Denver Nuggets Blog – Page 40 – NBA Blog

Lawson scores 25 as Nuggets beat Lakers in Game 3

Ty Lawson scored 25 points and the Denver Nuggets raced to an early 24-point lead on their way to a 99-84 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round series.

JaVale McGee had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, who will try to even the best-of-seven series at two games each on Sunday night at the Pepsi Center.

Playing with an energy and enthusiasm that had been missing in the playoffs, the Nuggets grabbed a 55-39 halftime lead by stifling Andrew Bynum down low and forcing Kobe Bryant to work harder for his baskets.

Although both Bynum and Bryant got it going after halftime and the Lakers cut their deficit to four points in the third quarter, the hole was too big to climb out of.

Bynum’s putback with 1:18 left in the third quarter not only pulled the Lakers to 68-64 but his inadvertent elbow on the play broke Al Harrington’s nose. He didn’t return, but the Nuggets went on a 12-5 run to regain their composure and control of the game.

Bryant finished with 22 points on 7-of-23 shooting after scoring 31 and 38 points in L.A.’s two wins at the Staples Center, and Bynum had 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Kenneth Faried had a double-double for Denver, scoring 12 points and pulling down 15 rebounds as the Nuggets outrebounded the Lakers 55-44. Denver’s bench outscored the Lakers’ reserves 39-9.

— Reported by Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press

Kobe scores 38, Lakers beat Nuggets, take 2-0 series lead

Kobe Bryant scored 38 points, Andrew Bynum followed up his playoff-opening triple-double with 27 points and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers weathered Denver’s late rally for a 104-100 victory over the Nuggets on Tuesday night, taking a 2-0 series lead.

Pau Gasol had 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the third-seeded Lakers, who still haven’t trailed in this series despite nearly crumbling against a much-improved effort by the Nuggets and Ty Lawson, who scored 25 points and led the fourth-quarter charge.

Los Angeles’ 19-point lead in the third quarter dwindled to four with 3 minutes to play, but Ramon Sessions scored four key points in the final 1:14 before Bryant’s icing free throws with 9.4 seconds left.

Game 3 is Friday in Denver.

Lawson shook his awful series opener with 17 second-half points, but the sixth-seeded Nuggets lost their ninth straight road playoff game despite playing much closer to their preferred speedy tempo after the Lakers muzzled them in Game 1.

Sessions scored 14 points for Los Angeles, which played just enough fast-break ball of its own to stay ahead of Denver – and now the Lakers are halfway to the second round. They have only lost one playoff series in franchise history after winning the first two games, going 42-1.

Kenneth Faried had 14 points and 10 rebounds while Danilo Gallinari and Corey Brewer added 13 points apiece, but Denver still couldn’t consistently defend Bryant or negate Bynum, who played another outstanding low-post game on both ends until disappearing a bit in a three-point fourth quarter.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Wilson Chandler recovering from hip surgery

Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler is recovering after successful arthroscopic surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip.

The procedure was performed Monday by Dr. Marc J. Philippon. Chandler is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in October.

Chandler, 24, spent much of the 2011-12 NBA season playing in China before re-signing a multiyear contract with the Nuggets on March 18. He averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in eight games after his return.

Acquired by Denver on Feb. 22, 2011, Chandler averaged 15.3 points and a career-high 5.7 rebounds last season.

Andrew Bynum triple-double leads Lakers past Nuggets in Game 1

Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Andrew Bynum posted the Lakers’ first playoff triple-double in 21 years with an NBA postseason record-tying 10 blocked shots, and Los Angeles thoroughly controlled the tempo in a playoff-opening 103-88 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

Bynum, the Lakers’ All-Star center coming off his best regular season, also had 10 points and 13 rebounds while incredibly blocking 11 percent of the Nuggets’ 90 shots.

While Bynum had the Lakers’ first playoff triple-double since Magic Johnson in the 1991 NBA finals, fellow 7-footer Pau Gasol added 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the playoff-tested Lakers, who never trailed while forcing the NBA’s highest-scoring team to play Los Angeles’ preferred half-court style.

Game 2 is Tuesday night.

Danilo Gallinari scored 19 points for the sixth-seeded Nuggets, but the NBA’s second-youngest playoff roster struggled to run. Andre Miller had 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while helping out Ty Lawson, Denver’s leading scorer, who managed just seven points while failing to make a shot in the first three quarters.

Bynum blocked eight shots in the first three quarters before surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise-record nine blocks in the fourth. He swatted Timofey Mozgov’s shot for No. 10 in the closing minutes to equal the NBA record set by Utah’s Mark Eaton on April 26, 1985, and matched by Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon on April 29, 1990.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Wilson Chandler is done for the season

Wilson Chandler’s season started late and is finishing early.

The Denver Nuggets’ versatile forward needs surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip and is done for the season.

Chandler arrived in Denver last February as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks. He played for Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association during the NBA lockout and rejoined the Nuggets a month ago, signing a five-year deal worth nearly $37 million.

The 24-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in eight games, including six starts but spent more time on the sideline than on the court after hurting his hip.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Carmelo Anthony to appear on Nurse Jackie (Showtime)

Fans of Knicks star Carmelo Anthony will get a chance to see the All-Star do double duty on Sunday. After Anthony and the Knicks continue to try and lock up a playoff spot Sunday with a Garden matinee against the Miami Heat, fans can watch Carmelo the actor Sunday night.

Anthony will make a guest appearance on Showtime’s hit dark comedy ‘Nurse Jackie’ playing a fallen pro hoops player. In the episode, scheduled to air Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, Anthony plays one of an eclectic group of patients who participate in a group therapy session with the show’s title character (played by Edie Falco) at a Manhattan rehab facility.

Falco plays an emergency room nurse at a Big Apple hospital with a weakness for prescription drugs in the Showtime series which is currently in its fourth season.

— Reported by Andy Clayton of the New York Daily News

Kevin Love suffers concussion in Timberwolves loss to Nuggets

Ty Lawson scored 24 points, including four free throws in the final 17.6 seconds, to help the Denver Nuggets hold on for a 113-107 win Wednesday night over a Minnesota Timberwolves squad that was missing Kevin Love after the All-Star forward went out with a mild concussion in the first quarter.

Arron Afflalo added 21 points for the surging Nuggets, who have won two straight to remain in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.

Up by as many as 24 points, Denver saw the Timberwolves steadily climb back into the game, even tying it late in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by Martell Webster…

Love sustained a head injury early in the game after taking an inadvertent elbow to the head from JaVale McGee when the Nuggets center went up for a shot. Love had missed all five of his shots before being knocked out of the game…

Anthony Randolph scored 28 points and Derrick Williams had 27 to pick up the slack for the Timberwolves, who have now dropped seven straight. J.J. Barea effectively and efficiently guided the offense, dishing out a career-high 15 assists.

Rookie Kenneth Faried turned in another strong performance as he finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. This was on the heels of a 27-point, 17-rebound effort against Golden State two nights ago. The high-energy forward was just as difficult to contain for the Timberwolves, especially after Love went down.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Kenneth Faried goes wild in Nuggets win over Warriors

Rookie Kenneth Faried had season highs of 27 points and 17 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets never trailed in their most lopsided win of the season, a 123-84 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

The 39-point margin exceeded Denver’s previous high of 29 points against Sacramento on Jan. 25, and coincided with the return of Danilo Gallinari. He helped pick up the offense by scoring 15 points in his first game since breaking his left thumb against Dallas on March 19.

Arron Afflalo also had 15 points, and JaVale McGee and Corey Brewer each added 13 for Denver. Golden State was led by Klay Thompson and Nate Robinson with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

The Nuggets matched their season high in points and beat the Warriors for the first time in three tries this season. They remained in eighth place in the Western Conference with nine games remaining. Denver is in a tight race with seventh-place Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, and Houston for the last two postseason spots in the conference.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Knicks coach Mike Woodson wants J.R. Smith to pull his pants up

Knicks coach Mike Woodson continued his spiel that J.R. Smith needs to be more professional “on and off the court,” even taking on the fashion statement the player makes.

Woodson had a long talk with Smith in the wake of Tuesday’s ejection with 10.7 seconds left in Indiana for throwing down Leandro Barbosa.

“I told him I’m going to continue to coach him as long as I’m coaching the team,” Woodson said at the Thursday morning shootaround at Amway Center. “I told him I’m not going to let him off the hook. I want his shorts pulled up. I want him to look presentable. Be a professional. That’s what it’s all about.’’

In following a new fashion trend for youth, Smith likes to wear his pants and shorts around the hips in what has been termed as “sagging,’’ exposing underwear.

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post (Blog)

Dwight Howard misses Nuggets game with back spasms

The Orlando Magic didn’t have their best player on the floor when they hosted the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night.

Dwight Howard suffered from back spasms, was a late scratch and sat out a regular-season game for only the eighth time in his eight-year pro career.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has alleged that Howard was punched in his lower back by Dallas Mavericks center Brendan Haywood during Friday night’s loss to the Mavericks.

Haywood said he did nothing wrong.

“Man, I don’t know what’s wrong with Stan,” Haywood said Sunday, according to ESPNDallas.com. “Stan’s going to say what Stan wants to say. We don’t gotta play them no more. The game’s over with.

“I think Dwight caught me with more shots than I caught him. He’s the most physical player in the league. So it is what it is. Stan made his comment. I haven’t got a call from anybody [in the league office], so I guess nobody’s listening.”

— Reported by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel