It didn’t take the Nuggets long to erase the nightmare in Washington. Once again we got to witness the Nuggets beat up on a member of the NBA’s elite.
The good news for the Nuggets … the playoffs will be filled with the types of teams the Nuggets love to beat up on. Yesterday the Nuggets beat up on a Boston team that was riding a three-game win streak (all on the road). Denver controlled the pace of the game and kept Boston at a safe distance throughout much of the contest.
Saturday morning I headed out to 24-Hour Fitness with my buddy Hunter and we got in some 5-on-5 pickup games. Sitting back after my game, watching the next contest I marveled at just how clean and beautiful the NBA game is. It’s so easy to take the game for granted and to feel a letdown when shots aren’t falling, rebounds aren’t corralled or when turnovers occur. But to take a step back and just realize just how incredibly hard the game of basketball is and just how easy the professionals make it look is amazing. The Nuggets came out yesterday looking fresh and jumped out to a quick lead. We saw the Nuggets do what they do best … run and gun.
Denver had a few hiccups along the way, mainly the 15 missed free throws (25-40), but their energy was evident from the opening tip and they forced Boston to play at an uncomfortable pace. Five Nuggets scored in double figures and Melo was very efficient, going 7-15 from the field (8-9 from the foul line) to score 23 points, grabbing 4 rebounds and handing out 8 assists.
Once again we saw how an unselfish Nuggets team (24 assists) can thump their opponent. We’re getting to a point that when Denver faces a good team you can almost sit back and relax and just enjoy the show. This is definitely a period in Nuggets history that when I was a kid I wasn’t sure we’d ever get to. The Nuggets are an elite team and can win the championship this season. We all know this team will have a chance to make this a very special season and that is why we get upset when losses to the Wizards and Timberwolves occur. The window for a championship doesn’t remain open for very long, but it’s open right now for the Nuggets.
Views you can use:
- The Nuggets frontcourt more than held their own against a big Celtics team. Kenyon Martin posted yet another double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Nene also turned in a double-dip with 16 points and 10 boards. Birdman, sporting the Pat Riley slicked back hair notched 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks.
- Melo and Chauncey Billups combined to go 18-19 from the foul line as the rest of the team went just 7-21 from the freebie line.
- Mr. Big Shot led the team with 26 points and he handed out 7 assists.
Photo courtesy of AP Photos
