MILWAUKEE — One didn’t have to look at the stat sheet to know Linas Kleiza was playing hurt Friday. It was obvious, just by the way the thoroughbred trudged down the court. And, if one did look at the stat sheet, it was confirmed by the big fat zero in the points column.
And so, the Denver forward decided to rest his sprained left ankle Saturday at Milwaukee. He likely will be able to play Monday against Detroit, team trainer Jim Gillen said.
“It’s just sore,” said Kleiza, who suffered the injury against Boston last Tuesday. “I’m just trying to get over it. I don’t have any explosion. I can’t really run or take off. So it’s probably better that I sit out.”
Kleiza averages 11.7 points, but went scoreless Friday at Chicago for just the fourth time this season. Denver is 1-3 in those games.
“He felt his lift on his shot bothered him at Chicago, and I could tell on a couple of his shots that he wasn’t 100 percent,” Denver coach George Karl said.
In games Kleiza scores 15 or more points, Denver is 12-5.
The road ahead.
Karl said Denver’s goal is to win 20 road games this season. They entered Saturday at Milwaukee with an 11-15 road record.
“If we get to 20, we have a good chance of winning the division,” Karl said.
Denver has 14 more road games, eight against teams with winning records.
Really green.
Karl said Taurean Green, the newly acquired rookie guard, will have a workout today in Denver, which should give him “an offensive feel” for his new team. Green played sparingly for Portland, which traded the Florida Gator for Denver’s Von Wafer. As for Green fitting in with the Nuggets, Karl said, “It’s always tough for a rookie fitting in during the middle of the year. There are a lot of hurdles. But I heard he’s a great kid, plays hard, and if those two things are true, there might be an opportunity for him to get some minutes at the end of the season.”
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
