The laughter echoed in the winning locker room.
After the Nuggets’ 108-86 win Wednesday night against Memphis, Allen Iverson was asked if he knew the last time he scored fewer than 10 points — and his team won.
“Heck, no!” he said.
The answer is March 2, 2000, when Iverson scored five points in a Philadelphia win against Washington.
On March 12, 2008, he scored just eight points on 2-for-12 shooting, but the Nuggets played durable defense against a team with an offensive offense and notched an important victory.
Despite the opponent, the win was imperative for the Nuggets (38-26), who remained 2 1/2 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot.
Iverson, their all-star captain, played with a fractured ring finger, and then he bumped his right knee early in the game.
Fellow all-star Carmelo Anthony played just average, scoring 14 points (though he had a team-high 13 rebounds). Still, the game was over by the end of three quarters at the Pepsi Center.
“We had a dominating game without Melo and A.I. being a big part of the personality, which is always a positive for us,” Denver coach George Karl said. “Anytime we can bring balance will make it more difficult for the defenses to tag-in and double-up and all the things this league is doing to take away superstar’s touches. . . . That’s a big thing in building our trust.”
Sometimes, in wins against awful teams, it’s hard to determine if the victor’s defense was great or the loser’s offense was just abysmal to begin with. Memphis (15-49) shot just 25.6 percent in the first half and finished the night at 35.6, flirting with a Denver opponent’s low for the season.
But the Nuggets, to their credit, did a good job at keeping up the defensive intensity, fighting through screens and altering shots, notably center Marcus Camby, who finished with six blocks.
“When we have a defensive confidence, that’s when we win the vast majority of our games,” Karl said.
Denver forward Kenyon Martin, coming off a sturdy 16-point performance at San Antonio, played one of his better games, finishing with a team-high 23 points, as well as seven rebounds.
After the Spurs game, the coaches talked to Martin about making fiercer cuts and roaming underneath the defense more effectively. He found some holes Wednesday.
“I was just trying to move without the ball and be aggressive,” Martin said. “It worked out well.”
Reserve guard Chucky Atkins, playing against his former team, had a solid game, his fourth since returning from sports hernia surgery. Atkins played 21 minutes and finished with nine points, six rebounds and seven assists. In these final 18 games, the Nuggets will need Atkins to be a consistent threat off the bench, spreading the offense with his deep shooting, enhancing the defense with his peskiness.
As for Iverson, he said he has played through pain before, and now more than ever, his team needs him.
“We just have to hope Superman heals quick,” Karl said.
Nuggets Recap
What you might have missed
Reserve forward Linas Kleiza scored 19 points and hit 7-of-13 shots. It was his 14th game in double figures in the past 24 games. . . . Denver is 38-26, the best record in its first 64 games since 1987-88 (also 38-26).
Final thought
Denver is brilliant at home (26-7). The Nuggets played smart defense and were able to bury an easy opponent early.
Up next
Vs. Toronto, 7 p.m., Friday.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
