Nuggets guard Allen Iverson looking to bounce back in post-season

DENVER — Allen Iverson wasn't "The Answer" in the short-term for the Denver Nuggets.

He joined them midway through last season, hailed as the saviour who would help the Nuggets win a playoff series for the first time since 1994.

But trades, suspensions and injuries, including his own severely sprained ankle, precluded the team from developing any chemistry or cohesion, and A.I. was smothered by the San Antonio Spurs, averaging a career-worst 22.8 points in the post-season.

Iverson didn't look anything like the wizard who almost single-handedly drove Philadelphia in the playoffs, and the Nuggets were finished in five games for the fourth straight year.

Why will it be any different this time around when the eighth-seeded Nuggets face top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers starting Sunday?

Because, Iverson said, he's healthy again, the Nuggets have meshed after spending a training camp and a full season together and he and fellow all-star Carmelo Anthony have proven that two superstars can indeed succeed side-by-side.

"I think they've learned how to coexist with each other and play off each other," Marcus Camby said. "They're Nos. 3 and 4 in the league in scoring, they had a lot of balance out there, and they never let egos get in the way. They're both talented superstars."

The Lakers have their own dominant duo in newcomer Pau Gasol and MVP hopeful Kobe Bryant, who will be matched aplenty with Iverson.

"Let's go. This is what it's all about for me. You can't draw it up any better," Iverson said. "People say he's the best basketball player on the planet, so I'm definitely looking forward to the challenge. Especially with me believing that about myself, so let's go.

"This is what it's about. If you're scared, get a dog. If you're scared, go to church."

The Nuggets certainly aren't shy about having to face Bryant, Gasol, Derek Fisher or Lamar Odom.

"I'd be lying if I said it's the same thing if I was playing New Orleans or if we were playing L.A.," Iverson said. "Everybody know how big that stage is. I relish the moment. This is what I play basketball for. This is why I love it so much."

Although they're facing the top team in the power-packed Western Conference once again, only seven wins separated the two uptempo teams in the standings. The Nuggets feel it's anybody's series.

"The last couple of years we've been unfortunate enough to play against the top team in the Western Conference. Our work was always cut out for us," Camby said. "This year, we're coming in relatively healthy. ... We're a more balanced team, a more together team. We're playing pretty good basketball of late, we're playing great basketball here at home. Hopefully we can steal a few on the road."

Although forward Nene missed most of the season with an assortment of ailments and is still working his way back into shape after testicular cancer surgery, and Chucky Atkins missed most of the year with a sports hernia, for once the Nuggets enter the playoffs relatively healthy.

Kenyon Martin has returned with a vengeance from microfracture surgeries on both knees and he teams with Camby, the reigning NBA defensive player of the year, to provide plenty of muscle inside.

Denver's bench is a lot better than it was a year ago, when Linas Kleiza was lost in the playoff's bright lights and J.R. Smith made so many boneheaded moves that he ended up getting benched.

Kleiza has become an offensive force and Smith worked his way out of coach George Karl's doghouse this year and sparked the Nuggets' late-season surge to their first 50-win season in two decades. Karl even nixed any notion of trading for Ron Artest at the deadline in part because he didn't want to stunt Smith's progress. And Eduardo Najera has added a 3-point prowess to his energy game.

"J.R., L.K. and Eddie have been great for us in this stretch of games, the survivor games," Karl said. "Now when we're on the Broadway, they're going to have to step up further."

The Nuggets are thankful they're not facing the Spurs in the first round again.

"It'll be more up and down as opposed to San Antonio sitting there and running halfcourt sets the whole game," Smith said.

Therefore, the Nuggets shouldn't have to abandon their high-flying game this time around.

"No one in this locker room has won a championship, and that's all what we're pretty much striving to do," Camby said. "I think we're all tired of getting bounced out in the first round. I know myself, Kenyon and A.I. have been to Finals but we have nothing to show for it. I know that's what's driving us."

Get a Zune With Your Allen Iverson Reebok Shoe

Even though Allen Iverson and the Denver Nuggets are in the midst of a heated playoff series with the L.A. Lakers, Reebok won't stop from pumping up the crossover king's new shoe. Reebok's decent-looking Answer XI signature shoe dropped back in November, but the shoe company announced a partnership with Microsoft to release a limited edition Iverson shoe: The Answer XI Zune.

For the hardcore shoe collector, Reebok is only making 60 pairs of the shoe and making them available in only five stores nationwide. The special version of the shoe comes with a new design featuring the Zune logo and includes an 8GB Zune MP3 player etched with AI graphics on the back and is loaded with special AI content including his Reebok commercials, playlists and interview footage of other Reebok athletes talking about the first time they played against AI in the league.

The Answer XI Zune will become available in June and cost a cool $300. The only places you'll be able to get them is Complex/Training Day Store (NYC), Major Commonwealth (DC), Commonwealth (VA), Wish (ATL), and The 400 (Denver). Check them out:

Denver falls short but not into despair

Nuggets say they will bounce back from a 128-114 loss to L.A. in playoff series opener.

Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson did their dynamic duo part. The Denver Nuggets' bench was there, when needed, to prop them with added support. Their defense, for a long while at least, harassed Kobe Bryant into missing shot after shot.

The blueprint for a Nuggets' victory was in place.

Yet, they still didn't come close in Sunday's 128-114 opening-round loss to the Lakers.

Disheartening? Maybe.

Mildly depressing? Sure.

But the Nuggets were not quite in down-in-the-dumps despair.

Instead, there were a lot of nots coming out of their locker room, as in what will and will not happen as the series progresses.

"I'm pretty sure they won't break it open like that again," Anthony said. "I'm pretty sure we aren't going to come out and play the way we did in that third quarter and lay down the way we did for a couple minutes. I don't think that's really going to happen."

It did really happen Sunday, with Denver's pass-go defense from the regular season seeping into the playoffs.

Kenyon Martin did a decent job of stifling Bryant through much of the game until he started flirting with foul trouble, allowing Bryant to catch a groove. Pau Gasol waltzed his way through, past and beyond Nuggets defenders. And Luke Walton took advantage of smaller players guarding him.

It all left Nuggets Coach George Karl to quip, "I think Coby Karl could have scored the baskets."

For Anthony and Iverson it was a journey, if unsteady path, to their 30 points apiece. And one that ultimately ended in frustration.

Anthony took 26 shots to get there and Iverson took 24, making only seven of his 13 free throws.

Iverson was tossed at 2 minutes 10 seconds of the fourth quarter by official Ken Mauer after receiving two technical fouls in place of the foul call he sought.

"[He] made the right decision about throwing me out," Iverson said. "I deserved to get thrown out at that point. Obviously, I thought I got fouled on a hand check on that play, and I felt he was right on that play and didn't make the call."

At this point, it would probably be more prudent for the Nuggets to locate a defensive stopper, but Linas Kleiza came off the bench for 23 points. He played as Marcus Camby, the league's reigning defensive player of the year, curiously watched the entire fourth quarter from the bench.

"Marcus, I didn't think, played poorly," Karl said. "I just thought at the time, the rhythm of the game was play fast and be aggressive to the rim and continue to try to score points in the faster mode."

They were in the game, even taking an eight-point lead in the second quarter. But these are the playoffs, where play toughens and tempers shorten.

Five technical fouls and one flagrant foul were called. All but one, a technical on Bryant, went against the Nuggets.

They were particularly peeved at Anthony Carter's technical foul on Bryant as he went to the rim in the third quarter. Carter pushed Bryant to receive the call, but before that, Karl said, Bryant hit Carter in the eye as he tried to hold him from falling.

"His eye was swelling in front of us, as he was being given the technical foul," Karl said. "I think it was a bad call."

All in all, it wasn't the start the Nuggets were looking for to the series or the game.

Their bus started spewing smoke on the way to Staples Center, an ominous sign. No one was injured, but it delayed their arrival.

They returned to the Mile High City after the game, with perhaps some of that fresh air and high altitude a remedy to clear some minds before Wednesday's Game 2.

Allen Iverson and the Nuggets are battling for 8 seed on the west vs Golden State Warriors

The Nuggets and Warriors will be fighting for their playoff lives on Thursday night. With the Dallas Mavericks suddenly looking like last years’ version, it’s the Warriors and Nuggets who will be fighting for that final seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. Both Denver and Golden State are 47 and 31. Against the BetUS spread neither team is all that good. Denver has gone 6 and 4 in their last 10 games, but only 2 and 4 in their last 6 games.

The Golden State Warriors are up one moment and down the next. They’ve gone 5 and 5 in their last 10 games. Against the Sacramento Kings the other night the Warriors scored 140 points. Here are more trends.

The Denver Nuggets are 9 and 2 against the spread in their last 11 games on a Thursday night.

The Golden State Warriors are 6 and 15 against the spread in their last 21 games at home.

The Over is 4 and 1 in the Golden State Warriors last 5 games at home.

The Over is 5 and 1 in the Denver Nuggets last 6 games as an underdog.

The Over is 10 and 4 in the last 14 meetings between these two teams.

The BetUS over/under in this game is 240 points. That equates to 120 points from each team. Man, it’s tempting to take the under isn’t it? I mean 120 from each team? Is that possible?

Actually, it’s definitely possible. I do believe that this game has a terrific chance of going over. The trends say so and the Warriors are playing at home where they love to run up and down the court and take wild shots.

But I have more faith in the Nuggets, actually. To me this comes down to each teams’ star player - - Allen Iverson for the Nuggets and Barron Davis for the Warriors. In that match-up I like Iverson because of his experience. Well, it also helps that he can pass the ball to both Marcus Camby and Carmelo Anthony if he can’t score himself.

The Nuggets are a veteran team with a veteran coach. These are the types of games where they should thrive.

I’ll be wagering that they do.

The BetUS basketball betting line is Denver Nuggets + 5 against the spread on the road versus the Golden State Warriors.

I’m taking the Nuggets and the points in this game.

Iverson lifts Nuggets to crucial win over Suns

Lying in his bed, well past midnight, Allen Iverson didn't have to shut his eyes to experience a nightmare.

After Monday's embarrassing loss at Phoenix, Iverson couldn't get the images out of his head. He thought about watching television, but feared seeing the highlights in living color.

But in Tuesday's 126-120 win, Iverson used his frustration as motivation, defeating the same Suns, this time at the Pepsi Center.

"You want to make sure you don't have that same nightmare," said Iverson, who scored a game-high 31 points. "Honestly, it's just wanting it more than the other team."

This win was huge. Denver (46-29) is now all alone in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Golden State (45-29), which lost Tuesday to San Antonio.

The Nuggets also are just a half-game behind seventh-place Dallas (46-28), which was idle Tuesday. Sure enough, Dallas hosts Golden State tonight.

The win also showed Denver's recent mental toughness, especially against a stacked team such as Phoenix (50-25). After losing a series of first-quarter blowouts and fourth-quarter flops in March, the Nuggets have established themselves as gritty winners. They won five out of six games to close out the month, including statement victories against Dallas and Golden State. And after blowing a 22-point lead on Monday at Phoenix, they clamped down the Suns in the final minutes Tuesday, and this was after Phoenix took its first lead with 3:11 left.

"Tonight was a strong example of the way we fight going down the stretch," forward Carmelo Anthony said. "There were a lot of things being thrown at us, so we stuck together and won the game."

Or, as J.R. Smith put it: "When we want to play, we can play."

Iverson, as usual, was the heart of the Nuggets, shooting 9-for-18 from the field, while hitting all 11 free-throw attempts. And fellow guard Anthony Carter scored eight points with a team-high 10 assists and a career-high six
steals. And after all those accomplishments, it was Carter's defense that earned the highest praise from coach George Karl: "In a short period of time, he has become one of my favorite defenders."

Carter was responsible for disrupting Steve Nash's shot attempts — after three quarters, Nash had just three points and Denver led by six. To Nash's credit, the former MVP was able to find guys who could get shots off. Nash finished the night with 18 assists, four from tying a career high.

"Steve Nash is such a treat to watch," Karl said.

Karl's Nuggets have now won nine straight games at Pepsi Center, as well as 19 of their past 21. With a 31-7 home record, Denver's best since 1988-89, Iverson was asked if Denver is one of the best home teams in the NBA.

"Honestly, I think so," said Iverson, who suggested the crowd of 18,870 had guzzled Red Bull all night. "The energy is always in this building. People think the crowd doesn't help you, but the fans help you so much. They give you that added confidence. They give you hope."
Nuggets Recap

What you might have missed

The Nuggets shot 37-for-47 from the free-throw line. Not only did the Suns get to the line just 26 times, but they made only 14 shots (53.8 percent). Denver's Marcus Camby scored only six points, but he did hit a clutch jumper from the top of the key with 37.7 seconds left.

Final thought

The Nuggets lost the lead in the final four minutes, and a lesser team might have folded against the likes of Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. But Denver buckled down defensively, hit key shots and free throws and won a big game.

Up next

vs. Sacramento, 7 p.m., Saturday.

Source: Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294