Nuggets forward has mastered the regular season, but that play hasn’t carried over to the playoffs.
Anthony had 19 points but only three in the fourth quarter Saturday night in the Nuggets’ 86-78 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at the Pepsi Center. After struggling in the playoffs last season as a rookie, Anthony has averaged 14.3 points in the series against the Spurs but has yet to reach the 20-point mark.
“It’s been tough, but I understand that they are not keying on no one but me,” said Anthony, who was 7-for-17 from the field. “I think I’m the person on their scouting report where they say they’re going to let someone else beat us: ‘We are going to send two or three people every time he gets the ball and make someone else beat us.”‘
Anthony was the Nuggets’ leading scorer in the regular season, averaging 20.8 points. He also averaged 7.6 shots and in April he averaged 24.5 points on 50.3 percent shooting.
But the playoffs have brought a defensive assignment in Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, a candidate for defensive player of the year. During the regular season against San Antonio, Anthony averaged 17.8 points on 30.3 percent shooting.
“(Bowen) gets away with stuff,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “He walks underneath. He holds and grabs and cuts. He’s clever – puts his hands up after he bumps you.”
Along with Bowen, Anthony is being double- and triple-teamed.
“It’s tough, because you see him, you see (Tim) Duncan, you see (Robert) Horry. You see everybody,” Anthony said. “Especially in my position. I don’t think they double- or triple-team anyone else but me.”
Although Denver won Game 1, Anthony scored 10 points on 5-of-14 shooting and had no free-throw attempts in 26 minutes. In the Game 2 loss, he had 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting and two free-throw attempts in 31 minutes.
He played the first quarter Saturday night and had four points on 2-of-4 shooting and no free-throws attempts. In the second quarter, Anthony had four points on 2-of-3 shooting and no free throws in seven minutes.
“I was trying to not be too anxious out there,” Anthony said. “Trying to be patient. That wasn’t working in the first half.”
In the third quarter, Anthony was more aggressive but still struggled. He missed 5-of-7 shots but went 4-of-6 from the line while playing the entire period.
With Denver trailing 78-73 with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter, his first field goal of the period trimmed Denver’s deficit to 81-78, but he didn’t take a shot the rest of the game.
When asked about taking only three shots in the fourth, Anthony said: “I’m not going to speak on that. I’m not too worried about how many shots I take. I’m not worried about that.”
Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com.
