Category: NBA Playoffs Blog

The AP reports: It had been a while since Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith found the net like this. Anthony scored a playoff career-high 42 points and Smith’s fourth-quarter flurry of 3-pointers helped the Denver Nuggets beat the injury-riddled Utah Jazz 126-113 on Saturday night in Game 1 of the playoff series. “We need that,” Anthony said after Smith scored 18 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter… Although Boozer (rib) returned to Utah’s lineup and scored 19 points, the Jazz lost center Mehmet Okur, who aggravated his left Achilles’ tendon injury in the first half, leading Boozer to believe he’ll have to move over to center for Game 2 Monday night… Kenyon Martin pulled down 12 rebounds in 34 minutes—the most he’s played since missing 18 games because of a balky left knee during the stretch run when the Nuggets fought through lots of adversity, including George Karl’s two-month absence to fight throat cancer.