Dex
04-11-2010, 01:30 PM
Nuggets waste Martin's return
By Chris Dempsey
The Denver Post
POSTED: 04/11/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_14862163
Twenty minutes after the game, Carmelo Anthony was long gone, his locker empty. He had plenty of time to get as far away from the Pepsi Center as he could after being ejected in the fourth quarter.
Chauncey Billups usually takes more time, but Saturday night he was quickly dressed and ready to go. Yet he stood for a few moments to explain the odd circumstances that surrounded the Nuggets' latest loss, a 104-85 defeat at the hands of the Spurs.
"It was a rough day for us," Billups said. "However you want to put it. They came in and played the way they play. They outhustled us, beat us to offensive rebounds. It was a rough night, period."
It was a night that snapped the Nuggets' four-game winning streak and dropped them a full game behind the Mavericks, who won Saturday night, in the race for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Even worse, it dropped the Nuggets into a tie with Utah for the Northwest Division lead with two games to play.
And while the Nuggets' effort was suspect, the officiating didn't help. At least the fans didn't think so.
Boos rained on the officials during a self-destructive fourth quarter and as they walked off the court after it was over. At the end of the game, officiating calls had allowed San Antonio to shoot 14 more free throws than the Nuggets. The Spurs had 28 free throws in the fourth quarter alone. All of it spoiled the return of Kenyon Martin, who played for the first time since March 3 (left knee).
"I can put a finger on what happened," Martin said. "But it might cost me a little bit, so I'm going to keep my mouth closed."
Said Nuggets acting head coach Adrian Dantley: "The officials call what they see."
Anthony was ejected for arguing a foul. J.R. Smith and Billups were handed technical fouls for arguing as well. But the Nuggets problems' started much earlier.
Hustling was a problem. The Spurs, who lost Friday night against Memphis, looked like the team on a day's rest. Instead, they were playing the second game of a back-to-back set. But they held a 48-31 rebounding edge and turned 16 Denver turnovers into 22 points.
"They beat us in all facets of the game," Dantley said. "We talked about transition defense all year, offensive rebounds, and we just didn't pass the ball. Pick-and-roll defense beat us up right from the beginning. We didn't do what we were supposed to do."
And yet in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets found themselves down just five points (68-63) with 10:50 to play. But the Spurs answered with a 13-0 run to effectively put the game away.
Billups led the Nuggets with 27 points. Anthony had 19 before he departed. But the silver lining in a bad-news game was Martin.
Martin, who missed the previous 18 games, played 22 minutes and contributed six points and 10 rebounds. Afterward, he said he felt good on the court but is most interested to see how he feels today.
"That's what I'm going to judge it on," Martin said. "You have adrenaline going and things like that when you're on the court. But my leg was fine on the court."
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or [email protected]
By Chris Dempsey
The Denver Post
POSTED: 04/11/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_14862163
Twenty minutes after the game, Carmelo Anthony was long gone, his locker empty. He had plenty of time to get as far away from the Pepsi Center as he could after being ejected in the fourth quarter.
Chauncey Billups usually takes more time, but Saturday night he was quickly dressed and ready to go. Yet he stood for a few moments to explain the odd circumstances that surrounded the Nuggets' latest loss, a 104-85 defeat at the hands of the Spurs.
"It was a rough day for us," Billups said. "However you want to put it. They came in and played the way they play. They outhustled us, beat us to offensive rebounds. It was a rough night, period."
It was a night that snapped the Nuggets' four-game winning streak and dropped them a full game behind the Mavericks, who won Saturday night, in the race for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Even worse, it dropped the Nuggets into a tie with Utah for the Northwest Division lead with two games to play.
And while the Nuggets' effort was suspect, the officiating didn't help. At least the fans didn't think so.
Boos rained on the officials during a self-destructive fourth quarter and as they walked off the court after it was over. At the end of the game, officiating calls had allowed San Antonio to shoot 14 more free throws than the Nuggets. The Spurs had 28 free throws in the fourth quarter alone. All of it spoiled the return of Kenyon Martin, who played for the first time since March 3 (left knee).
"I can put a finger on what happened," Martin said. "But it might cost me a little bit, so I'm going to keep my mouth closed."
Said Nuggets acting head coach Adrian Dantley: "The officials call what they see."
Anthony was ejected for arguing a foul. J.R. Smith and Billups were handed technical fouls for arguing as well. But the Nuggets problems' started much earlier.
Hustling was a problem. The Spurs, who lost Friday night against Memphis, looked like the team on a day's rest. Instead, they were playing the second game of a back-to-back set. But they held a 48-31 rebounding edge and turned 16 Denver turnovers into 22 points.
"They beat us in all facets of the game," Dantley said. "We talked about transition defense all year, offensive rebounds, and we just didn't pass the ball. Pick-and-roll defense beat us up right from the beginning. We didn't do what we were supposed to do."
And yet in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets found themselves down just five points (68-63) with 10:50 to play. But the Spurs answered with a 13-0 run to effectively put the game away.
Billups led the Nuggets with 27 points. Anthony had 19 before he departed. But the silver lining in a bad-news game was Martin.
Martin, who missed the previous 18 games, played 22 minutes and contributed six points and 10 rebounds. Afterward, he said he felt good on the court but is most interested to see how he feels today.
"That's what I'm going to judge it on," Martin said. "You have adrenaline going and things like that when you're on the court. But my leg was fine on the court."
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or [email protected]