A day after the Game 4 foul-fest, Nuggets coach George Karl admitted both teams had legitimate beefs among the 73 fouls called.
But he continued to question a call by referee Bennie Adams, who ruled from the baseline that guard ‘ jump shot from the right wing with 2:34 left in regulation was worth two points, not three. The Nuggets went up by two points instead of three on the shot. The San Antonio Spurs won in overtime 126-115.
“It was definitely a three,” Karl said, adding: “This is the first time in my NBA life I’ve ever seen a referee on the baseline take away a three out there. Because the referee can see here, but he can’t see out there. I was looking right at it. It was a three.”
Boykins and Nuggets center said they saw no replay, though Camby wondered if the talk in the media of officiating in Game 3 could have affected Game 4. Karl complained about the officiating after Game 3. Camby also used the opportunity to take a joking shot at Houston’s Jeff Van Gundy, who coached him in New York.
“Referees read the newspaper, too,” Camby said. “I saw that Van Gundy got fined $100,000. He’s cheap, so I know he’s upset about that. But we can’t get caught up with comments from the referees. As players, we are never going to win that battle.”
Request to testify
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said in a telephone interview he will ask Nuggets forward to speak at a House hearing on witness intimidation.
“We’ll invite him,” Cummings said. “We’d rather not go the route of a sub- poena, but if we have to, we will.”
The congressman criticized Anthony last year for his appearance in an underground DVD called “Stop Snitching,” which featured Baltimore crime figures discussing violence toward witnesses. Anthony has maintained he did not support the video or know its purpose when he was filmed.
Asked of his reaction to Anthony’s initial apologies, Cummings said, “He’s going to have an opportunity to say that in front of a national audience.”
The congressman added he hasn’t heard from Anthony’s camp since February, after assurances Anthony would take part in a campaign against witness intimidation.
Anthony was unavailable for comment Tuesday, but his agent, Calvin Andrews, said, “That is all inaccurate. We have a full-scale plan working with the governor of Maryland, as well as the congressman’s office. … There is not one thing they have formally asked him to do that he has not done.”
Andrews said an announcement on what Anthony is doing would come after the season.
“If he wants to go to the hearing, he’ll go to the hearing,” Andrews said of Anthony. “There’s no reason to force him to go. … I don’t think it was fair of him to blast Carmelo like that.”
Footnotes
After finishing third in voting for the NBA’s best sixth man, behind winner Ben Gordon of Chicago and Ricky Davis of Boston, Boykins said: “It’s not a disappointment. I look at it as an award where if you score the most points off the bench, you’re going to win it.” … Karl suggested he might keep forward Eduardo Najera off the court because of the broken bone in his right hand. … Karl said he has not played Wesley Person much in this series because he wants to give more minutes to Boykins and “to give them confidence.”
STORY LINES
DENVER’S PRIDE: Against overwhelming odds, will Denver play its best game of the series, or toss in the towel if it falls behind early?
NUGGETS’ STARTERS ON SAME PAGE: Each of the Nuggets’ starters has had his moments in the series, but as a group the starters haven’t clicked in the same game.
WINNING WITH DEFENSE: Denver’s one victory came when San Antonio missed 17 consecutive fourth-quarter shots in Game 1. Tough defense is still the Nuggets’ best shot.
FOOTNOTES: The Nuggets’ 46 free throws Monday in Game 4 were two shy of the team playoff record. … The Nuggets never have come back from a 3-1 deficit and won a playoff series.
