Los Angeles – History has had an odd and not particularly good way of repeating itself for the Nuggets early this season.
As with last year, the Nuggets lost a key regular on opening night – last season guard Voshon Lenard, this season forward Nene. For the second season in a row, their home opener went into overtime.
Most peculiarly, the Nuggets watched Los Angeles Lakers center Chris Mihm transform into just short of Wilt Chamberlain’s second coming on the Staples Center court Sunday night, marking the second straight November he has done so against them.
A big game by Mihm, a 7-footer who entered with career averages of 7.5 points and 5.4 rebounds, wasn’t the only thing that did in Denver during its 112-92 loss to the Lakers. But it may have been the weirdest.
Mihm poured in 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to repeat the beating he gave the Nuggets this time last year. Just Wednesday in L.A.’s 99-97 overtime win in Denver, coach Phil Jackson repeatedly gave him a quick hook after he committed fouls in a game in which he was a nonfactor.
But Sunday, L.A.’s king for a night said, “I got myself to open areas and I found ways to make myself effective, offensively and defensively. I went back, broke down some video of just myself, offensively, defensively, and I really saw some areas that I could take advantage of. Short jump shots, duck in front of guys and get some fouls.”
Meanwhile a more usual threat, Lakers star Kobe Bryant, followed up his game- winning jumper and 33-point game against the Nuggets last week with 37 points Sunday to lead all scorers.
But Bryant is Bryant, a perennial all-star. Mihm’s game prompted normally loquacious Denver center Marcus Camby to give a no comment when asked about it.
Denver coach George Karl called himself “shocked” by Mihm’s numbers.
“I thought Mihm was their best player on the court in the first half,” Karl said. “I thought his points hurt us, and his catches, hustle and rebounding. He took a lot of confidence out of us.”
Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin recalled Mihm’s 23-point, 12- rebound game from last year.
“I guess he’s got that one team that you just play well against,” Martin said. “It seems like to him, that’s us.”
Denver’s problems went beyond Mihm, of course. The 2-1 Lakers outrebounded the Nuggets 46-32 in dropping them to 1-3. In a game L.A. led from early in the first quarter, Denver also continued its wretched 3-point shooting, going 2-for-15, including 0-for-4 from Earl Boykins.
Boykins said his team’s perimeter shooting was not the problem Sunday, but said, “We just didn’t play team basketball – sharing the ball, making good decisions.”
Playing in front of a group of 86 people he left tickets for, including several kids from his L.A. home neighborhood of South Central, point guard Andre Miller was often Denver’s lone bright spot in a 20-point, six-assist performance. Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 21 points, while Martin, who said he was “struggling” with his healing left knee, had 17.
It was enough for Anthony to admit the first week of this season reminded him of November 2004, when his team started 2-5.
“We don’t want to get like that,” he said. “We already lost three. We need to get on the right track.”
As frustrating as the week has been, the Nuggets, a team picked by many to rank second in the Western Conference, preached calm. Karl said he asked his team to stay together while it works on righting itself.
“My recollection is very seldom do you come out of training camp and start the car in fifth gear. Some guys start in second or third gear. Most guys, you’ve got to go through a few games. We’re fine. We’re a very good team,” he said.
Added Anthony: “I’m not really worried about where we’re headed. We’ll be there.”
Staff writer Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
