Before Nuggets training camp began, forward Carmelo Anthony spent three days in Chicago with NBA great Michael Jordan at his home. Anthony, who has a Jordan Jumpman contract, talked business, got advice – and played one-on-one with Jordan.
“I was hanging with him,” Anthony said. “Kept it on the down low. I just wanted to go out there and spend some time with him. We talk often. Talked to him just before the playoffs.”
Anthony could use a little Jordan magic after struggling again in Game 4. He was 5-of-17 from the field after going 6-of- 17 in Game 3. The Clippers continued their pattern of doubling Anthony at every opportunity, and the third-year forward has been unable to break free.
As for the visit with Jordan, “They spent quiet private time together talking about the game, talking about his career,” said Fred Whitfield, director of business and legal affairs for the Jordan Jumpman brand. “Michael really likes him as a person and thinks he has a chance to be a great player. If nothing else, you’re getting advice from arguably the best player ever.”
Whitfield attended Game 4 at the Pepsi Center on Saturday and said Jordan probably will attend one of Anthony’s playoff games if Denver advances to the second round.
Bumping inside
An exchange under the Nuggets’ basket in the second period had the crowd riled up and the players talking trash. Clippers center Chris Kaman pushed Denver’s Reggie Evans hard in the back, sending him sprawling. Kaman was assessed a flagrant foul.
Ruben Patterson entered the exchange and was called for a technical foul.
Replays showed Evans grabbed Kaman from behind at the start of the fracas.
Rebounding on boards
While the Nuggets were outrebounded by an average of 10 boards per game during their regular-season series, they have dominated their offensive glass in this series. They held a 48-27 edge on the offensive boards going into Game 4 Saturday night and had an 8-5 edge Saturday night. Karl attributed the offensive rebounding totals to the Clippers’ laser-eyed focus on Anthony.
“It’s kind of a double-edged sword,” he said before the game. “If they want to double Melo and zone up Melo, they’re going to give up something else. Basketball is a give-and-take. You can take one thing, but you’re usually giving something else. I tip my hat off to our big guys, because they’ve done a great job of getting the extra rebounds, the extra possessions.”
Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, meanwhile, has bemoaned his team’s lack of focus on boxing out.
Footnotes
The trash-talking escalated Saturday night. The Nuggets don’t appear to appreciate some Clippers’ contention that L.A.’s mistakes in Denver’s Game 3 win had more to do with themselves than anything their hosts threw at them.
“They’ve been talking the last couple of games,” center Marcus Camby said before the game. “We’re just going to let our play do the talking.”
Greg Buckner’s three-pointer at the 8:58 mark of the first quarter was the Nuggets’ first at home in the series, after the team went 0-for-11 in Thursday’s game. Denver ended the half 1-of-10 from three-point land, while Los Angeles was 4-for-4. Denver finished 5-of-22. … Nuggets rookie Julius Hodge expressed a bit of school pride after hearing fellow North Carolina State athlete Mario Williams had gone first overall to Houston in the NFL draft. Hodge does not know the defensive end well, but they were acquaintances who took a class together. “It was a big surprise to me,” he said. “I don’t really know much about the NFL draft, but that was a real big surprise.” … Hall of Famer Moses Malone was a special guest at Saturday’s game.
Denver Post staff writer Irv Moss contributed to this report.
