Allen Iverson swooped around the court like he was a work by Jackson Pollock, zipping past defenders and slipping into seams, each move a painful reminder to the 76ers — a reminder of what once belonged to them.
In Denver’s 109-96 victory Sunday at the Pepsi Center, Iverson torched his former team, scoring a game-high 38 points on 14-for-25 shooting, while tallying eight assists and three 3-pointers.
“Allen Iverson scored the way he scored when he was with us,” 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks said.
A year ago, the Nuggets pulled off a trade to get Philadelphia’s perennial all-star guard. Now, in Iverson’s first full season with Denver, Sunday’s win against Philadelphia put the Nuggets (21-12) alone in first place in the Northwest Division while marking the second-best record through 33 games in franchise history.
Though their opponent was lottery-bound, the Nuggets looked sharp, aggressively penetrating and maneuvering.
The Sixers (14-20) clawed back to tie the game with 5:09 left in the third quarter, but Iverson connected on two straight 3-pointers, and Denver never lost the lead.
“That gave us a big boost,” Iverson said of the 3s. “I think that helped as far as our momentum.”
The Denver backcourt complemented itself ideally, with Iverson’s scoring and Anthony Carter’s passing. Carter tied a career high with 15 assists.
“Guys were making shots and getting out on the fast break, and they make my job easier,” said Carter, who had 11 assists Friday at Minnesota. “I think a lot of guys know — if they just run, they’re going to get the ball.”
As a team, the Nuggets tallied 33 assists, the second straight game with 30 or more.
While the backcourt was brilliant, the frontcourt was brawny. All three big men were forceful factors. The sultans of swat were at it again, blocking 15 Philadelphia shots, a season high for the team that leads the NBA in blocks. Marcus Camby, the NBA’s blocking leader, blocked a game-high seven. He entered the night averaging 3.8 per game, but in the past six games, counting Sunday, he averaged a preposterous 6.0.
Meanwhile, Camby’s cohorts were gluttonous on the boards. Power forward Nene had eight rebounds in 21 minutes, and coach George Karl gave him the ultimate rebounding compliment, saying he “looked like Marcus.” Camby, the NBA’s leader in rebounding, led Denver with 12, while starting power forward Kenyon Martin had 10 rebounds in 27 minutes.
“(Martin) has been a spark on this team in every aspect of the game, both ends of the court,” Iverson said. “That’s the type of guy I want to be surrounded with, especially at this point in my career.”
The Nuggets have won six of seven games, entering tonight’s tough test at Phoenix (23-10). The high-octane Suns were in park Sunday night, while the similarly fast-paced Nuggets ran all night and all around the Sixers.
“I think we’re in our ‘get better’ stage, and I’m excited about it,” Karl said. “There’s no question — we have a lot of weapons.
“How we get them to be tuned, ready and 100 percent come playoffs is the goal. We’re in a nice rhythm now. We have a lot of challenging games in January, and I think my team is ready for it. It seems like they’re a little intense, a little more focused.”
Nuggets Recap
What you might have missed
Nuggets guard J.R. Smith did not play for the third straight game. Smith is primarily an offensive player, and Denver was shooting well for much of the night despite his absence. The backcourt of Allen Iverson and Anthony Carter was clicking.
Final thought
Each starter seemed to showcase what he does well, be it Iverson’s scoring, Carter’s passing or rebounding by Marcus Camby, Nene and Kenyon Martin. Guard Chucky Atkins’ lingering groin injury hurts Denver, which essentially played with three reserves. But the way the starters were playing, Denver didn’t need to worry.
Up next
At Phoenix, 7 p.m. tonight.
DENVER AT PHOENIX
7 p.m. tonight, ALT, KKFN 950 AM
Spotlight on Steve Nash: The two-time MVP, known for dishing it out, is having his best season for assists. Nash averages an NBA- best 12.3 per game, which would be the highest average of his 12-year career and a franchise record. Nash also averages 17.0 points per game, behind Amare Stoudemire (22.1 ppg) and Leandro Barbosa (17.1) on his team.
NOTEBOOK
Nuggets: Denver has lost nine of its past 11 games against the Suns. In the most recent matchup, March 30, the Suns trailed by 18 points and clawed back to win 125-108. The Nuggets entered Sunday averaging 106.4 points per game, good for fourth in the NBA. The Suns are first at 109.3.
Suns: Amare Stoudemire plays 31.6 minutes per game, the fewest of anyone in the top 35 in scoring, second fewest of anyone in the top 50 after San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili (28.8). The Suns have five players averaging at least 15 points. Forward Shawn Marion averages 15.8 points per game but scored just six Saturday in Phoenix’s home loss to New Orleans.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
