Carmelo Anthony helps Denver Nuggets beat Dallas Mavericks 121-120
Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 42 points and added seven rebounds, as the Denver Nuggets held on for a hard-fought 121-120 win over the Dallas Mavericks, at the Pepsi Center on Thursday night.
Chauncey Billups played well as he contributed 30 points, nine assists, and five rebounds for the Nuggets, who snapped the Mavericks 10-game winning streak.
Arron Afflalo played one of his best games of the 2010-11 season as he came off the bench to score 24 points in the home victory. In addition, he scored 19 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups appreciated the breath-taking contribution of Afflalo in the win. Billups said, "I am really, really happy for him. When I see the way he works on his game, day in and day out, and finally reap some of the benefits of that,
it makes you proud."
Jason Terry led the Mavericks with 25 points in their 16th defeat of the season. Tyson Chandler had 20 points and 11 rebounds, while forward Shawn Marion finished with 19 points in the defeat.
Guard Jose Barea chipped in with 17 points, while forward Dirk Nowitzki ended with 16 points for the Mavericks.
Match Analysis
The game's top scorer, Billups, was unstoppable in the opening quarter as he hit four three-pointers on his way to scoring 18-points and three assists. The Mavericks however, played sloppy basketball, allowing the Nuggets to take a 33-19 lead into the second.
Dallas came out strongly in the second quarter as they limited turnovers, made their shots and played some tenacious defence. The Nuggets played a number of brilliant shots while the Mavericks went on 28-11 run. However, the Nuggets held on by a single point
(59-58) at half time.
In the third quarter, the Mavericks took the control of the contest and continued to extend their lead. They eventually managed 34 points in the third quarter, before the Nuggets fought hard to make the score a respectable one. Dallas managed to take a 92-88
advantage into the final stanza.
The Nuggets however, got back into the game at the right time, as they got 19 of their points from Arron Afflalo in the fourth quarter.
The Mavericks fought hard as they got it going offensively halfway through the fourth and led 119-110 with over two minutes to go until the final buzzer. However, Denver went on an 11-1 run and Afflalo hit a 19-foot jumper at the buzzer to seal the home
win.
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle appreciated the Nuggets' team efforts and fourth-quarter rally. He said, "They made some unbelievable shots. We had some breakdowns, and we didn't' get the ball in the hole often enough.”
Tags: