Most good success stories have their moments of fortune. In getting out to a 9-3 home start at the beginning of this season, the Nuggets know they have had theirs.
Namely, in tired teams coming a mile high to play the second of back-to-back situations.
Still, the Nuggets have come out on top on the majority of those, and for all of the holes that can be punched in that sort of schedule, the ridicule would be worse if the wins were losses. So coming out on top holds value.
A win tonight against New Orleans would be the Nuggets’ 10th at the Pepsi Center. They didn’t record their 10th win last season until Jan. 8, on their way to 23 wins, their third-lowest home win total this decade.
Now the Nuggets are on pace to threaten the franchise record of home wins in an NBA season, 36 in 1976-77. Yet, the players seem to be at a loss why there has been such a drastic turnaround from last season.
“I don’t know,” center Marcus Camby said. “We just seem to have it going for us early in the season. But it’s a long season, we have to continue it. We always talk about making the home court our safe haven, and thus far we’ve been doing that.”
Said guard Allen Iverson: “I just think we’re coming out with a sense of urgency at home. At home we’ve been starting off slow, but then we eventually pick it up. But the games that we start off with a good pace, we’ve been able to sustain it throughout the game and been able to get wins. So I just think it’s important for us to use the energy of our crowd, and use this thin air.”
The Nuggets are averaging 110.2 points per game at home this season, compared with 106.6 last season. Opponents are scoring about five less points per game from last season to this season (102.8 vs. 97.7), and the Nuggets have won by an average of 17.9 points per victory at home. Four of the wins have been by more than 20 points.
Nuggets coach George Karl cites a clear change in attitude for the improvement.
“It’s been a priority, so hopefully our focus has been better,” Karl said. “I think the schedule has given us some back-to-backs, that teams have come in here a little tired. But I just think the professional maturity of the team has got to be given some credit. We’re a little more serious, a little more resilient, a little more demanding of ourselves.”
New Orleans, however, has little regard for any team’s home-court success. The Hornets are one of the NBA’s top road teams with an 8-2 record.
Much of their success starts with point guard Chris Paul.
Paul, in his third season out of Wake Forest, has blossomed into one of the league’s best players at his position with averages of 21 points and 9.8 assists. He has averaged 29.8 points, 9.5 assists and 2.8 steals in his past four games.
“He’s one of the quickest guards in the league, similar to a Tony Parker,” Camby said. “He’s one of the top five point guards in the league.”
Expect Anthony Carter to draw the defensive assignment for the Nuggets. Iverson will start off on Morris Peterson.
“I’m very impressed with him and (Utah’s) Deron Williams,” Karl said of Paul. “I was more of a Deron Williams fan, but I think it’s a tossup right now. There’s no question, the number one challenge is how we control Chris Paul from not being dominant.”
NEW ORLEANS AT DENVER
7 p.m. tonight, ALT, KKFN 950 AM
Spotlight on Tyson Chandler: The seventh-year
forward is beginning to hit his stride after an
up-and-down start to the Hornets’ season.
In his past four games, he has averaged 15.3
points and 15.3 rebounds. He is one of the
NBA’s premier rebounders and has drawn
comparisons to Denver’s Marcus Camby.
Nuggets: Veteran guard Chucky Atkins, who participated in a Nuggets charity event at ESPNZone on Tuesday, is out because of a strained groin. Nene (thumb) and Steven Hunter (knee) also are not expected to play. Eduardo Najera (knee) practiced Tuesday but is questionable for tonight’s game at the Pepsi Center.
Hornets: New Orleans enters tonight’s game as one of the unexpected top teams in the Western Conference. Their 14-7 record is the third-best mark in the West. … The Hornets have won four of their past five games. … Of the Hornets’ 14 wins, 10 have come against Western Conference teams.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
