Carmelo Anthony needs two more points to pass Ralph Simpson (above) for fourth place on Denver's all-time scoring list. (photo via nba.com)
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vs. |
 |
|---|---|---|
| 37-18 (17-12 road) |
27-31 (16-11 home) |
|
| February 22, 2009 - 4:00PM CT | ||
| Bradley Center |
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Radio: 620 WTMJ TV: None. |
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Probable starters: |
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| Chauncey Billups |
PG | Ramon Sessions |
| Dahntay Jones |
SG | Luc Mbah a Moute |
| Carmelo Anthony* |
SF | Richard Jefferson |
| Kenyon Martin* |
PF | Charlie Villanueva |
| Nene Hilario |
C | Francisco Elson |
| 106.4 (11th) |
Off | 104.6 (17th) |
| 102.5 (7th) |
Def | 104.4 (15th) |
| 97.0 (6th) |
Pace | 94.4 (14th) |
| 26.3 (16th) |
OReb | 29.1 (5th) |
| 72.1 (22nd) |
DReb | 74.2 (13th) |
08/09 Series:
Nov. 18: @Nuggets 114 Bucks 105
Injuries
Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony (knee) and Kenyon Martin (back) are questionable. Steven Hunter (knee) is out.
Bucks: Michael Redd is out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL. Andrew Bogut is out with a stress fracture in his lower back.
Three Points
-
Hurting all around. Denver is coming off a 116-99 loss that was bad news for the Bucks -- because they fell to the Bulls, who are now just half a game behind Milwaukee for the final playoff spot. They blew a double digit lead and fell hard against a short-handed Chicago club for just their second loss in February. The Nuggets of course can continue to hurt the Bucks by winning today, though they might have to do so without Carmelo Anthony or Kenyon Martin, who might not play.
- Dunkin' Denver. The Nuggets lead the NBA in dunks as a team, rather easily outpacing the Lakers. Nene leads the team in dunks, and ranks third in the NBA, with 104. In other words, Nene has more dunks than either the Spurs or Pacers. The dunk is the highest percentage of shots, so it's no wonder that Hilario leads the NBA in FG% at 61.1 %. You'll hear plenty about how Chauncey Billups has transformed the Nuggets, and for good reason, but the Brazilian center's progress has also been a chief reason for the team's success this season. You also may be tempted to say that missing Andrew Bogut is especially devastating in games like this one, but that would be ignoring their positively one-sided head-to-head history.
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They call him Carmelo. So, the Nuggets have the player who makes the highest percentage of attempts in the NBA and another guy nicknamed Mr. Big Shot. But don't lose track of the man who is arguably the most dangerous player with the ball in his hands for a game-winning shot: Carmelo Anthony, who has hit 13-27 (.481) of game-winners in the last five years. There is some definitional stuff very worth checking out, but Anthony's numbers are surprisingly overwhelming compared to those of many other star players by 82games.com's count. Then again, 'Melo is coming off a 5-18 shooting night in Chicago, and is a game-time decision, as previously noted.
Coverage:
Bucks.com / Pickaxe and Roll / Roundball Mining Company / Nugg Doctor / Denver Post / Rocky Mountain News