Lately, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony has been fond of calling them “statement games,” the kind of performances that say a little something about what kind of team he thinks they are and can be.
Saturday’s statement was an unexpected delight: Nuggets 131, Suns 107.
It came with defense and dunks and a big lead of 40 points. It came with 44 points and 15 assists from Allen Iverson and standing ovations from a capacity Pepsi Center crowd at nearly every timeout. It moved the Nuggets back ahead of the idle L.A. Lakers into sixth place in the Western Conference and raised two significant questions.
Are these Nuggets here to stay? Can these Nuggets truly challenge a team like Phoenix in the playoffs?
The week was by far the best the Nuggets have had since the all-star break and counts as the team’s first four-game winning streak since a five-game winning streak from Feb. 14-23.
Only, this latest group of wins is more significant in nature.
They came over Sacramento, Portland, the Lakers and Suns. Three came at home, where the Nuggets generally haven’t played well this season. Two came over teams ahead of Denver in the Western Conference playoff race. Saturday’s came against a team many regard as the class of the NBA.
“I like the whole week,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “The whole week was good. The mentality of the team was good. And we needed it.”
Iverson was at the center of Denver’s second-highest point total this season, eclipsed only by 140 against Golden State on Nov. 24. The Nuggets shot 57.3 percent from the field, had 35 assists on 51 baskets and placed five players in double-figure scoring.
“They played a good game,” Suns forward Shawn Marion said. “They were clicking and fighting on all cylinders. We were sluggish. We wasn’t active the way we normally are and they got a good win.”
Iverson scored 31 of his total in the second half. He was asked what it felt like to be in that type of zone.
“You just want to get shots up because you’re making a lot of shots,” he said. “The whole thing is just trying to get some space to get some shots up. When you’re in a zone, it don’t matter if guys are on. You just feel good. You feel like throwing rocks in the ocean.”
Anthony finished with 29 points and eight rebounds. The Nuggets forced 20 Phoenix turnovers (12 on steals), and scored 60 points in the paint. Nene had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
“It really let us know where we are as a team going up against one of the top teams in the NBA,” Anthony said. “That was another confidence booster for us going into this big road trip next.”
The Nuggets begin a five-game road trip on Tuesday at New Jersey.
Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
