Picking themselves up off the canvas has never been an enviable position, but at least the Nuggets have experience doing so this season.
“We’ve always figured it out,” coach George Karl said Tuesday. “We’ve always worked through it. We’ve always picked ourselves up. I trust this team is going to do the same thing on Thursday night.”
Being back at the Pepsi Center for Game 3 on Thursday night figures to help the Nuggets, who are in an 0-2 series hole. But there is a picking-themselves-up checklist the Nuggets plan to follow to get back in the series. In no particular order:
Start faster. The Nuggets allowed the Clippers to score 31 first-quarter points in Game 1 and 32 points in Game 2.
“We need to come ready from the start instead of waiting through the course of the game where we look good in spurts,” forward Reggie Evans said. “And we have to finish the way we start.”
Said center Marcus Camby: “Until guys take a serious approach to the start of the ballgame, we’re always going to be digging ourselves out of a hole.”
Share the ball. To raise their shooting percentage from 36.5 percent through the first two games, Karl insists more passing is needed.
“I’ve said that all along,” Karl said. “When my team passes the ball, we shoot the ball (well). When we hesitate and hold, we don’t shoot the ball (well).”
Play aggressive. “I thought we beat them up in the second half of Game 1,” Karl said. “The last 16 minutes of Game 1 is how we need to play. We need to be a consistent defensive team, which will create some offense for us. If we do that, then I think we’ll have an upper edge.”
Juggling lineup
Karl shook up his starting lineup in Game 2, inserting Francisco Elson and Ruben Patterson into the starting lineup. He started Earl Boykins and Eduardo Najera to start the second half. He didn’t rule out more changes for Thursday.
“There’s probably a good chance of that,” Karl said.
Boykins struggles
Most of the Nuggets have struggled, none more than guard Earl Boykins.
Boykins, usually a spark off the bench, has been off target in his first two games back from a broken left hand. He has hit just 7-of-25 shots (28 percent) from the field. He’s 1-of-7 from 3-point range.
“I love what he’s bringing to how we play, I just wish the rust was a little more shaken off,” Karl said. “I wish he was a little more polished, a little more in the groove. I’m hoping in the next couple of days we can get him there.”
Dunleavy doesn’t have answer
Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy wasn’t jumping to conclusions after the Nuggets’ poor showing in Game 2, a game in which Kenyon Martin refused to play in the second half. Martin was suspended by the team Tuesday night.
“I wouldn’t have said they imploded,” Dunleavy said. “There are some stories going on, but I don’t know anything about it. … They’re kind of searching for their way. Each time they do something, we hope we have the answer for it. So far, we’ve been OK.”
Footnotes
There are 2,000 tickets remaining for Thursday’s Game 3 at Pepsi Center. … The Nuggets went through a voluntary workout. Martin, Camby, Najera, Greg Buckner, Boykins, Evans, Elson and Linas Kleiza took part. … A two-hour delay prevented the Nuggets from getting back into town until 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. … Karl received a third-place vote for coach of the year, given to Dallas’ Avery Johnson.
Staff writer Marc J. Spears contributed to this report.
Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-820-5455 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
