Recap: Nuggets 111 Knicks 104

by Tommy Dee on March 31st, 2009 at 10:37 pm

BOX SCORE
SHOT CHART

The Knicks slept walked through another first half in Denver allow for the Nuggets to shoot 70 percent from the field before, again, snapping out of it and making it a game.

Appropriate, isn’t it, that the team  forced itself to hike uphill in the Rocky Mountains only to suck wind and come up short for the second time in two nights.

Carmelo Anthony, who’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors, was brilliant tonight finishing with 29. Let’s face it, the guy is a special player. How on earth would the Nuggs want him to go elsewhere I have no idea. And how about that loon Chris “Birdman” Anderson off the bench? Talk about active. Throw in Big Shot Billups and this team can make a little noise come playoff time. But the guy I always liked is Klinas, whom apparently was offered to the Knicks for David Lee back in December. Straight up, I still don’t make that move.

Nate Robinson bounced back from a few spotty outings to pace the Knicks with 30, but the disturbing trend with this team is that opponents just feel that they can do whatever they want in the first and 4th quarters. It’s almost as if the teams relax and take 24 minutes off then just step on the Knicks throats.

There is no ball pressure or any energy whatsoever to start the game, yet all of a sudden the team has it’s hands in the passing lanes and they are contesting shots. Every loose ball is theirs as is every rebound.

Amazing.

The Knicks needed both the Pistons and Bulls to win so that they could be mathematically eliminated, but both teams lost tonight.

The team returns to action Saturday afternoon against the Raptors.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
  • Brett Justin

    eyy who would of thought knicks go down by a lot we make a comeback and we still end up losing… Ive never seen that before were almost as predictable as chris duhon..and ofcourse we dont get sims or crawford in the game…

  • Mucha

    If the Nuggets can’t get past the first round of the playoffs (again) then Carmelo Anthony could be available IMO. But that is a big if, and I think they are good enough to win a series against the Hornets, the Rockets or the Mavericks this year.

    Melo has changed and what I like is the fact that he got 29 points but he did not get a lot of touches – he’s a hundred times better now IMO. And his team is good this year, I mean really good.

    The Knicks defense was ridiculous once again but that game was entertaining. They are really unpredictable. And with the number one pick…

  • Jeff Cykiert

    I have always hated on melo, but it is true; he is so much more efficient and productive now than he ever was. He came into the season with a new outlook on the game (one that was more team oriented), and came in the opening stretch with an impressive rebounding display, but a slight decline in his scoring. (This is what happens when players start to play team basketball.) Now he’s getting comfortable in the role and is showing us that superstar that we have seen glimpses of, only now he is using his power more responsibly.

    I have said recently that i wouldn’t want a player like melo, but i take it back now.

    Chandler has been a beast lately. 4 blocks, 3 steals. I’m liking his overall display of skills; it’s his decision making that should be worked on, but that might just come with experience.

  • aknickted

    Is melo really the player we want?maybe he changed,and lets see if he helps his team in the playoffs.
    if someone knows the answer please tell me,for the last 4 years,on pen and paper,who had a better team than the nuggets?(maybe one or to)iverson,melo,camby,kmart,nene etc….. yet they failed to get out of the first round. chemistry,injuries…….. carmelo did not seem to play well with other stars,i agree iverson cant play with anybody else other then himself.but still. why will it work on the knicks,carmelo meshing with another star?

  • Jeff Cykiert

    I have had the same line of thought since melo entered the league, but i think most of the reason why that was the case for the past 4 years was AI. Two ball dominating wing-men (i call AI a win-men even though he tried to run the point with them) with no pointguard, especially when one of those guys is AI, is a huge problem. Now there is a floor general and Melo is learning to feed off of that, and is playing better defense as an extra plus. He’s learning how to be productive without hurting the production of the rest of his team.
    He’s still below certain players on my list such as lebron, Wade, Bosh, Joe Johnson, Amare, and i guess Dirk, but i’m changing my stance from “no thanks” to “if we do land him i will be happy.”

  • Mucha

    The Nuggets would have been 4th in the East, ahead of the Cavaliers and they had to deal with a tougher schedule. I know the Cavs weren’t that good, the Nuggets obviously had a better team BUT, Nene was injuried, Martin was 50/50, Iverson was playing with the ball stuck to his hands and Anthony Carter was the point guard. Could Anthony really get past the Lakers in the first round? I mean the Nuggets had a better record than the Cavaliers, yet Anthony had to play against the Lakers, James had to play against the Wizards.

    Now Jeff, you put Dirk Nowizki and Joe Johnson ahead of Anthony, I don’t criticize that but Anthony is 24 years old. Nowitzki’s 30 and Johnson will be 30 at the end of the 2010-2011 season. Both are great players but they are not young enough to be ahead of Anthony on my list. Just my opinion, peace.

  • italian stallion

    What happened to Balkman last night? LOL

    I think Balkman is a decent player. He doesn’t have an outside shot and can’t hit free throws, but at least he knows it. He scores efficiently inside, rebounds better than the average SF, and plays very good defense. IMO, he just has to be teamed with players that can compensate for his lower than average offensive skill/production. He’s a role player.

    The thing that freaks me out about him is that he has some fans that think he’s better than Chandler, very underrated now, and that it was a huge error to give him away etc…

    At the same, those same folks don’t like Chandler much because he’s not a very efficient scorer and pretty average in every other way “SO FAR”.

    Personally, I think some of those folks have a very limited understanding of the game of basketball. I am looking forward to a few years from now when Chandler has improved his shot selection and actual skill level in multiple areas and Balkman is still riding the pine because he can’t hit a shot. Of course they will probably still insist all these coaches and managments are wrong about Balkman. ROTFLMAO

  • jcmoney

    What teams had a better pen and paper lineup than the Nuggets? The Celtics, Lakers, Cavs, Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Pistons? Just to name a few?

    They had Iverson and Melo, yes. But how can you blame Melo for not playing well with Iverson when Melo adapted to Billups, but Iverson has never adapted to anyone? Camby, K-Mart, Nene were all injured for significant time. It was the Carmelo Anthony show in Denver for years. And he still made the playoffs.

  • jcmoney

    I didnt catch the game but I figured that a lot of people would change there tune about Melo once they actually watched him play this season.

    Anyone who would not take Melo for anyone on our roster: Wilson Chandler, David Lee, Gallinari, any of them, is out of there mind. If the Knicks brass truely is against him as Tommy said, then they too are crazy. The guy is a complete package of a player.

    About Balkman, I dont think people think he’s better than Chandler, but he was GIVEN away for nothing, and he was a young player who always gave 110%. He wasnt great on offense but he could slam it down and hustled and played D which is what every coach wants in a player. We needed a guy like that. That said, he’s not a difference maker, he just would have been a very solid bench player. Just between him and Ariza we have given away two young very good hustle players.