Golden State Warriors beat Denver Nuggets 116-114 (Part I)
If these are Carmelo Anthony's final days in Denver, he's certainly going out on a high personal note. A night after the All-Star forward poured in a season second best 50 points against the Houston Rockets, Anthony followed with a 29-point blitz against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
The rest of the team however, failed to back him up, as the Nuggets slipped to a 116-114 loss.
Trailing throughout the second half, the Nuggets pulled off a spirited rally to reduce a 10-point deficit at one stage to a single point, just a minute before the end of play. However, they lost steam, both tactically and practically at a point where they needed to really bring it on; in the final possession.
In with a realistic chance to win or at least tie the game, all Denver managed was an errant, step-back shot from Nene that was off mark while Anthony was left wandering. It was the worst possible way for Denver to end the night, losing a close battle for the second game running. For the Warriors though, it was the best possible result, as they embark on an arduous road trip on which their hopes of making it to the playoffs rest.
The Warriors were led by Monta Ellis, who was simply marvellous on the night. The sixth year sharp-shooting sensation hammered 37 points, including a game-breaking three down the stretch, as he spearheaded the Warriors to their fourth win in their last five games.
Dorrell Wright had an uncharacteristically cold shooting night. The dynamic forward though still posted 23 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and a match-high eight assists. David Lee also had a double-double with 16 points, 12 boards and six assists. Stephen Curry finished with 13 while Reggie Williams came off the bench to record 18 points and six assists.
The Nuggets on the other hand were without veteran point guard, Chauncey Billups. Billups sat out the game with a strained left knee but is expected to play on Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks in Denver. To make matters worse, no other Nuggets player except Carmelo crossed 20 points. Al Harrington was the closest with 18 points and eight assists. Nene had 17 points; J.R. Smith had 16 while Aaron Afflalo also chipped in with 12.
The Warriors and the Nuggets are two of the most offensively explosive teams in the league and the clash between them promised to be an extravaganza.
It certainly turned out to be one.
The teams attacked the rim furiously from the very start as the game started at a furious pace. The Nuggets however, were the first to break away, rattling an early 12-4 run. Nene scored eight of those points as Denver led by 16-8, just five and a half minutes into the game. What followed was an old-fashioned shoot-out between the two teams as each scored on their next possessions.
The Nuggets however, maintained their edge, as Aaron Afflalo banged one from downtown to give them a 10-point lead with less than four minutes to go. The Warriors started a resurgent rally at that point. They started with a 7-0 spurt and then followed it with a spate of three pointers, as the teams went into the second quarter with Denver leading 35-34.
The see-saw battle continued in the second quarter with the Warriors chasing the Nuggets. The extreme offensive pressure from the home team finally paid dividends midway through the frame, as they reeled off a 12-3 run to finally nudge ahead. The Nuggets however, remained in the hunt, finishing the half at 68-70.
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