TORONTO — It wasn’t just the play of the game.
It was a statement.
With the Nuggets up two and 1:38 left Sunday, Toronto’s Chris Bosh drove the left baseline when a trailing Kenyon Martin swooped his left arm around Bosh, somehow scooping the ball.
“I don’t know where he came from,” the all-star Bosh said. “This whole season, no one’s made a play like that.”
On the other end, the Nuggets’ Allen Iverson then sank a 3-pointer, giving Denver, down almost the whole game, a sudden cushion.
The Nuggets won 109-100, and it was Martin’s emphatic steal that shouted to the Raptors, as well as to the league: Hey! We’re still here.
Of late, the Nuggets have been bullied a bit. Entering this road trip in ninth place, Detroit smacked Denver around, and even Philadelphia shot 60.3 percent in a win. The Nuggets snatched a win at New Jersey on Friday, but Sunday at Toronto looked to be just another road loss, another sputtering.
But when Martin made the steal, he swiped Toronto’s momentum, too. And he did so with five fouls. One slip and he was done for the day.
“I don’t do anything halfway — if I’m doing it, it’s going to be all out,” said Martin, who made another steal on the next possession, dribbled down court and was fouled, making both free throws for a 105-98 lead.
And now Denver (42-38) plays tonight at Memphis, a team that is not very good. Barring any slippage, Denver should return home 3-2 on its road trip.
Meanwhile, the Warriors — in the eighth and final playoff spot — were to play the Lakers on Sunday night. Denver is one game behind the Warriors, who will play the talented Lakers again tonight.
Also on Sunday, Dallas lost to the Spurs and lost all-star Dirk Nowitzki for two weeks to a leg injury. The Mavericks are just one game ahead of the Warriors and, wouldn’t you know, Dallas comes to Denver on Thursday.
Speaking of Dallas, two of the city’s greatest products were on display in Toronto. Martin guarded Bosh for much for the night, and the two were often shoving and screaming. They even had a jump ball that looked like it could become a brawl.
Overall, Martin got the better of Bosh. Toronto’s three- time all-star averages 22.3 points, but he scored 17 against Denver, missing his only fourth-quarter shot attempt.
Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points against playoff-bound Toronto (35-35), spending much of the night getting banged in the low post and seldom getting calls (4-for-5 from the line).
And Iverson, who says his fractured right ring finger still hurts, scored a game-high 36. He went 0-for-3 from the field in the first quarter; Toronto led 35-23 at that point. For the rest of the night, Iverson was 11-for- 13, including five 3-pointers.
After the game, a Toronto reporter asked Nuggets coach George Karl about Anthony and Iverson taking over down the stretch. Karl said: “I think you’re missing probably the guy I thought was MVP — Kenyon Martin. His defense on Bosh — they were going to Bosh almost every possession — was incredible. And it got better as the game went on. You win games with stops more than you do with shots.”
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
