Larry Brown couldn’t come up with the right plan for either Denver’s best player or his own Friday night.
Carmelo Anthony sliced through single coverage en route to 25 points for the Nuggets, while Brown left Knicks guard Stephon Marbury watching helplessly from the bench over the final 6 1/2 minutes of Denver’s 95-86 victory over New York.
Marbury, who said he was upset with his role in Brown’s system after a four-point night in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers this week, didn’t see his role change much in this one. He stayed at point guard and finished with nine points and nine assists, while spending the end of the game on the bench with a towel draped over his head.
A good strategic decision? Or simply a reminder from Brown of who is really in charge in this, his first season with the Knicks?
That debate will begin shortly in the Big Apple. For his part, Marbury took this latest setback better than the one in Los Angeles.
“Whatever Coach thinks it will take for us to win, I’ll do,” Marbury said. “I’m cool with it. I wasn’t surprised to come out when I did.”
Channing Frye had 22 points and eight rebounds points for the Knicks, who finished their Western trip 2-4. That might not be considered bad were it not for the recent machinations with Marbury.
Brown explained his decision to bench the guard late, saying simply, “I just wanted to get us back in the game.”
Marcus Camby had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Nuggets, who reached the .500 mark for the first time this season.
Anthony has enjoyed his two biggest scoring nights in the past two games, this one coming after a 31-point game in a win Wednesday against the New Orleans Hornets.
The third quarter was the turning point, and Brown’s decision not to double cover him made a big difference.
Running the floor and creating contact under the basket as well as he has all season, Anthony scored 12 points in the third quarter – including six free throws – to help Denver turn a one-point deficit into a double-digit lead.
He was single covered much of the night by Malik Rose and David Lee. Neither was very successful.
“It was the first time I hadn’t seen double- and triple-teams,” Anthony said. “I’ve got to take advantage when I get teams like that and get games like that.
“I don’t get to play straight-up like that very much.”
Brown defended his decision to play Denver’s best player one-on-one.
“We did a pretty good job on Carmelo,” he said.
Brown coached opposite Nuggets assistant Doug Moe, his best buddy and former assistant with the Nuggets, for the first time since 1992.
