Houston survive 50-point Carmelo blitz to overcome Nuggets 108-103
Denver Nuggets Guard Carmelo Anthony has been the centre of attention this season because of his possible trade move. However, on Monday night, the All Star guard put all the lingering transaction hype behind him and scorched the Houston Rockets with 50
points and 11 boards.
However, his 50-point foray, the second of his career left a hollow feeling.
Carmelo Anthony may have won the scoring battle on the night, but the Rockets won the war as they survived the blitz from the Denver superstar to topple the Bronchos, 108-103.
A dejected Anthony said after the game, “When you score 50 points and lose you start thinking why? Why the 50? If we’d have won it would have been totally different … Fifty doesn’t mean anything tonight. I’d give it back (for a win).”
While it was Carmelo Anthony's one-man show that grabbed most of the headlines even in defeat, it was Houston’s Kevin Martin who made all the difference. Martin was simply marvellous in the mile-high altitude, as he stunned the Nuggets by pounding 37 points,
while dishing out a season-high seven assists along with four rebounds and three steals.
Houston’s top scorer had a horror start to the game as he converted just 2-of-8 from the floor in the first half. His poor form brought back memories of a sluggish eight-point stint he showcased the last time the two teams met. However, Martin was able to
overcome his demons this time around. When he was unable to make shots, Martin took the onus of making the play. The dazzling sharp-shooter stayed productive during that stretch by consistently setting up his team-mates with quality passes.
With the advent of second half though, Martin found his groove as he singlehandedly humbled the home team.
“I think it was a mental thing”, said Martin of his early struggles shooting the ball. “I was focusing on missing shots up here the last couple times and I had to get it out of my head mentally. I did that at half time and finally started playing in the
third. I felt strong the whole game.”
The Nuggets were not helped by the fact that their influential centre Nene was out with a sinus infection. To make matters worse Chauncey Billups went down in the first quarter with a left knee strain. With the departure of the two veterans, the leadership
and hustle required to shore up the defence also departed.
While Anthony was firing on all cylinders at the offensive end, the Nuggets defence was never switched on mentally. Instead of driving right to the throats of the Rockets, they just looked to survive, which eventually proved to be their downfall. The 21
team turnovers didn’t help either.
Although the first quarter was competitive, the Rockets took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second stanza, as Martin came into his own. The seventh year shooting guard singlehandedly outscored the Nuggets 18-16 in the third quarter. Martin was
practically perfect in the period, consistently blazing the Bronchos in every way possible. Not only did he regain his shooting touch, but was also pivotal in sparking his team to a 15-2 run, which helped the Rockets strengthen their grip on the game.
The game was not over yet though.
Staring at an 81-66 deficit coming into the fourth quarter, Ty Lawson decided to step it up for the Nuggets. He scored seven straight points to start the frame. Anthony soon followed suit, slipping in five straight as the Nuggets started to fight back. The
surge continued down the stretch and with 42.9 seconds left, a couple of free throws by Anthony made things very interesting at 103-98.
Anthony followed those up with a three-pointer and a driving layup soon after. Houston though, played intelligently at the other end, luring the Nuggets into making fouls. The free throw opportunities that followed were utilised emphatically as the visitors
squeaked out a narrow 108-103 win.
Taking Carmelo Anthony out of the equation, the Nuggets had a miserable offensive night in general. Ty Lawson, who relieved Billups late in the first quarter, was the other significant contributor for the Nuggets. Lawson added 19 points, six rebounds and
five assists while Al Harrington started at centre for Nene and finished with 10 points.
The biggest failure of the night though was Denver’s ace perimeter defender Aaron Afflalo. Afflalo was in foul trouble for most of the night, which eventually allowed Martin to cut loose, as the Nuggets lost consecutive home games for just the second time
since the 2007-08 season.
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