The AP reports: Chauncey Billups scored 36 points and made a career-best eight 3-pointers in leading Denver to a 113-84 rout of the New Orleans Hornets, the second-biggest blowout in the Nuggets’ playoff history. Capitalizing on their first home-court edge in a playoff series in 21 years, the Nuggets nearly bested their previous biggest margin of victory, a 141-111 wallop of San Antonio back in 1985. Billups sank four of his 3s in the third quarter, when the Nuggets began to turn a tight game into a laughter. At one point, they led by 34. Denver used a 21-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to build a 95-69 cushion, a run that was highlighted by Billups’ seventh and eighth 3s.
InsideHoops.com notes: The Nuggets shot 50.7%, the Hornets just 37.2%. Both teams were excellent from three-point range. The Nuggets rebounded well… For Denver, Carmelo Anthony shot just 4-of-12 for 13 points and 7 rebounds – a quiet night… Denver simply had more contributions from across the board. Very few Hornets stepped up.
