The San Antonio Spurs have benched the Nuggets’ bench in the playoffs.
The Nuggets entered the postseason with a high-scoring bench regarded as one of the NBA’s best. Guard is a sixth man of the year candidate, forward-center Nene primarily has been a starter the past two seasons, and the team is deep with veteran experience down to the 12th man.
But during the first-round playoff series, which continues with Game 4 tonight at the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets’ bench has not been close to being as productive as they were in the regular season.
“Our bench is going to have to play well,” Boykins said Sunday. “Our starters are doing a good job. Hopefully, our bench can put us over the top. As a bench, we have to play well. That includes myself. I have to play much better basketball.”
The Nuggets’ bench averaged 33.7 points in the regular season and scored a season-high 63 points March 24 against Washington. The late-season additions of veteran forwards Eduardo Najera and Wesley Person has helped. Denver’s bench averaged 41.7 points in the final 25 regular-season games.
Denver’s reserves, however, scored 21 points on 7-of-19 shooting in a Game 1 victory at San Antonio, and had 27 points on 10-of-28 shooting in a Game 2 loss. Saturday night at the Pepsi Center, they had just 14 points on 5-of-20 shooting in a Game 3 loss.
“What (the Spurs) have done is actually stop the running game,” Boykins said. “They stopped the running game by executing on offense and by sending back three guys. (Running) is how we were scoring in the regular season, and they’ve taken that part away.”
Boykins averaged 12.4 points on 41.3 percent shooting in the regular season but has averaged 8.3 points on 28.1 percent shooting in the playoffs. Nene averaged 9.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in the regular season but 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in the playoffs. Person, who averaged 8.1 points in 25 regular-season games for Denver, didn’t play Saturday.
Najera did not play in Game 1 because of a broken right hand and remains rusty.
“I don’t think the bench has played poorly,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “The thing I think that has hurt our bench big time is Eduardo not being able to play.
“He is a guy that kind of sets the screens for Wesley. He sets the screens for Earl. He’s the guy that kind of makes our offense work. We don’t have him.
“I don’t think we have had the operative bench we had for most of the second half of the season. We have to adjust to that.”
Foul situation
Karl said he does not expect to be fined for criticizing officials after Game 3.
“I didn’t say they were idiots or something like that,” he said. “I just said we got a bad whistle. I didn’t think it was the reason why we lost the game, but I thought it put a lot of pressure upon us to understand the refereeing as the game went on. That energy, along with being down 10 or 11 points, was too much for us to overcome.”
, who has been to the foul line 10 times in the series and has been whistled for 13 fouls, said, “They’re not calling no calls for me.”
K-Mart knows T’s
After received a technical foul in the second quarter Saturday night for taunting Nazr Mohammed after making a basket, Martin said he asked referee Scott Foster about the call and Foster said it was unnecessary.
Asked what happened on the play, Martin replied, “Nazr said, ‘Get it out of here,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, get it out of here.’
“I told Scott: ‘C’mon, man. You know me. You’ve been around. … If I’m gonna get a tech, I’m gonna get a tech. Don’t give me one because of no layup. You know better than that. That’s not deserving of a taunting tech at all.”‘
Having drawn his share of technicals, Martin suggested he has a finer understanding than most of the rule’s subtleties.
“Trust me, I know,” he said. “I know the difference between taunting and unsportsmanlike, flagrant ones and twos. I’ve been accustomed to all those.”
Staff writer Adam Thompson contributed to this report.
Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com.
