Iverson: Spurs' missed layups add up in loss

As basketball shots go, the layup is the equivalent of golf's "gimme" putt: So short and simple a successful result seems a given.

How, then, to explain the six layups the Spurs missed in their 95-89 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series at the AT&T Center on Sunday night?

"Great question," said Spurs point guard Tony Parker, who missed two of the easy shots and three more from such close range he said he considered them layups, no matter what the official play-by-play sheet read. "I don't know. I haven't missed that many layups for a long time. Just one of those days."

Parker could not even get one of his signature shots, the tear-drop runner, to fall on a night when the "big three" of Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili combined to make only 19 of 52 shots.

Each of the three Spurs stars missed two layups, according to the official play-by-play accounting.

It only seemed like more.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said it seemed unlikely any of his teams had missed more layups in a playoff game.

"Probably not," Popovich said.

Parker's rise to All-Star status the past two seasons has been characterized by his ability to get to the rim and finish shots often much harder than the simple layin. But on Sunday he missed an uncontested layup with 1:22 remaining that could have sliced Denver's lead to four points and given Spurs fans reason to believe a comeback might be possible.

"I don't think I've ever missed that easy a shot," Parker said. "I think it's the first time I've missed that many layups in the same game. I missed five or six layups I usually make all the time with my eyes closed. It's just one of those games you have to forget. Hit the delete button and go to the next game."

Forgetting won't be easy, Parker said, because the Spurs know their defensive effort Sunday could have produced a victory had they not shot so poorly, especially from such close range.

"It's hard," Parker said, "because I thought we played pretty good defense, but we couldn't hit anything tonight.

"We had a chance to win, even though we played bad. So we just have to go back and give them credit, because they did play well. It's our turn now to try to react and play with better energy. Hopefully, we will shoot the ball better and have a better result on Wednesday (in Game 2)."

Parker often found himself involved Sunday in one of the most intriguing matchups of the series, going head-to-head against Allen Iverson. Iverson survived an 0-for-6 start to score 31 points.

"I can't get into a one-on-one thing," Parker said. "Allen is going to play good. We're going to try and slow him down, but I can't take as many shots as he is going to take. I just have to try to run my team and when I get a chance, try to go back at him."

Iverson and Anthony combine for 61 points to lead Nuggets over Spurs 95-89

The Spurs won the season series with Denver, 2-1, but that was hardly a good gauge of how this series would go. The Nuggets were without Anthony in the first matchup and Iverson had just returned from an injury for the second. Their third meeting was the last regular season game and Denver won a meaningless 100-77 rout.

With their stars now aligned, the Nuggets got the road victory they'll need to pull off the upset and win their first playoff series since 1994 - when they beat Seattle in a best-of-five to become the first No. 8 seed to knock out a No. 1.

Nene's dunk off a pass from the driving Iverson made it 80-77. Anthony's three and a basket by Iverson were followed by another Iverson-to-Nene combination to close an 11-0 Denver run and give the Nuggets a 10-point lead - their biggest of the game - with 3:27 left.

After Denver failed to get the ball over the half court line in time with under a minute to play, Parker hit a layup for the Spurs to bring them within 91-87 with 43.9 left.

Iverson missed his next shot, and Parker's under the basket pass to Duncan for a dunk made it 91-89 Nuggets with 17.9 to go.

But Anthony and Nene hit two free throws a piece after each was fouled by Duncan to extend the lead to 95-89 with 11.6 seconds left and seal the game for the Nuggets.

The Nuggets had the lead for most of the first half as Duncan, Parker and Ginobili struggled from the field. They combined for 15 points and shot 7-of-33 from the field in the first half, one fewer than Anthony scored for Denver as he went 7-of-9. Iverson missed his first six shots, then hit four straight.

It was Finley who kept the Spurs within striking distance of Denver. He hit two of the Spurs' first-half three pointers.

Anthony's fast-break dunk off a long pass from Camby with 4.9 seconds on the clock gave Denver a 44-42 lead heading into the third quarter.

Iverson's 11 points in the third, including a three with 2:39 left in the quarter, gave the Nuggets a slight edge going into the fourth.

2007 first round playoff, Iverson and Anthony combine for 61 points to lead Nuggets over Spurs 95-89

The Denver Nuggets have been here before, and this time around, they're not going to get too excited about it.

In 2005 the Nuggets beat the Spurs in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs on the road before losing the next four to a San Antonio team that went on to win the NBA championship. The Nuggets did it again Sunday night, beating the Spurs 95-89 in the first game of their Western Conference playoff series with Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony leading the way.

"The guys who were here two years ago know we were in the same situation last time," Denver centre Marcus Camby said. "They ran off and won four straight. That's why no one is really happy. We came out to get Game 1, but we also want to get Game 2."

If Iverson and Anthony play this well again, the Nuggets have a good shot. Anthony scored 30 points and Iverson added 31, including 29 after a sluggish first quarter.

"Two years ago we probably were just happy to be in the playoffs," Anthony said. "Now we ain't just happy to be in the playoffs. We know we're a good team and when we play good we can play with the best of them."

And the Nuggets played tough defence, too, which is not usually their forte.

"They stopped us, doing the things we wanted to do and we couldn't stop their two stars," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "That's really the bottom line. Their defence outplayed us."

Nene added 13 points and 12 rebounds and Marcus Camby grabbed 10 boards for sixth-seeded Denver, which entered the playoffs having won 10 of 11. The big guys also made things difficult for Tim Duncan, who scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds for the Spurs.

Tony Parker led third-seeded San Antonio with 19 points, followed by Michael Finley with 15 and Robert Horry with 14.

The Spurs' Manu Ginobili isn't putting much stock in the 2005 series, either.

"I still hate it. It's not that I'm going to get confident because I've done it before," he said. "We are very upset. We really wanted to take this one home and we didn't."

Game 2 is Wednesday in San Antonio.

"So now we really got to step up. Now we know we have to go to Denver and take one or two games," said Ginobili, who then added, not wanting to get ahead of himself: "First of all we have to focus on the next one because it's going to be a huge one for us."

Denver traded for Iverson in December, hoping the former MVP would combine with Anthony to form an unstoppable 1-2 punch and make the Nuggets a legitimate title contender. The two averaged 55 points a game, but not until late in the season did Denver start to win consistently.

"It was important to come out and play defence," Iverson said. "We understand that we can score points, we've been saying that all year long. We can score points, that's not our problem. We've got to be able to stop people. When we needed the stops, we got it."

Iverson, Anthony lead Nuggets over Spurs 95-89

Allen Iverson looked a lot like, well, Allen Iverson on Sunday night as the Denver Nuggets took a one-game lead in the Western Conference NBA playoff by defeating the San Antonio Spurs on their home hardwood 95-89.

Iverson scored 31 points and Carmelo Anthony checked in with 30 points. Center/forward Hilario Nene added 13 points and 12 rebounds and center Marcus Camby grabbed 10 boards for sixth-seeded Denver, which entered the playoffs having won 10 of 11. The big guys also made things difficult for Tim Duncan, who scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds for the Spurs.

The Nuggets also beat the Spurs in the first game of the 2005 playoffs.

"The guys who were here two years ago know we were in the same situation last time," Camby said. "They ran off and won four straight. That's why no one is really happy. We came out to get Game 1 but we also want to get Game 2."

"Two years ago we probably were just happy to be in the playoffs," Anthony said. "Now we ain't just happy to be in the playoffs. We know we're a good team and when we play good we can play with the best of them."

Tony Parker led third-seeded San Antonio with 19 points, followed by Michael Finley with 15 and Robert Horry with 14.

"They stopped us, doing the things we wanted to do and we couldn't stop their two stars," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "That's really the bottom line. Their defense outplayed us."

"It was important to come out and play defense," Iverson said. "We understand that we can score points, we've been saying that all year long. We can score points, that's not our problem. We've got to be able to stop people. When we needed the stops, we got it."

The Spurs won the season series with Denver, 2-1, but that was hardly a good indication of how this series would go. The Nuggets were without Anthony in the first matchup and Iverson had just returned from an injury for the second. Their third meeting was the last regular season game and Denver won a meaningless 100-77 rout.

A.I. No Longer Has to Carry the Team by Himself

He's no longer The Man in Philly. Now, he's the Wingman in Denver.

As such, Allen Iverson doesn't have to carry his team on his shoulders in the playoffs like he did all those years in Philadelphia.

He doesn't expect to dial down his intensity when the Nuggets open the playoffs at San Antonio on Sunday just because sharing the superstardom has suited A.I. so well since his trade from the Sixers.

"It's a better mind-set,'' Iverson said of having another elite scorer alongside him in Carmelo Anthony. "It feels that much more easier. Not saying that things are going to be easy for me because I'm going to play just as hard as I played when I didn't have 'Melo, even harder. But I think he just helps a lot.''

Anthony averaged 28.9 points in the regular season and Iverson averaged 26.3.

"He takes a lot of attention off of me - not saying that I'm not going to have that attention because I know they're going to double me, they're going to shadow me all over the floor, they're going to make sure every time I touch the ball I see a crowd of people,'' Iverson said. "But I just think it will make it easier on me.

"When he gets double-teamed, I'm going to have guys running out at me off the pass and I get a chance to penetrate and make plays for my teammates and make plays for myself.''

Iverson's career playoff scoring average of 30.6 is second in history to Michael Jordan's 33.4 average.

'Melo was the star of the American team at the world championships last summer but he has yet to make a name for himself in the NBA playoffs, where his scoring average is 18.6.

After Minnesota's Trenton Hassell helped limit Anthony to 15 points a game in 2004, San Antonio's Bruce Bowen shut down the baby-faced 'Melo in '05, helping hold him to 19.2 points on 42 percent shooting in the Spurs' 4-1 series win.

Last year, Anthony averaged 21 points against the Los Angeles Clippers but again the Nuggets were bounced in five games.

"I think it's important for him to get that monkey off his back, to win a playoff series and just have confidence in himself and his team,'' Iverson said.

Anthony has since learned how to handle Hassell and is confident he can counter Bowen this time, too.

"I'm much more mature than I was then,'' Anthony said. "I know what I have to do for us to win, which is not scoring 30, 35 points a game, especially not in the playoffs. I was young, playing against a veteran guy like Bruce Bowen.''

There wasn't much of a preview to the big matchup during the regular season as Anthony sat out two of the three games between the teams. The Spurs held him to 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting in a 95-80 loss on Feb. 20, a performance Anthony shrugs off because it came right after the All-Star game and featured Iverson's return after a two-week absence with a sprained ankle.

"I think they took advantage of us being tired, enjoying Las Vegas too much,'' Anthony said.

Nuggets center Marcus Camby is counting on Anthony deciphering the Spurs' defensive specialist, thanks to the addition of Iverson.

"A.I. makes a big difference. He's a guy who's been to the Finals, has a lot of playoff experience, been in the league 11 years, so he gives us another element out there on the court,'' Camby said. "Usually teams will double- and sometimes triple-team 'Melo. But now you're going to have to pick your poison.

"If you're going to double 'Melo, you're going to free up A.I. And he's probably the best 1-on-1 player in this league.''

Coach George Karl said the Nuggets have never had better chemistry in his 2+ seasons in Denver and he credits Iverson.

"Before we were more like professional misfits at times with our like for one another,'' Karl said. "Is that chemistry? Yeah, that's chemistry. Is that a little bit of character and experience and passion that A.I. brings? I think yeah, that's a little bit of it, too.''

Two years ago, the Nuggets were coming off a 32-8 run under Karl and upset San Antonio in Game 1 before dropping four straight. Iverson gives Karl confidence that things will be different this time around.

"Two years ago it was a honeymoon and an exuberance. There was an enthusiasm that didn't have a foundation or substance,'' Karl said. "I think this team, with A.I.'s presence, and 'Melo being older and Nene giving us a bigger presence, I just think there's more soul and more substance to who we are.

"Two years ago we were in dream land. We were in fantasy land. Now, I don't think we're in fantasy land. We fought through a tough year and feel good about ourselves.''

Time for Nuggets to respond

The Nuggets have been drummed out of the playoffs three years running by 4-1 opening-series mismatches. Will this year be different? NBA writer Marc J. Spears breaks down the key questions the Nuggets need to answer to surprise the heavily favored San Antonio Spurs starting in Game 1 on Sunday in San Antonio.

KEY QUESTIONS

Iverson, Anthony await answers

Denver Post staff writer Marc J. Spears breaks down the big questions surrounding the Nuggets heading into their playoff series against San Antonio.

1. Can Nuggets guard Allen Iverson take his game to another level in the postseason?

When the Nuggets acquired Iverson on Dec. 19, it gave the franchise hope it could become a championship-caliber team. Coming down the stretch, "The Answer" delivered, helping Denver gain a playoff berth. Iverson has been money in the postseason, averaging 30.6 points, 6.1 assists and 2.1 steals in 62 games for Philadelphia. He led the 76ers to the 2001 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Iverson also is rested going into this series.

2. Will the Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony fare better this time around against the Spurs' Bruce Bowen?

Bowen hassled Anthony two years ago in the playoffs, holding him to 42.2 percent shooting from the field. Anthony is more confident and more polished this time. He averaged 28.9 points during the regular season, the third-highest average by a Nuggets player since Denver entered the NBA in 1976. However, in his lone appearance against the Spurs, on Jan. 10, he was held to 15 points. Bowen is a three-time all-NBA defensive first-team selection, who again will get strong consideration for the league's defensive player of the year award.

3. Can Nuggets forward-center Nene slow down Spurs star Tim Duncan?

Can anyone except referee Joey Crawford? Duncan again is a strong MVP candidate, having averaged 20 points and 10.6 rebounds. He's even
Fans will see A.I. at his best. (Post / Karl Gehring)
better in the postseason, in which he has averaged 25.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 118 games. The 6-foot-11, 260-pound Nene has played well in the second half of the season, but dealing with Duncan is another matter altogether. Why Nene over NBA defensive player of the year candidate Marcus Camby? Because he has the bulk to help him better deal with Duncan and has at times showed he can hold his own against the league's best, including the likes of MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas. Camby also can roam a little more when not guarding Duncan.

4. Will the fast-breaking Nuggets be able to run against the stingy Spurs?

Probably not, based on regular-season statistics. Going into the teams' season finale, San Antonio led the league in allowing just 90 points per game, and 44.2 percent field-goal shooting. The Spurs were 24-3 this season when holding teams between 80 and 89 points, which figures to be where they'll try to keep the Nuggets. San Antonio knows how much the Nuggets struggle when they don't score 100 or more points. Discounting Wednesday's meaningless finale, San Antonio clamped down in two regular-season wins over Denver, holding the Nuggets to an average of 81.5 points.

5. Can the Nuggets keep Spurs guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili from driving to the lane?

The Spurs have manhandled the Nuggets in part because Parker and Ginobili seem to be able to get into the lane any time they want. Doing so allows them to get easy shots or set up their teammates. Denver's best bet to stop the drives could be using more zone sets to help out Nuggets guards Allen Iverson and Steve Blake with difficult matchups. If the Nuggets stay in a man defense, will seldom-used defensive specialist guard Yakhouba Diawara get more playing time?

Road awaits Denver's warriors

DENVER - The Denver Nuggets are opening the playoffs on the road for the fourth straight season, and this time they swear things will be different.

‘‘I don’t really think anybody has us going past the first round,’’ Carmelo Anthony said. ‘‘That’s motivation for me. I’m pretty sure that’s motivation for my teammates also.’’

The Nuggets have been bounced from the playoffs in five games in each of the last three seasons, by San Antonio, Minnesota and the Clippers. They haven’t won a playoff series since 1994.

Why might it be different now?

For one, they have Allen Iverson to bring along this time when they open the playoffs at San Antonio on Sunday.

The main reason the Nuggets acquired A.I. from Philadelphia was for his postseason intensity they believe will put them over the hump and help them win their first playoff series since 1994.

And at 22-19, they just posted their first winning road record in franchise history.

‘‘It does build a little bit of confidence,’’ center Marcus Camby said. ‘‘Ever since I’ve been here, it’s been the opposite: we’ve been a great home team and dismal on the road. But for some reason it has been different.’’

The Nuggets are at a loss to explain their middling 23-18 home mark and their relative dearth of losses away from the Mile High City.

‘‘I really can’t pinpoint it,’’ Camby said. ‘‘Everybody said we have the advantage of playing in the altitude but it just seems like on the road we just take that togetherness of us against the world and that’s how we’ve been approaching it.’’

Eduardo Najera thinks he has the answer, and it’s ... The Answer.

‘‘Well, obviously Iverson brings a lot of mental toughness,’’ Najera said. ‘‘He’s a very confident man and I think that’s rubbing off on everybody and we believe just by having him on the court that we are a more complete team now that we have him. And obviously we have Carmelo playing better than last year and now we know each other a little better. So, I think that’s the difference.’’
Anthony had his own explanation following Thursday’s practice.

‘‘Well, we can breathe,’’ he said. ‘‘We can’t breathe out here, man.’’

Seriously, though, it has more to do with attitude than altitude, Anthony suggested.

‘‘When we go out there, the crowd is against us,’’ he said. ‘‘The 13 of us out there on the bench and out there on the court is all we’ve got on the road. So, we know we’ve got to stick together and we know we’ve got to keep our mistakes to a minimum.’’

Najera said he believes the Nuggets’ confidence away from the Pepsi Center will carry over into the playoffs.

‘‘We feel comfortable going on the road and winning a game or two,’’ he said. ‘‘So, I think that’s going to be a key. Obviously, we haven’t played well at home, so we’ve got to take advantage of the road games.’’

That’s the rub. The Nuggets only recently started to reward their home fans with the play they’ve displayed away from home almost all season.

‘‘I’ve said it, I think we focus more on the road,’’ coach George Karl said. ‘‘We’re more professional on the road than we are at home. I’m not a sociologist but it probably has to do with distraction, focus and commitment.’’

The Nuggets went a franchise-best 10-1 in April, when ’Melo won Western Conference player of the month. Iverson said it’s that rhythm that will help Denver win in the playoffs regardless of venue.

‘‘You don’t want to go into the playoffs playing bad basketball because nine times out of 10, it’s going to continue to carry on. You can’t just turn the switch on and off. But if you’ve been playing with some type of rhythm and some type of confidence, then that helps,’’ Iverson said.

‘‘I think that’s going to be the most important thing. Just us having that confidence, having that swagger, knowing that we can win basketball games if we play the right way. We are going to be in a tough environment. It’s not going to be easy on us, but it’s something that we feel confident that we can overcome.’’
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NUGGETS vs. SPURS

Game 1, Sunday: Denver at San Antonio, 5 p.m., TNT
Game 2, Wednesday: Denver at San Antonio, 5 p.m., TNT
Game 3, April 28: San Antonio at Denver, 6 p.m., ESPN
Game 4, April 30: San Antonio at Denver, TBD
Game 5, May 2: Denver at San Antonio, TBD, if necessary
Game 6, May 4: San Antonio at Denver, TBD, if necessary
Game 7, May 6: Denver at San Antonio, TBD, if necessary

No. 3 San Antonio vs. No. 6 Denver

Nuts and bolts: Playoff-tested powerhouse encounters dangerous team that hits its stride late.

Opening game huge: Considering the momentum they've gained through wins in 10 of their last 11, the Nuggets are going to come into San Antonio expecting to win Game 1. They did it two years ago, which is something Gregg Popovich won't need to remind his team about. The Spurs went on to win the championship, but are well aware that the road started off rocky. They'll look to avoid that this time around.

Iverson's new role: It's going to be strange to see Iverson not trying to put a team on his back come playoff time, but that's not his role in Denver. You won't see him putting up 30 shots or isolating on every possession, in part because a sore left elbow has limited his effectiveness. He seems to be adjusting well with being more of a distributor, though, and the Nuggets have flourished as a result.

Need for speed: Iverson's quickness was a novelty when he came into the league a decade ago, and even at 30, he remains one of the fastest players. So it's got to be strange when he runs into someone faster, like San Antonio's Tony Parker. That matchup will be crucial, because both teams excel in transition. The last time they met, Iverson was still nursing a bum ankle and Parker took him apart.

Can Karl get to a Game 6?: George Karl has had a decent run as the Nuggets head coach, but hasn't been able to last more than five games in a playoff series. San Antonio ousted the 2005 squad he excelled with following his mid-season hire, and the L.A. Clippers did Denver in last year.

Immovable object, irresistible force: Bruce Bowen vs. 'Melo. The Spurs stopper has had his way with Anthony in the past, but an improved Anthony expects to do better.

"I'm much more mature than I was then," Anthony told the Rocky Mountain News. "I know what I have to do for us to win, which is not scoring 30, 35 points a game, especially not in the playoffs. I was young (in 2005) playing against a veteran guy like Bruce Bowen. Hopefully, I can go get my mental on right now."

The x-factor: With Tim Duncan and Marcus Camby patrolling around the rim, there's going to be little available at the basket outside of a few putbacks. That's going to put a lot of emphasis on jump shooting, an area where Denver struggles and San Antonio excels. That will make the difference.

How good is this series going to be?: The individual matchups alone make this series compelling. There are great defenders, scorers and coaches everywhere you look.

The selection: San Antonio in six. A healthy Duncan is not going to let his team lose a first-round series. Impossible.

Iverson, Nuggets pan for NBA gold

Goal of perfect match is to bring a basketball title to Denver

If Allen Iverson ever needs to be reminded why he's in Denver, a shiny, half-foot-tall hint sits in his locker stall.

It's a miniature replica of the Larry O'Brien Trophy, handed annually to the NBA champion.

"It's motivation," Iverson said. "I got it when I first got here."

That would be Dec. 19, when the Nuggets pulled off the biggest deal of the NBA season. Iverson, figuring he wasn't going to contend for a title any time soon in Philadelphia, didn't mind being dealt and has considered the Nuggets the perfect landing spot.

The feeling is mutual. Those on the Nuggets had heard the stories about Iverson's antics in Philadelphia, but they now wonder if this wily veteran is really the same guy.

Now, about that championship. Iverson, whose 76ers fell in the Finals to the Lakers in 2001, knows that's why he was summoned to Denver.

"I feel like that's why I was brought here, to help us become a better team, to have an impact on this team," the 6-foot guard said. "It's just been a great ride so far. But, to end the story, what better way to do it than to win a championship? That's what my mind is set on."

It won't be easy in his first Nuggets playoff go-round, with his sixth-seeded team in the Western Conference opening against No. 3 San Antonio, the NBA's hottest team after the All-Star break.

But Iverson, 31, has two years remaining on his contract and has said he wants to re-sign with the Nuggets after that.

"I've had fun," Iverson said. "It's been exciting, just being on a team where I can play my game."

For years, many believed Iverson's game mostly was hoisting shots. In 10-plus seasons with the 76ers, he averaged 28.1 points, winning four scoring titles.

But Iverson, who said he wasn't surrounded by much talent with the 76ers and was unfairly pigeonholed, has become content in Denver to step aside and let forward Carmelo Anthony be the big scorer.

After averaging 31.2 points in 15 Philadelphia games, Iverson averaged 24.8 in 50 Denver games for a seasonal mark of 26.3.

"A.I. gets a bad rap for being selfish," Hornets coach Byron Scott said of Iverson, whose Nuggets have won 11 straight games when he gets 10 or more assists. "But he wants to win. That's the bottom line. . . . He felt he had to score more (in Philadelphia), but now he's got a group of guys around him."

Iverson, though, arrived in Denver with plenty of baggage. His time with the 76ers was marred by squabbles with coaches. He didn't always show up on time, and his rant about "practice" remains a favorite highlight on sports stations.

But the only thing bordering on negative for Iverson in his Nuggets tenure has been a $25,000 NBA fine for being critical of referee Steve Javie. Iverson then apologized on three consecutive days.

"My first thought when I think of A.I., all the negative stuff out there, he's the exact opposite," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I think A.I. has great leadership skills and has been a strong teammate in every way."

During the process before the trade, Karl said some observers believed Iverson would be well served just to get out of Philadelphia, where many negatives had surrounded him. Iverson agrees.

"I made mistakes," he said of his time there. "I did a lot of dumb things. I'm 31 years old (now). I was in Philadelphia 11 years. I did some young, dumb mistakes. I had to grow to be able to get to this point here. I'm a father of four, so I can't set no bad examples for them.

"I'm not the same person I was when I was 21, 22 years old. I'd be foolish if I was doing the same things I was doing then."

Iverson, though, said he doesn't "regret anything" from his 76ers years and has "learned from all the mistakes."

Now he seems content to dispense his wisdom to the Nuggets' many young players.

Iverson has become a mentor to Anthony, 22. With Anthony serving a 15-game suspension for fighting when Iverson arrived - and with Iverson missing eight games because of a sprained right ankle shortly after Anthony returned - it took time to mesh.

But it came together during the homestretch of the season. The Nuggets won 10 of their final 11 games.

"It took about 14 or 15 games for us to get it right," Anthony said. "It finally came this month. It couldn't have come at a better time."

Iverson also has taken under his wing Nuggets guard J.R. Smith, 21. Smith, in his third season, has had growing pains, including squabbles with coaches and serving a 10-game suspension for fighting in the Dec. 16 brawl that also cost Anthony.

"He's talking to me so much about my character and my attitude toward the game," Smith said. "He's just taught me a lot more than I've ever been taught. How to get steals and how to read the offensive player's mind. Just how to get open shots, and another thing, just root for the team when I'm not in there.

"He's totally different from what people perceive him to be. A lot of people think he's a bad guy. He's not that at all. He's a great teacher and just overall a genuine, great person."

Put it all together, and the Nuggets look to be in good shape. Vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien said the team has been "heading north" after an adjustment period after the Iverson deal.

The Nuggets have gone north in the standings. Iverson's reputation has gone north.

But what Iverson is concerned with most is trying to get through the rugged West, then claim the NBA title he long has sought.

Nuggets' buddy system working

Nuggets stars Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony enter playoffs hitting stride as double trouble for opponents.

Given a chance to gloat, Allen Iverson instead laughed off an opportunity to say "I told you so."

"You can say that," he said.

The laugh and smile faded.

Denver's trade for Iverson in December was one of the biggest stories in the NBA this season. Everyone had an opinion about how it would work and whether A.I. and Melo would share the ball. The evidence is in heading into the first-round playoff series against San Antonio. The Anthony-Iverson combo has hit its stride.

"That was a big deal for myself and (Carmelo), to be able to say that," Iverson continued. "And it just shows what type of players we are, to put our egos aside and try to accomplish the same goal. Both of us have the same goal, and that's to win a championship. The only way you're going to be able to do it is together."

Anthony said, "We knew it would work out."

Fast friends off the court, the two have given the Nuggets the look of a dangerous team on it, combining to average 55.2 of the Nuggets' 105.4 points per game.

"You've got two great scorers," Los Angeles Clippers forward Tim Thomas said. "They are going to cause problems for any team."

The Clippers ousted the Nuggets from the playoffs a year ago in part by smothering Anthony, who had little help at the offensive end.

"Last year, it was easy to send two guys at Carmelo to get the ball out of his hands, but this year it's a different team," Thomas said.

Said Nuggets center Marcus Camby: "On nights where they double- and triple-team Carmelo, it's good to have another scorer like A.I."

Iverson made his name and built his Hall of Fame résumé by keeping the Philadelphia 76ers afloat for 10-plus seasons, and doing it with flair. In Denver he has been happy to blend in, deferring when necessary or taking charge if needed.

"I'm trying to win a championship," Iverson said. "Anything less would be disappointing to me. I want to win a championship. That's it."

Getting it together

Only in the past month has Anthony openly admitted to "lying to myself" about the speed in which he and Iverson could perfect their on-court chemistry.

Nuggets coach George Karl never pretended the union would be a finished product from Day One.

"A comfort zone doesn't come in 2 1/2 months in the NBA," Karl said. "It usually comes in 2 1/2 years. But that doesn't mean you can't win games; it doesn't mean you can't figure it out in a short period of time."

After a rocky start, the duo inched over the .500 mark again after the 19th game that they were both in the lineup. The victory March 20 over New Jersey put Denver at 10-9 when both were on the court. A 9-1 finish leading up to the regular-season finale, when both sat out, pushed Denver to 20-15 with the Melo-A.I. combination.

"We knew it would take some time," Anthony said. "It took a couple of games, but once it started, it started."

Lakers star Kobe Bryant said he never doubted the Nuggets' tandem would produce.

"It looks good to me," Bryant said. "You got one guy penetrating on the perimeter doing his thing and another guy on the low post. It's a serious threat. We couldn't do anything with it. That's why we had to go to a zone."

Both sacrificed parts of their offensive game to make it work. When Anthony returned from his 15-game suspension in January, he was leading the league in scoring with a 31.6-point average. Iverson came to Denver averaging 31.2 points, second best in the league.

Both since have fallen, with Anthony finishing second to Bryant at 28.9 points per game while Iverson finished eighth overall, at 26.3. And while they are taking fewer shots than before, they have raised their efficiency level. Iverson was shooting 41.3 percent in Philadelphia compared to 45.4 percent in Denver's free-wheeling, fast-breaking system.

"He plays with a lot of heart, a lot of energy," Bryant said of Iverson. "What I like about him is he's extremely creative."

Different playoff dynamic

Anthony is better off now. He knows that.

In each of the past three postseasons he has had an "S" on his chest and therefore a target on his back. The Spurs in 2005 and the Clippers last season made it clear their objective was to get the ball out of Anthony's hands and force someone else - anyone else - to try to beat them. The Nuggets didn't have anybody else.

"It's going to be hard for them to say it now," Anthony said.

Iverson is the reason. A longtime Western Conference scout viewed the Anthony-Iverson combo through a lens similar to the 1994-95 Houston Rockets, who won the NBA title as a No. 6 seed with the combination of Hakeem Olajuwon (27.8 points per game) and Clyde Drexler (21.4).

"When you have two guys that can go for 40 points each, that's scary," the scout said.

Iverson averages 30.6 points for his career in the playoffs, and some of his triumphs have grown into legend. At the top of the list is his 48-point performance in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals, leading Philadelphia to an upset victory in overtime; the 76ers lost the series in five games to Bryant's Lakers.

"The last couple of years in the playoffs, we had a lot of teams just load up on Melo and make it tough for the other guys out there," Camby said. "But now you have to sort of pick your poison. If you try to take Melo away, it's going to free up A.I., and he just relishes that moment.

"He's a big-time scorer and probably one of the best clutch players ever to go down in history."

Anthony said he is relieved not to bear the burden of carrying the team alone. He dismisses the idea that he and Iverson would fight over the basketball during the playoff spotlight. And Anthony has a lot to prove with a career playoff average of 18.6 points - nearly six points less than his regular-season average - and a shooting percentage of .362.

"It's going to work," Anthony said. "We've got seven games. One night he might win a game by himself; one night I might win one; one night the rest of the team might win one. But we're going to go out there and compete, I can tell you that."

Equal Opportunity:
A look at games in which Nuggets stars Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony have shared the floor this season.
http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=1499158

Blending into a dangerous mix

Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson are blending into a dangerous duo. This was always a sure thing.

The question was if the duo would be dangerous to the Denver Nuggets or to their opponents. So far, it’s the opponents who are getting blitzed.

A fresh optimism permeates the Nuggets, long one of the NBA’s losing franchises. Denver has won nine of its past 10. The team is healthy. Best of all, Anthony and Iverson have declined to squabble.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson offered one of his usual half-smiles.

“They’re both talented and they both want to win and they’re both sharing the basketball,” Jackson said.

Here’s the problem. Yes, the Nuggets have been powerful and wonderful in recent weeks, but the San Antonio Spurs are more powerful and wonderful.

It’s the Nuggets extreme bad fortune to begin battle with the Spurs on Sunday in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Only a clueless optimist expects the Nuggets to survive this series.

I don’t usually embrace moral victories, but this series is different. If Denver can push the Spurs to seven games, the Nuggets can walk happily and hopefully into the offseason.

Futile is the best way to describe the Nuggets playoff history. The franchise has won a total of nine playoff games since 1988, and the Nuggets have suffered three consecutive 4-1 playoff ousters. Each was swift and lacking in drama.

The Anthony-Iverson duo offers Nuggets fans hope. Not for a series victory, but at least for a touch of excitement. Anthony and Iverson both adore a big stage and the chance it offers to show off their talents.

The NBA playoffs offer that stage. Expect the duo to combine for more than 60 points at least once.

Iverson has shown surprising maturity and restraint since arriving in Denver. In Philadelphia, it was always about Allen. He was a basketball anarchist who left a franchise in shreds.

At first, Iverson didn’t blend with Anthony and the Nuggets. He seemed too eager to serve his teammates.

Iverson lost the best part of his old act.

Anthony scrunched his face when he remembered the first few tense weeks.

“I was lying to myself, but I had to tell myself it would work right away,” Anthony said.

Slowly, Iverson grew into a new persona. He still shows flashes of Allen the Anarchist. He still launches ridiculous shots.

But he’s committed to team, to winning, to finishing his career the right way.

And he still can score. He humiliated Steve Nash in March, dropping 44 points on the two-time MVP. The Spurs won’t be able to follow recent playoff strategy by surrounding Anthony while ignoring all others.

The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant shook his head when he considered the offensive punch Iverson brings to the Nuggets.

“They have a weapon they can go to when they really need it,” Bryant said. “It’s not like when he was at Philadelphia, when he had to score 30 points a game. He can wait for an
opportune time.”

Iverson’s new generosity means the Nuggets should be mighty next season. With a healthy Nene and a wiser J.R. Smith and, of course, the Anthony-Iverson duo, Denver could fly among the NBA’s top teams with a realistic ambition to travel to the Western Conference Finals.

But that’s next season. This season, the Nuggets must refuse to make a quick exit.

Toppling the Spurs? Highly unlikely, but delivering an emotional, physical seven-game challenge should be the expectation.

Nuggets Mine Gold At Season’s End

There's only one week remaining in the 2006-07 season and two teams in particular are gearing up for a playoff run, playing their best basketball of the year to date. The Spurs and Nuggets are on a collision course to meet in the first round again, and one of them will have to go home after the introductory best-of-seven. Unlike what we would have said a month ago, it's no longer a foregone conclusion the Spurs will win such a series; any team on a roll with players named Iverson and Anthony on its roster has to be considered a serious threat.

Iverson and Anthony going for 8 wins in a row.

Oh, so this is what the Denver front office had in mind when it paired Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.

The two All-Stars are both playing their best basketball of the season and, as expected, the Nuggets are rolling.

When Iverson was traded from Philadelphia in December, the meshing of Melo and A.I. was seen as some type of wild experiment by mad scientists.

And the cynics couldn't wait to weigh in.

"They both dominate the ball, this will never work."

"They will be fighting over who gets to take the shots at crunch time."

"Neither one of them is going to be willing to accept a lesser role."

As it turns out, none of the concerns voiced through the media have been a problem.

Anthony and Iverson have both put up their numbers and, equally as important, they get along both on and off the court.

Further proof that head coach George Karl and Co. knew exactly what they were doing is the fact that Denver currently has a league-best six-game winning streak.

The Nuggets (41-36), who have won seven of their past 10, have passed the Lakers for the sixth spot in the Western Conference.

In a season where they have struggled because of suspensions, trades and injuries, the Nuggets are building confidence at the right time.

Anthony is scoring 29 points per game while Iverson is averaging 26.6. They are the highest scoring duo in the NBA and capable of giving a scare to, but not beat, the Suns or Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

Their best showing of the season was March 17 when they blew out the Suns, 131-107. In that contest, Iverson had 44 points and 15 assists, while Anthony scored 29.

The two biggest reasons why the Anthony-Iverson combination has worked is becoming more and more clear.

For starters, Denver is playing better defense now than it has all season.

Secondly, despite the scoring titles, despite averaging more points per game besides everyone in NBA history except Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan and despite being the league MVP in 2001, Iverson has been willing to defer slightly to Anthony.

The former Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star Game MVP is scoring a little less and allowing Melo to attempt the big shots.

And right now, it is working.

Nuggets Move Into Sixth Place Thanks to A.I., Kleiza

The Denver Nuggets needed a big defensive stop near the end of the game as much as they did Allen Iverson's 17 fourth-quarter points. And the eight-time All-Star provided that, too.

Iverson made a critical steal that set up his clinching free throws after Linas Kleiza hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 15.8 seconds to play, and the Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 96-93 Saturday night.

Carmelo Anthony had 23 points, helping Denver win its fifth straight.

"It's a good thing that at the end of the season we're concentrating on defense, because that's going to win basketball games for us going into the playoffs,'' said Iverson, who finished with 34 points. "We understand that we can score points, but our whole thing right now is stopping people on the defensive end and letting the offense come to us.''

There was plenty at stake for both clubs, who are among four teams that came in separated by three games in the race for the last three Western Conference playoff berths. The victory helped Denver tie the Lakers for sixth place and gave the Nuggets the advantage over the Clippers in any scenario in which the teams finish tied.

"I think the sky's the limit for us,'' said Iverson, who has four NBA scoring titles but no championship rings. "We can keep that sixth spot if we just concentrate on one game at a time and not look past any teams. These games that we've been winning, we just have to leave them behind, take the positive things and try to carry them over to the next game.''

Corey Maggette scored 24 points and Elton Brand had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who squandered a 15-point second-quarter lead - and a chance to go over the .500 mark for the first time since Feb. 5. Forward Tim Thomas left the game with 5:47 left in the second quarter after spraining his right wrist.

"It is a setback,'' Brand said. "It's definitely disappointing, especially when you had a game like this, leading the majority of the game. Now we have to go on the road and do what we have to do.''

The Clippers held a 74-66 edge after three quarters. Quinton Ross converted a layup into a three-point play 33 seconds into the fourth, but Los Angeles didn't make another field goal until Jason Hart's layup with 6:56 to play.

The Nuggets, coming off their best defensive effort of the season in a 75-71 win over the league-leading Dallas Mavericks, pulled even at 83-all with 11 points from Iverson in a 5:22 stretch - including a 3-pointer with 3:58 remaining.

"I just kept hitting shots, and after a while it just felt like everything was going in,'' Iverson said. "I was running the pick-and-roll with Melo, and they're so scared of him that they were just showing out on me and I was able to turn the corner getting to the lane.''

Los Angeles went back in front by four on Chris Kaman's hook shot with 1:43 left, but Iverson made a layup and added a 16-footer after a shot clock violation by the Clippers, tying the score at 91. Brand's layup regained the lead for Los Angeles with 44 seconds to go, but Kleiza responded with his clutch shot from in front of the Clippers' bench.

Coach Mike Dunleavycalled his final timeout at that point. On the ensuing inbounds play, Maggette turned at the free throw line to drive past Anthony, but Iverson stripped him of the ball and converted two free throws at the other end for a three-point lead with 4.5 seconds left.

"Melo did a good job of sending him (Maggette) to all the help, and I was over there on the weak side,'' Iverson said. "He came my way, and I just stuck my hand in there and got a piece of the ball to knock it away.''

Maggette said, "The play was not executed the right way. It was something I did wrong. Turnovers killed us tonight. I put that one on myself, because I had seven.''

Out of timeouts, Maggette was forced to throw a Hail Mary pass downcourt from the other baseline. Hart outleaped Iverson for the ball in front of the Denver bench, but missed a tying 3-pointer from the left corner as time expired.

The Nuggets pulled ahead 63-62 with 4:43 left in the third as Iverson drained a fadeaway 3-pointer from the left sideline that left him lying on his back and the Clippers' 11th sellout crowd of the season groaning.

Iverson's heroics help Nuggets earn key victory

Allen Iverson scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and Linas Kleiza hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 15.8 seconds to play, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 96-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Iverson made a crucial steal that set up his clinching free throws after Kleiza's shot. Carmelo Anthony had 23 points, helping Denver win its fifth consecutive game.

"It's a good thing that at the end of the season we're concentrating on defense, because that's going to win basketball games for us going into the playoffs," Iverson said. "We understand that we can score points, but our whole thing right now is stopping people on the defensive end and letting the offense come to us."

There was plenty at stake for both clubs, who are among four teams that came in separated by three games in the race for the last three Western Conference playoff berths. The victory helped Denver tie the Los Angeles Lakers for sixth place and gave the Nuggets the advantage over the Clippers in any scenario in which the teams finish tied.

The Clippers are one game ahead of the Warriors for the final spot.

"I think the sky's the limit for us," said Iverson, who has four NBA scoring titles but no championship rings. "We can keep that sixth spot if we just concentrate on one game at a time and not look past any teams."

Corey Maggette scored 24 points and Elton Brand had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who squandered 15-point second-quarter lead - and a chance to go over the .500 mark for the first time since Feb. 5. Forward Tim Thomas left the game with 5:47 left in the second quarter after spraining his right wrist.

"It is a setback," Brand said. "It's definitely disappointing, especially when you had a game like this, leading the majority of the game. Now we have to go on the road and do what we have to do."

The Clippers held a 74-66 edge after three quarters. The Nuggets, coming off their best defensive effort of the season in a 75-71 win over the league-leading Dallas Mavericks, pulled even at 83-all with 11 points from Iverson in a 5:22 stretch - including a three-pointer with 3:58 remaining.

Brand's layup regained the lead for Los Angeles with 44 seconds to go, but Kleiza responded with his clutch shot near the Clippers' bench.

Iverson: Making His Teammates Better

This is the time of year when the MVP race really heats up. Pundits can be heard debating the merits of various candidates from one coast to the other. The most common phrase that seems to uttered in such debates is, "(Insert superstar name here) makes his teammates better." While such a phrase can be hard to quantify simply because numbers often lie (for example, just because a guy's assist numbers are up doesn't mean he always make his teammates better) things like overall team chemistry, continuity and wins are usually a pretty good indicator.

For the Denver Nuggets, they do not have a legitimate MVP candidate this season. However, they do have a guy who appears to be showing the first signs of making his teammates significantly better, a guy named Allen Iverson.

Such rhetoric might seem ludicrous given Iverson's reputation as a guy who is only concerned about scoring titles, but if you look at how the Nuggets have played in the last month or so, a definite pattern seems to be emerging.

Linas Kleiza is playing the best basketball of his career and his teammates are starting to trust him down the stretch as evidenced by his game clinching three last night in Los Angeles against the Clippers. In fact, he played so well in the month of March that he ended the month as the NBA's highest three-point percentage shooter.

Nene looks like an All-Star caliber player on the block and has teams around the league who could have acquired him in a trade for Iverson regretting they did not pull the trigger. Talking to opposing players and coaches, it's clear that Nene is a player they now fear, so much so that one scout recently told me that Nene's play will be the deciding factor in how far this team goes come playoff time.

And beyond the individual rise of certain players, the team is playing a more cohesive style of play on both ends of the court.

So why is it that Iverson seems to get little credit for these changes, and why are people insisting on perpetuating the story that he doesn't make his teammates better?

"How many games has he had 10-assists?" Nuggets' head coach George Karl asked on Friday. "How many games have we won when we had 10-assists? How about the development and balance of Nene and someone off our bench contributing every night and shooting a good percentage. Those don't matter? Those don't fall in the point-guard's category of help? He's still capable of getting 40 any night he plays. He's an explosive kid that understands that it comes in different packages at different moments.

"I think A.I. and Steve Blake, you have to give them a tremendous amount of credit to fight through the bad times, the frustrating times, the times when our team doesn't play well because other than me and the coaches they're the next guys who kind of feel responsible for it as much as anybody. They're the ones we talk to the next day. They're the ones that get kind of get crucified for not having ball movement, or what happened to the execution, or what the hell happened here? I think A.I is very much into trying to develop winning. He's said that the day he got here, and I don't think it's changed."

Right now, Iverson is helping the Nuggets win as opposed to just talking about it. Of late, he's found a nice balance between getting teammates involved early and then making big shots when the Nuggets need them in the fourth period. This approach has helped the team believe they can be successful as a whole, especially when the game is on the line. A sense of trust in one another not before seen at any point this season is starting to develop, and with it, the true identity the team has been searching for seems to be emerging.

"There's no championship team that doesn't do it without six or seven good players, and I think we've moved very quickly in a very good direction," Karl explained. "The beginning of the year we didn't know who those players were, but at the end of the year we look at Nene, L.K., J.R. and even Steve Blake as quality players who can help us play at a high level."

Each of those players Karl cited deserves credit for the level of individual responsibility it takes to improve in the NBA. That said, if they were playing with Steve Nash, Nash would be praised as the guy who helped each one of them have career-years. With Iverson, though, you rarely hear anybody mention that he is even somewhat responsible for their improvement. Anyone who has been paying attention knows differently.

While it might be hard for the doubters to acknowledge, Iverson is making his teammates better -- significantly better. Maybe someday soon it will become as en-vogue to say Iverson makes his teammates better as it is to say the same about Nash, Kobe Bryant and some of the other big name players around the league.

Free-Throw Woes

Despite how well A.I. has played of late overall, he's had his struggles from the foul-line. When asked if plans to say anything to Iverson, Karl replied: "I don't go there right now. I think it's a slump, kind of a spell. I know A.I.'s (injured) elbow is not the easiest thing for him. I don't know if that gets in his way on free-throws or not, but his elbow is still fairly sore."

Team MVP?

Karl recently gave some insight into who he believes is Denver's team MVP . . . with a small caveat.

"MVP? Most Valuable Player? That's an interesting question. I'd probably have to give it to Melo. The power early in the season when we played well. It would be tough if you took it from the last 25-games because a lot of guys have played well."