.
It's his first season in the role he's currently playing
There’s going to be some inconsistencies from him. It’s got to be tough to adjust when you’re accustomed to being the main man running the squads for 12 straight years.
Because for 3 games after that article he looked disinterested and played pretty terribly. He came back in full force tonight, which makes him an even bigger engima.
Gallo played 33 minutes and was just 1-3 from the field for a final stat line of 3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist. Gallo didn’t look very aggressive tonight … I wonder how his bum wheel is holding up?
But the man was burning a lot of energy on the defensive end, holding Igoudala to jump shots. And it is hard to fault a man for dialing it back when one of his teammate’s was happy to pick up the slack.
Trust me, on a team with no superstars, different Nuggets are going to carry the team on different nights. By taking only three shots, Gallo was just saying, “Hey, not me tonight fellows. I’m working on defense. You go right ahead, Andre.”
I just hope the ankle isn’t bothering him that much. With Rudy down, the Nuggets can’t afford to also miss Gallo. It would drive down the Nuggets’ good looks index. We can’t have that!
I’m still glowing over this win. Good thing. I steamed about the Hornets loss for a week.
Maybe if Cat is right and the Nuggets go 5-0 on this trip will I shut up about going 2-2 during a homestand.
But probably not. I don’t think we should ever forget what complacency does. Really hope Denver gets some rest today and takes care of business tomorrow against the Wizards. None of this looking ahead to the Knicks bullshit.
Except for Karl. He should be aware of the back-to-back and extend his rotations somewhat. Hopefully there is a nice lead and Faried and McGee can take turns making crazy stupid dunks.
Excellent write up Nate. For anyone who didn’t catch the game (where the h*ll were you) this is a close second.
I’m glad you pointed out Violet Palmer; she is the worst referee in the league – and does have a deep loathing for Nuggets.
The foul she called against Denver with 4 seconds left should have been the dagger. How Iguodala misses the first free throw is shocking. Thankfully Andre Miller put the team on his shoulders and carried us to victory. Great game, good victory for the Nuggets.
But I started paying attention to the names and faces of officials over the last few years and anecdotally she really sticks some bad calls to us. However, she helped us out at the end last night with a poor whistle.
Just seems like whenever she is officiating games that I watch, typically against Denver, she just misses calls or makes blatant bad calls. I love the fact that the NBA has a woman official (thought there were two?), but she is just not a good one. Lots of other bad officials too!
FIRST!
GO MILLER GO!!!
InboundingLobPass - January 18, 2012
x
InboundingLobPass - January 18, 2012
Where's Rudy?
CombatChuk - January 18, 2012
injured
NC Gold - January 18, 2012
Please
Make is stop. This is almost getting as bad as Gallo jokes. Anything that is a little bit funny becomes terrible when you guys beat it to death.
fblfkg x c
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Sorry
I figured that was the point.
NC Gold - January 18, 2012
Nah
It’s all good. I’m just being an overdramatic buzzkill.
Someone has to.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
That's cool.
Par for the course for me to beat the dead horse one too many time on my first attempt at joining in on the flailing :)
NC Gold - January 18, 2012
times*
NC Gold - January 18, 2012
lol I was being sincere
since he wasn’t on the chart with the injury
CombatChuk - January 18, 2012
Buckets being interviewed on NBA TV
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
What a great game. NBA at its finest.
margabelle - January 18, 2012
It was
Except for the officiating. I hate complaining about refs. But tonight is an exception.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
didnt watch
how come gallo wasnt shooting?
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
Not too sure … he didn’t look like his normal self tonight. Morton texted me and thinks perhaps his ankle was acting up. I think Jeff is right.
Nate Timmons - January 18, 2012
He was spending a lot of energy
Playing lockdown defense.
I think that was an issue, too. But still, a very quiet night from the good-looking kid.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Yes, Gallo played pretty stellar defense tonight.
Nate Timmons - January 18, 2012
except for when he was switched off on Jrue late in the 4th
Russscot - January 18, 2012
He did wear down a bit
But he was shutting down Igudala pretty good.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
agreed
Russscot - January 18, 2012
ha, well can you blame him?
Try to have anyone stand in front of Lawson … similar type of player.
Nate Timmons - January 18, 2012
hehe...true
And to be clear, I’m not blaming Gallo on that play. I’m blaming the strange PnR D, plus the fact that the 6ers screener (not sure who it was) was allowed to set a moving screen from the 3pt line down to the foul line extended. Gallo had no choice but to switch.
Russscot - January 18, 2012
Got to give credit
the 76ers are a really good team and gave us a run for our money, they have a solid and tenacious defense and they didn’t have their starting center tonight so that evened out the supposed advantage they did of an extra day rest.
It feels good knowing this game happened against a team that can hold its ground against us as opposed to say, this game happening against someone like the Wizards.
CloudBurst - January 18, 2012
Yeah, Philly was pretty awesome.
Young and Turner killed Denver off the bench too! Combined for like 42 points I think…
Nate Timmons - January 18, 2012
Sounds like a matchup that would make a great playoff series.
Kinda disappointing we’re in different conferences.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
just means we'll have to see them in the finals :)
Patrick KB. Nugget - January 18, 2012
Man
Birdman with waaaaay too many minutes tonight
oxsnard - January 18, 2012 via Android app
Nene's early foul trouble contributed to Bird having more minutes, me thinks
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
This is so, but it begs the question why K2 got no burn in the 2nd half
Russscot - January 18, 2012
so so so so so true. and kost yanked after 4-3 in 6 minutes never to return?
what the fuck is g.k.’s problem with good 7 footers?
Patrick KB. Nugget - January 18, 2012
They alter the flow of the karma in a basketball way that upsets the basketball gods.
Or something like that.
margabelle - January 19, 2012
Did you not see the game?
Bird looked excellent out there. No way did he play too many minutes!
NugzJunkie - January 19, 2012
Wait, so Stern was actually at the game??
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
Yep
oxsnard - January 18, 2012 via Android app
I was about to mention it.
That’s what it says in the ESPN recap.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
Just saw it on NBA TV...weird..
why that game of all games?
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
Per ESPN.
Of course it had to back to the Heat..
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
Darn, I was hoping he was
going to talk about the new Nuggets and their brand of team basketball….
/slaps forehead
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
You’re better off with Lebron saying he’s not as clutch as he thinks he is.
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
I know. I can't imagine what I was thinking.....
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
great game
nugs had every excuse to pack it in after second quarter and they gutted it out. props to dre miller.
Dr. Jre - January 18, 2012
Where's Cloudburst
I’m doing what I can over at Blazer’s Edge
CombatChuk - January 18, 2012
What are you talking about?
Nate Timmons - January 18, 2012
Something about anti-luck or something.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
Here
http://www.denverstiffs.com/2012/1/18/2717293/nuggets-at-76ers-second-half-thread#89158904
CombatChuk - January 18, 2012
It worked
you are now officially the rabbit foot of the Denverstiffs.
CloudBurst - January 18, 2012
Miller and Nene with great games tonight!
Memo to the Players and Coach Karl enjoy the win but be ready for the Wiz!!!!
SD_Nugget_Fan - January 18, 2012
Anyone else think Miller was engaged tonight because he was playing one of his old teams?
InboundingLobPass - January 18, 2012
It’s always been that for Dre.
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
Good thing for us the Wizards totally treated him like crap when they traded him
(I know it didn’t happen, but don’t tell Miller that. He’s so old he might think he played for them once upon a time).
margabelle - January 18, 2012
Ha ha
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Yes
This is something he does.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
It sure looked like it!
Where was that when we played Portland? lol
SD_Nugget_Fan - January 18, 2012
great breakdown of the game Nate!
glad because i missed everything but OT and now i can fill in the gaps
Squito - January 18, 2012
From Yahoo!
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
lol
Replay showed there was some contact
CombatChuk - January 18, 2012
Gallo and Rooders taught him that.
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
Blazers lose!
Is that off-topic?
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Beat me by mere seconds
Russscot - January 18, 2012
no IMO
nugz4rollz - January 18, 2012
Yes
Nate didn’t like SD mentioning the New Orleans game.
So. My bad.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
ROLL CALL!
CloudBurst - January 18, 2012
Wate...wat?
Russscot - January 18, 2012
Roll call
Shows how how many posts you posted in the game threads.
simple as that.
CloudBurst - January 18, 2012
No...I was commenting on the fact that I led the comments :p
Russscot - January 18, 2012
ah gotcha
Its never easy to beat SD and her 600 comments on clarifications on clarifications of comments she made during a game thread.
CloudBurst - January 18, 2012
Spammer…
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
That's because I missed most of the 1st half
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
I'm embarassed
That I cracked 100.
This is what happens when I can have my laptop dedicated to typing instead of watching the game on it.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Overall our Free Throw % was 68 tonight.... is that good enough?
InboundingLobPass - January 18, 2012
I guess so tonight.
margabelle - January 18, 2012
No
Nuggets should shoot 80 percent.
Period.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Certainly not.
They’ve got to be well over 70% as a team, and they’ve been below that number too many times this season thus far.
neumdaddy - January 18, 2012
Thanks for the detailed recap
As I was on a plane for the game. Was part of gallo’s issue playing at four with Mozzy out? Great game by Miller.
Nuggets undefeated this year in games I don’t see.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
I think the ankle is giving him more trouble than the Nuggets are admitting.
He seems to lack the explosive quick first step he had earlier in the year, and he’s not finishing as strong at the rim.
Russscot - January 18, 2012
injured.
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
HEY!
KevinAwesome - January 18, 2012
really interested to see how they come out friday
playing a crappy team, coming off a huge, hard-fought win, with Melo’s knicks the next night, this is the dictionary definition of a trap game. Hopefully they have learned from recent games that they are not so good that they can just sleepwalk over inferior teams.
Rainbow skyline - January 18, 2012
especially considering that they just beat OKC.
They should have a ton of confidence. And it’s not like they don’t have talent. Wall, Young, MaGee, etc.
Russscot - January 18, 2012
Nuggets should go all out against the Wizards
Winning in NYC don’t mean shit unless they can beat a 2-12 team with some rest.
Ideally, Denver puts the pedal to the metal and gets a nice lead and can rest the starters in the fourth quarter.
but Denver has to play intense. Period.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
As much as I'm trying to hold on
to the Mission : 5-0 Road Trip.
We always seem to play way down to the competition. So this game does worry me.
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
It should
I was most worried about tonight’s game. But Washington can be tricky.
The nice things about NY, you know everyone will be up for that game. It will be good.
Can’t wait to watch it with the rest of you Stiffs.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
I have a feeling...
…We might have a Faried sighting on Friday.
CaddyJack - January 18, 2012
of course they should
but they can lose to the Wiz if they beat NYC and I’ll be all good…
Teekalong - January 18, 2012
I would blow a gasket
If Denver loses against Washington.
Losing to a 2-12 team is almost as bad as losing to the Hornets at home.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
I won't be surprised at all if we lose.
I’m even tempted to revise my prediction but I shan’t
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
Ny is most important game of the year
Big Fu to mr. keeping my options open. How is that working out for ya?
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
Good lord man, get over it!
SDcat09 - January 18, 2012
NEVAR!!!!
CombatChuk - January 18, 2012
That's
half the fun in sports, holding a grudge. Andre did it last nite and see what happens! I’m glad he didn’t just “get over it”
NewEraNugg - January 19, 2012
Sure
If it is all in fun. I’m totally for grudge matches and competition. But I cannot condone the way a lot of Denver fans act toward Melo. As if Denver’s never benefited from a player wanting to play elsewhere — hello there, Mr. John Elway! As if Melo was that good a player to be upset about in the first place.
Fly Agaric - January 19, 2012
I agree
but leaving to go to a “better” situation when the Nugget team is and has been better by far, reeks of MEloizm IMO. Which is fine because the more L’s the Knicks pile up, the dumbier the decision looks. Like TIDBM said, hows that working out for you?
Also playing somewhere for better part of a decade and leaving b4 the draft is different to me. To me it’s like breaking up w/ someone after dating a week vs leaving after 8 years of marriage, not apples to apples.
NewEraNugg - January 19, 2012
*dumber
NewEraNugg - January 19, 2012
amen
I hope the Nuggs dominate the Knicks
NewEraNugg - January 19, 2012
At the risk of going against the rules.
How many of you plan on staying on DS for a while longer and/or are watching the Clippers/Mavs game? It might be worth making a FanPost.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
will u be attending SFO?
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
Chauncey playing well... nice to see love him
5baker5 - January 18, 2012
.___.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
Yeah Chauncey looks fit
And he still has that leadership court presence. The man just oozes class and demands respect.
Nuggburg - January 18, 2012
Miller has always been clutch
he is anti-Raymond Felton. I love his composure. One of the benefits of not being an emotional player, which he isn’t, is he keeps cool and calm during the entire game.
I’m really glad he is with us this year, even if its only for a year.
CloudBurst - January 18, 2012
Me too
It was a great move to bring him back. Loved his taking over tonight.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Liberty Bell is also upset at the refs.
Must mean it was fair :p
Russscot - January 18, 2012
There were bad calls
Both ways. But some of the calls really swung the momentum to the 76ers at the start of the fourth quarter.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
I agree.
But the charge call in overtime (clearly not a charge) swung it back to Denver completely
Russscot - January 18, 2012
It did
Plenty of bad calls to go around.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
FOLKS ... didn't mean to sound or be too much of an asshole above!
I like to keep the recaps mainly game related. You can talk about results of other important games and whatnot. Just don’t go too far off into the rabbit hole!
THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU ALL … MILLER IS MY HERO FOR THE NIGHT! SUPERMAN!!!!!!
Go Nuggets!
Nate Timmons - January 18, 2012
on that note...
OMG Griffin!!!!!
Russscot - January 18, 2012
No worries Nate
You always bring the perfect amount of asshole to the conversation :p
NC Gold - January 18, 2012
Lol
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
and NC GOLD and I are still in the second half thread
keeping it pure OT for those interested
Squito - January 18, 2012
I won't mention I am watching the help on my iPad.
No rAbbits so far.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
Or that I watched money ball on the plane
And the gm traded players so the idiot coach would play the proper lineup.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
Great game!
Definitely won in spite of the refs. Talk about closing a game on the road when you are playing 5 on 8.
Happy OKC lost, kinda surprised the spurs won, happy NYK lost, happy Portland lost, and someone has to lose between Dallas and LAC…good day in the NBA!
I think Gallo will do well against NYK.
Everyone will love that rest between the NYK game and the Sac game.
Can someone tell me when Faried will play?
JR15 - January 18, 2012
Friday
When the Nuggets are up 28 in the third quarter against the Wizards.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Count on it.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
don't hate
I just saw that gary forbes was the raps player of the game
18 pts on .833 shooting, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk, 0 to, in 18 minutes
glad he’s getting some burn. liked that dude
Squito - January 18, 2012
Another impressive offensive output by the Toronto Raptors
Phil H. - January 18, 2012
Props to Forbes
TakeFive - January 18, 2012
+1
Artimus Mangilord - January 19, 2012
Watching Chauncey
I was thinking how intense it would be if we got the Clip-joint in the playoffs.
Ty vs Chris Paul
Andre vs Chauncey
That would be electric
Nuggburg - January 18, 2012
Speed vs Geriatrics?
CombatChuk - January 18, 2012
I project both teams finishing somewhere in the middle
It may well be a 4-5 match-up. Maybe even a 3-6.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Griffin vs Moz! hmm...
Phil H. - January 18, 2012
Remember
Dre vs Griffin?
CombatChuk - January 18, 2012
Don't mess with Andre
Nuggburg - January 18, 2012
i thought you were going to say DRE vs GRIFFIN
muahaha. someone got owned and it wasn’t dre
Squito - January 18, 2012
andre BULLET!
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
Did I hear that right?
Reggie Evans is on the Clippers??? Did they sign him when Kaman left? I winder what will happen in a NOH/LAC game.
Kaman is scared of Reggie lol
JR15 - January 18, 2012
He is...signed week and a half ago
Russscot - January 18, 2012
Kaman will wise up
and wear a cup
CombatChuk - January 18, 2012
my gf just watched that clip for the first time
she was like WHOA. GROSS
Squito - January 18, 2012
Protect
The family jewels at all times.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
Is it true that the Wizards beat Kevin Durant?
Nuggburg - January 18, 2012
Yes
Glorious, glorious truth!
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
Will wonders never cease?
Nuggburg - January 18, 2012
Yeah baby
It is an NBA revolution. the meek shall inherit the NBA title.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
Hell we beat Stern today
While he kept pushing the button as hard as possible. Anything can happen!!
JR15 - January 18, 2012
They should rest Gallo against the Wizards if his ankle isn't 100%
That way he’ll be more ready for the game against the Knicks. Dre was the man tonight, no question, but it was concerning that he seemed to be the only one that wanted the ball and would take a shot. I know he was on fire and all, but he could have used some help. Luckily in OT he got that help.
jd80229 - January 18, 2012
I agree
I think CB can start. Like to see Hamilton play some backup on the wing.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
In our dreams
Karl loathed rookies. But Koufax should play over Moz and rest Mox for NYK game.
I agree Gallo should rest too
JR15 - January 18, 2012
isn't Sandy Koufax a little old to be starting at this point?
couldn’t resist ;)
Russscot - January 18, 2012
Lol gotta love apple autocorrect
It says exactly what I want to say!
JR15 - January 18, 2012
As my old comp sic prof used to say.
You have to be masochiistic to own apple.
I own two.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
Rox want to sign Jamie Moyer, so anything is possible ;)
jd80229 - January 18, 2012
He's older than Koufax!
Russscot - January 18, 2012
Sandy Koufax?
Nuggets are unbeatable now
Nuggburg - January 18, 2012
anyone else going to the clips game next week?
Squito - January 18, 2012
i am
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
haha merry xmas!
moonchild808 - January 18, 2012
I really wish I could haha.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
too bad we could make a hawaii sign
Squito - January 18, 2012
I wonder can NBA refs ever become coaches
They know the game well and I would hire an ex-ref as a coach in a second especially if they recently quit and have a lot of buddies still reffing.
We know the league is rigged so why not play the game?
JR15 - January 18, 2012
That SBNation piece
a little earlier today argued for the Clippers trading Griffin to get D12. Part of the point was the huge advantage in defense and only slight reduction in offense. Sorta seeing the argument tonight.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
griffin is overrated, IMO
basically a Kmart.
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
OVER
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
With a little better offensive game... not by much though
5baker5 - January 18, 2012
his ball handling got way better this year
but he’s also in the cutting grass school with JR and AAA
Squito - January 18, 2012
kmart without the mouth
or intimidation.
moonchild808 - January 18, 2012
or the tattoos
5baker5 - January 18, 2012
He's not bad though.
Just that the hype has gotten ridiculous. Some people forget he’s only 22, that would be my main argument against a D12 for Griffin swap.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
Uh, what?
He’s the model of a K-Mart, but he’s way more explosive. Are you forgetting K-Mart was basically laughable offensively for anything outside of a dunk? Griffin is far from that.
neumdaddy - January 18, 2012
griffin has said he likens his game to kmart
i remember it specifically
Squito - January 18, 2012
Look how good K-Mart was with Kidd.
Not inconceivable that he could be better with CP3.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
do you think dwight
would want to play more pick n roll?
Squito - January 18, 2012
I'm trying to figure out whether or not this is a trick question.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
in orlando he posts and kicks out for jump shooters
i think cp3 is most effective in p&r… if blake leaves then it’s deandre and dwight on the floor at the same time, so i’m guessing they’d run more p&r.
Squito - January 18, 2012
the floor spacing would be horrible lol
they could probably flip deandre for a decent 4.
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
I could've sworn
Dwight runs a lot of P&R in Orlando. Thought that was Jameer’s specialty. Considering he really has no post moves lol.
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
he plays w his back to the basket a lot
but they do run a decent amount of PnR.
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
i guess i feel like i'm always watching him back guys down
or get double teamed and pass out to the many 3 point shooters they have
Squito - January 18, 2012
Planning to blow out both his knees?
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
Like what?
Griffin’s jumpshots are mediocre at best…just like KMart.
Also KMart’s other shot was his running hook which is the only other shot in Blake’s arsenal.
KMart was a waay better on the ball defender but a worse rebounder. In the end, griffin is pretty much like KMart.
A D12 for Griffin trade would be a steal for the Clippers.
JR15 - January 18, 2012
kmart was pretty legit in NJ, imo
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
and a total stud in college
the cincy bearcats were my fave team back in the day. they totally would’ve won the chip that year if kmart doesn’t get hurt. coach huggins always got the most out of his players.
Squito - January 18, 2012
Reggie Evans just hit two ft's
The world is ending
Russscot - January 18, 2012
MUAHAHAH
then he grabbed someone’s sack and the planet’s were once again aligned.
InboundingLobPass - January 18, 2012
Glass half empty
Great win! But doesn’t the way it happened point to one of this team’s major weaknesses? They don’t have players with that extra gear to get buckets when the game is on the line. It was tremendous to see Andre Miller step up—what a crafty player—but he can’t be that guy very often, can he?
Who wants the ball? Who has the skills and the burning desire to create a shot and score and/or get to the line when the team must score some points? The Sixers have several of those guys, and it wasn’t reassuring (in the long run) to see that Dre was our only one tonight.
LongWindedHank - January 18, 2012
Gallo
Didn’t see the game, but it has to be Gallo or Lawson. They each can do it. Need confidence and experience.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 18, 2012
I think Gallo will be the guy.
But I also think he’s gonna need a push from the coaching staff to become the guy. His unselfishness is both a blessing and a curse – kinda like Nene. Also, he’s surely still feeling the effect of the ankle sprain. He just doesn’t currently have the same explosiveness he had earlier.
Russscot - January 18, 2012
my sentiments exactly
shots going up were hesitant, they weren’t taking care of the ball in the final minutes, pretty much Dre’ bailed them out.
jd80229 - January 18, 2012
We will be fine
Gallo will need that rest between NYK and Sac game. He will be better then. The guy keeps playing even when he is limited by injury
JR15 - January 18, 2012
better in the OT though
Ty, Afflalo, and Nene hit some big shots. Harrington seemed a little MIA in crunch time though, or did I see that wrong?
jd80229 - January 18, 2012
Is nene(big fella) living up to his contract?!?
5baker5 - January 18, 2012
his drives to the hoop when they need them most in the 4th and OT would say so
haven’t seen that in crunch time that often in the past
jd80229 - January 18, 2012
I know... im use to seeing the always frustrating missed dunk from nene in crunch time
5baker5 - January 18, 2012
it looked like big al hurt his arm or shoulder in OT
he seemed messed up after that
Squito - January 18, 2012
Great points...
Don’t forget, Nene was begging for the ball in the post all night…even late. Dre had the mojo tonight… But I agree…would have been more reassuring if it were Lawson or Gallo.
Nate Timmons - January 18, 2012 via Android app
Still with the old mentality?
Your statement suggests that the great A+ players like Jordan, Bird or Magic never played an overtime game. It’s like saying, “Well if WE had a player like ’Bron, we would never have gone into overtime.”
If Miller doesn’t do it one night, someone else on our team will. That’s the point of us finally becoming a team. We win games together. lol – Of course I’m talking as if I’m actually one of the players… I’m SUCH a fanboi. :)
No matter how good or cohesive we become, we’re still going to have games where they fight just as hard as we do and we’ll have to figure out a way to win. Which we did last night.
Avarra - January 19, 2012
Not sure what the "old mentality" entails
Though I am indeed “old” when compared to most of you Stiffs. But my point above stands: a team that relies on a 35 year old backup point guard to stay in a game they should be leading in the first place is a team in need of a player or two who they can count on to score in crunch time. Let’s not forget this is the guy who can brilliantly get the ball to any player on the court any time he wants, yet last night he knew he was the guy who should have the ball. I guarantee that not even Andre Miller believes that’s how a Nuggets game should go.
Don’t get me wrong: Miller is a fabulous player most any team would be thrilled to have. His stellar performance that made the difference in what for him was a must-win game speaks for itself. He’s far from a gifted NBA scoring machine, yet there he was using his estimable noggin and his undeniable toughness to put the fucking ball in the hole when it mattered.
That last phrase should describe another player or two on the Nuggets. I’m thrilled to see a more team-oriented approach to what is, after all, a team sport. Remember, I’m the guy with “No. More. Stickyball.” as his signature.
I’m not clamoring for another pretty boy who lives for his own nightly highlight reel. But this team has a major weakness that needs to be addressed by management. I love Gallo, but he doesn’t have the footwork or the toughness to be that guy. Ty Lawson is often still quite tentative when it counts. Despite Nate’s pleading above, Nene is soft as can be. Maybe the guy believes the reason that otherwise lovely finger-roll keeps clanging off the back of the iron is that God himself doesn’t want it to go down. I have no idea why he cannot consistently put the ball in the basket at point-blank range, but he’s not figuring it out, either. And no, I don’t give a shit that he shot the highest percentage in the league last year. HE’S SOFT OR INVISIBLE AT CRUNCH TIME.
That’s my (hundred and twenty) two cents.
LongWindedHank - January 19, 2012
Pleading for Nene? Come on man!
If you watch that game or re-watch it … look for how much Nene is asking for the ball in the post and posting up! Guy was bringing it last night and had a huge size advantage over Elton Brand (likely helped his aggression).
I’m not cheerleading for Nene here … I’m telling you what I saw. I agree his layups are frustrating, but the guy is asserting himself more.
Fourth Quarter:
Nene’s stats: 0-2 shooting (missed 17 footer and missed layup that he should have dunked or put off the glass)
1 turnover on a bad pass-out – to Afflalo I think.
5 rebounds (1 offensive)
He checked into the game at the 11;22 mark for Birdman with 4 fouls. He logged a lot of minutes and was looking for his offense. Yes, he missed the shots, the 17 footer came with the shot clock winding down – but I liked that he wasn’t shying away.
Overtime:
Nene’s stats: 2-2 (a bunny and a layup) 1 rebound.
Nene was just as key in OT as Miller if you ask me.
I credit Nene with a nice game and one where he didn’t shy away from the spotlight, like he has done at times in the past. I believe he’s attempting to play a bigger role on the team this year.
Nate Timmons - January 19, 2012
Hard to argue with 20 and 14!
I must agree that Nene is making strides. I actually like the guy’s game, especially as a solid-to-very-good PF threat on this deep team that has nearly everything. So many weapons, and such good team play, especially in the open floor.
But Nene’s too soft, and in plenty of ways. He can demand the ball all he wants, Nate, but he has to look to his teammates like he can actually a) get and maintain a good position to receive it, and b) be a good bet to get to the hole and put ball in same—or require getting nailed hard by a defender to prevent it. IMHO, he’s neither of those as consistently as he needs to be. He gets moved off the block like crazy, and he’s not exactly a reliably resounding finisher.
Let’s agree to disagree! These Nuggets are exciting as can be, and I’m hoping they get it all put together for more consistent play. They already make life hell for opposing teams, though not well enough as individual players, which is the only glaring hole they have. This fan will continue to clamor for that to get remedied!
LongWindedHank - January 19, 2012
I totally agree with you points about Nene not proving he can finish at a high-percentage in the post. I was noticing him getting moved off the block as well.
I was listening to Shaq on TNT talking about Andrew Bynum (not sure if you and I talked about this already) and how Bynum took a page from Shaq’s book and goes right to the front of the rim in transition, while other bigs run for the block. The difference, at the rim you get the ball in prime position and on the block you can be easily shoved off.
There is much that I would change about Nene’s game and I feel like, this season, that he’s trying to change a bit too. Hard for an old dog to learn new tricks … I think me hoping for a 100% change in Nene’s mentality is just not realistic, but a little improvement might also go a long way.
Can you imagine if he had a different mentality? Just dunked all the time! Talking Hall of Fame player then …
Nate Timmons - January 19, 2012
Yes, I've been thinking about that mentality thing
Nate, I’ve long said something very similar about plenty of players: “If only they had the personality to dominate.” Or, “Damn, I wonder if he can develop the will to do ______.” As an avant-garde music producer, I’ve even said things like that about improvisers, wondering if they can change the musical choices they’re making on stage or in the studio.
I recently decided how silly I was with that stuff. A player’s (or performer’s) personality is inseparable from their very being, their talent and how they work to develop their skills. How they talk/play/act/relate and so on are all of a piece.
I don’t think I’m explaining this very well, but it’s hard in this space, and I haven’t thought about it enough. Let’s just say I no longer believe anyone will have an epiphany and suddenly change their approach to their life’s work.
Finally, I really appreciate Nene and how hard he’s working. It’s all too easy for us in our armchairs to rag on professionals who have a very difficult job playing against some of the best athletes (and minds on the bench) in the world. At the same time, I believe the Nuggets management pros need to take one more step to make the Nuggets all they can be.
Thanks for the exchange, Nate.
LongWindedHank - January 19, 2012
I'm mostly with you on this, KFH
I was happy about the W last night, but it came with the acknowledgment that Dre put the team on his back to get it done or Philly would have run away with it much like they almost did when they went on that 13 point swing when we went cold (and Karl waited until the lead was gone to call a TO…but I digress).
Who else on this current squad can do what Dre did last night when Karl’s random basketball is ineffective, when the opposing crowd is deafening, when the opposition has the momentum…? All I’m saying is that last night’s win revealed how the lack of a go-to guy may unravel this squad in crunch moments. Without Dre presumably next year, who is that player going to be?
Artimus Mangilord - January 19, 2012
Lawson.
Nate Timmons - January 19, 2012 via Android app
Fair enough!
Artimus Mangilord - January 20, 2012
Could be Lawson, Gallo, Nene
Though as I say above, they’re not there yet. Why can’t it be someone Ujiri goes after? It’s this roster’s missing link (said the broken record—again).
And yes indeed, the coaching is responsible for plenty of this problem. We’ve been harping on it so much here, eh? I can’t pretend to understand George Karl, though I continue to say he’s a player’s coach first. (Yeah, some of his former players would laugh derisively at that assertion.) I guess that means those players have to step up.
LongWindedHank - January 19, 2012
I agree
that’s my fear w/ this team. They can run w/ anyone for 3 1/2 qtrs, but come crunch time they pucker, it will only get worse in bigger games.
NewEraNugg - January 19, 2012
Okay, I know that rebounding
is one of the Clippers weaknesses (that’s why they signed Reggie Evans), but this is RIDICULOUS. Worse than us!
Agaliarept - January 18, 2012
dre made the 5 to be traded list on BR posted earlier today...
if we were to trade anyone what should be looking for? another big that can score? another point guard that can play fast?
Squito - January 18, 2012
this didn't make it through
http://goo.gl/Ed2KF
Squito - January 18, 2012
Lol at us trading Miller for "Bench Depth"
Russscot - January 18, 2012
If there's one thing this team needs,
it’s some depth.
Shoemaker - January 18, 2012
Yeah second in the league in bench scoring
Means we need a TON of bench help.
JR15 - January 19, 2012 via mobile
Nice win
very impressive win in Philly! That team really has improved this year. I don’t know what was wrong with Gallo tonight… he seemed disinterested. Anyways great game by Nene and great to see Dre show the young fellas whats up every once in a while and win us a game by himself! Great game, now get some rest for the shit Wizzards and then Melo
NastyNessy71 - January 18, 2012
here's my prediction.
the nuggets will be without rudy, timo, galo and carrol against the wiz, kufos will start and play 7 minutes, and g.k. STILL will only go 8 deep unless there is a serious blowout.
it is inexcusable that our core players are all gong to be banged up and dog tired in the playoffs due to him stubbornly not utilizing our size/depth.
Patrick KB. Nugget - January 18, 2012
Yup
Serious. When I first started posting here two, three years ago, that was my big gripe. I had a signature calling for a 10-man rotation or something. And back then, Denver didn’t have near the talent on its bench.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
I thought he would be savvy this season
And give the rookies some time on the back to backs as well as play tall since we have two 7 footers. How wrong I was.
KevinAwesome - January 18, 2012
I'm not going to bicker too much while we are winning
but I can’t think of any reason not to give Kouf more burn this year, and also play both Brewer and Rudy when healthy. While I’m a huge Faried fan and actually Hamilton as well, I can live with their “tacos” status as its not unusual for rooks to sit early, particularly without training camp. Whatever. It wouldn’t be NBA fan-dom if we’re not all complaining about player rotations.
Teekalong - January 19, 2012
That's the Nene I am happy to pay 10+ mill a year for!
Andre was the star, but Nene was a beast. Stayed aggressive offensively, didn’t let the officiating bother him (too much), and crashed the boards. Way to go big man!
ZTC_87 - January 18, 2012
I'm happy the Wizards won
Beating the Thunder will probably make the Nuggets much more cautious going in – no win is a guarantee.
KevinAwesome - January 18, 2012
i was thinking the same thing
i was also thinking that you are way better than the other kevin. the gif guy.
Patrick KB. Nugget - January 18, 2012
I AM THE GIF GUY
Kevin L wishes he was me.
KevinAwesome - January 18, 2012
Ha ha
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
oh i take it back then
Patrick KB. Nugget - January 18, 2012
And it will make the Wizards much less desperate for a win
As a rule, I always like to play an opponent after they’ve won. Preferably in triple overtime the night before while playing late several time zones to the west.
Just kidding about that last part. I actually think wins against tired teams on a back to back are a bit worthless. Still a W. But. You know. Doesn’t mean as much.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
It actually is true that on any given night
any NBA team can beat another. Even a bunch of poorly coached hotshots like the Wizards can beat an excellent team like the Thunder if they pay well and the planets line up just right.
LongWindedHank - January 18, 2012
I wonder if they are freaking out on the OKC blog
Like I was after the Jazz loss?
I was livid.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Pay well? I thought Donaghy didn't call games anymore :)
NC Gold - January 18, 2012
Good catch! *play well
Funny mistake. Hope there are no such shenanigans going on.
LongWindedHank - January 18, 2012
Me too and though my attempt at humor was a stretch, it was too tempting to pass up.
NC Gold - January 18, 2012
thank god we dont have to watch CB1 launch ridiculous 3s
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
Ummm...did you see that three?
Russscot - January 18, 2012
did u see his previous shot this quarter
and that TO
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
Bottoms!
That went though the hoop so clean that I thought it was an airball until I heard the crowd’s reaction.
NuggetsFan99 - January 18, 2012
me too!
moonchild808 - January 18, 2012
big TO by chauncey
Squito - January 18, 2012
Why are so many Stiffs upset with Miller?
I know what he’s said, but I still don’t understand why anybody would be “upset” with him.
NuggetsFan99 - January 18, 2012
i think it's because we we're supposed to have good locker room vibe
this year… don’t want to mess that up
Squito - January 18, 2012
It's not like he ever complained; just answered a question honestly about his future.
And said he would play out the season as a back-up to Ty and be professional about it.
It’s clear with performances like tonight he deserves a starting somewhere spot in the L.
NuggetsFan99 - January 18, 2012
I was more burned
By the two bad games than a competitor wanting to start.
More the combination of the two than either. You know?
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
It's his first season in the role he's currently playing
There’s going to be some inconsistencies from him. It’s got to be tough to adjust when you’re accustomed to being the main man running the squads for 12 straight years.
NuggetsFan99 - January 18, 2012
I was pissed
Because for 3 games after that article he looked disinterested and played pretty terribly. He came back in full force tonight, which makes him an even bigger engima.
KevinAwesome - January 18, 2012
Can you say "against his old team that didn't keep him around?"
I know you can.
LongWindedHank - January 19, 2012
MR. BIG SHOT!
free7694 - January 18, 2012
Who do you think you are?
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
big shot earning his name again
great play
Squito - January 18, 2012
see that is an actual play.
i’ve never seen george karl draw up a play like that
Squito - January 18, 2012
seriously
808inDenver - January 18, 2012
I'd have Karl over Del Negro
100% of the time
JR15 - January 19, 2012 via mobile
^This x 1000
How on earth do guys like Del Negro get a head coaching gig in the National Basketball Association? Can you say “Mark Jackson?” Holy crap.
LongWindedHank - January 19, 2012
BUH BUH BUH BILLUPS
Rainbow skyline - January 18, 2012
Holy Shit
Chauncey
the real stranger - January 18, 2012
Chauncey!
InboundingLobPass - January 18, 2012 via mobile
What happened?
I don’t have the game on. Give me a recap.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Look up.
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
That is a .gif
Of Terry after AAA hit a game-winner.
Makes no sense.
Unless you want to say that CB just hit a game-winner. Which is what I would assume. But. I don’t like to do that.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Same face after Chauncey’s shot though.
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
DID CHAUNCEY HIT A GAME WINNER
YES or NO?
:)
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
This gif is used for many things. This is one of them.
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
Nevermind
I’ll just read Yahoo! in the morning to find out what happened and why people are typing “CHAUNCEY!” and posting Jason Terry .gifs.
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Yes, he did.
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
hahaha... YES, cb1 hit a game winner!!!
moonchild808 - January 18, 2012
Thank you
…
Fly Agaric - January 18, 2012
Jason Terry gif needed.
InboundingLobPass - January 18, 2012 via mobile
sigh….
Kevin L - January 18, 2012
perfect!
InboundingLobPass - January 18, 2012 via mobile
Nuggets overcome 76ers and the refs
Thunder lose to the wizards; Portland loses to hawks
And here’s a picture of David Stern with George Karl.
Nuggburg - January 18, 2012
which is which?
InboundingLobPass - January 19, 2012 via mobile
Parallel universe episode
So Kirk is Karl. The goatee is wrong but the Nuggets won, so Karl is Kirk. This is late night logic.
Nuggburg - January 19, 2012 via mobile
this concerns me
TyLawesome - January 19, 2012
He will be fine
needs rest
Jeffrey Morton - January 19, 2012
I wonder if he is still hurt, he looked very passive to me. Well, only attempting 3 shots in 33 minutes reveals that
TyLawesome - January 19, 2012
I think he is still hurt. He wasn't even driving to the hoop. Three shots is very unusual for him
Jeffrey Morton - January 19, 2012
I keep saying this
But the man was burning a lot of energy on the defensive end, holding Igoudala to jump shots. And it is hard to fault a man for dialing it back when one of his teammate’s was happy to pick up the slack.
Trust me, on a team with no superstars, different Nuggets are going to carry the team on different nights. By taking only three shots, Gallo was just saying, “Hey, not me tonight fellows. I’m working on defense. You go right ahead, Andre.”
I just hope the ankle isn’t bothering him that much. With Rudy down, the Nuggets can’t afford to also miss Gallo. It would drive down the Nuggets’ good looks index. We can’t have that!
Fly Agaric - January 19, 2012
A liberty baller commenter mentioned a reporter's tweet
that Andre Miller whishpered “66%” in Iguadola’s ear before Iggy missed a chance at making game winning free throws.
margabelle - January 19, 2012
Fantastic
I’m still glowing over this win. Good thing. I steamed about the Hornets loss for a week.
Maybe if Cat is right and the Nuggets go 5-0 on this trip will I shut up about going 2-2 during a homestand.
But probably not. I don’t think we should ever forget what complacency does. Really hope Denver gets some rest today and takes care of business tomorrow against the Wizards. None of this looking ahead to the Knicks bullshit.
Except for Karl. He should be aware of the back-to-back and extend his rotations somewhat. Hopefully there is a nice lead and Faried and McGee can take turns making crazy stupid dunks.
Fly Agaric - January 19, 2012
If this is true
I will love Miller til the end of time.
SDcat09 - January 19, 2012
Bwahaha
I want to see a GIF of that
Artimus Mangilord - January 19, 2012
Via @JohnSchulmann
waterboy31321 - January 19, 2012
Nice win.
Dre’s a pro.
Pusherman - January 19, 2012
Nice job Nate
Excellent write up Nate. For anyone who didn’t catch the game (where the h*ll were you) this is a close second.
I’m glad you pointed out Violet Palmer; she is the worst referee in the league – and does have a deep loathing for Nuggets.
The foul she called against Denver with 4 seconds left should have been the dagger. How Iguodala misses the first free throw is shocking. Thankfully Andre Miller put the team on his shoulders and carried us to victory. Great game, good victory for the Nuggets.
Professor of Science - January 19, 2012
Thanks man.
Can’t recall seeing you around here before – welcome to the posting side of Denver Stiffs.
Nate Timmons - January 19, 2012
Can you explain more about the Violet Palmer deep loathing for Denver?
What is that born of?
SDcat09 - January 19, 2012
Are you asking about the source or the manifestation of said loathing?
Artimus Mangilord - January 19, 2012
Both?
SDcat09 - January 19, 2012
I have no idea of the former
But I started paying attention to the names and faces of officials over the last few years and anecdotally she really sticks some bad calls to us. However, she helped us out at the end last night with a poor whistle.
Artimus Mangilord - January 19, 2012
I don't really know Cat.
Just seems like whenever she is officiating games that I watch, typically against Denver, she just misses calls or makes blatant bad calls. I love the fact that the NBA has a woman official (thought there were two?), but she is just not a good one. Lots of other bad officials too!
Nate Timmons - January 19, 2012
I'm starting to think Dick Bavetta is a cyborg who will be running the court long after man ceases to exist
Artimus Mangilord - January 20, 2012
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