INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — It was a brisk 68 degrees with wind whipping 9 mph at tipoff.
Wait, tipoff?
The Nuggets battled the Phoenix Suns and the moonlight elements Saturday night, playing a rare outdoor game on a breezy night at a California tennis stadium.
“Good idea, wrong time of day,” Denver’s Kenyon Martin said.
Bench players wore towels over their heads like hoodies. As the temperature slipped into the mid-60s, many fans in jackets sipped $3 hot chocolates, while the brazen folks guzzled frosty $6 beers.
But on the hardwood at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the weather didn’t seem to affect the play that much, though it would make for a good excuse. The Nuggets won the preseason game, 77-72, but the performance was plagued by dismal shooting from both squads (but maybe you could flip it and say the Nuggets at least played some pretty good defense). At halftime, the Nuggets had shot just 29.8 percent — and trailed by just four. For the game, Denver shot 36.2 percent, compared to 50.6 the night before against Minnesota.
“It was kind of windy when you were on the court,” Nuggets point guard Anthony Carter said. “Every now and then, a gust of wind would just come, and you’d hope the pass would get to the other person. It was a fun experience, though.”
The Nuggets played Saturday without all-stars Allen Iverson (left knee contusion) and Carmelo Anthony (ring-finger contusion on non-shooting hand), and naturally Denver’s offense suffered like a Stones concert would without Mick and Keith. But there were a few sunny spots, notably the aggressive post play from center Nene (10 points and seven rebounds) and the active play from reserve Linas Kleiza (six points and nine rebounds).
While the game was a way for the host Suns to make a few dollars — it was an announced sellout of 16,236 — it also was a homage to the roots of Naismith’s creation.
“For me, the playground is a very integral part of American basketball,” Denver coach George Karl said. “From Harlem to the streets of Pittsburgh, there’s all type of summer stories played out on outdoor courts.”
Like so many men and women with summer memories from generations past, Karl cherishes his days in Chuck Taylors in the sweltering Pittsburgh sun.
“Wind blowing, threat of rain, when’s the court going to be dry enough to play? . . . Finding a good ball to play with was always interesting. And then there was always the curvature of the court, with asphalt and cement, there always was a slant. And backyard games, a lot of one-on-one games (imitating) Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.”
Sitting courtside an hour before tipoff, Karl looked at the beautiful outdoor venue and shrugged, saying, “They need chain nets.”
By the second half, the wind made a full-court press, increasing its speed to the mid-teens. It felt like a night at Coors watching September call-ups. In the stands, Kenny Mathis had driven two hours from Sherman Oaks, Calif, to attend the game.
While getting dressed, the proudly stylish Mathis “was just focused on keeping warm.”
He showed up to the stadium wearing a brown stocking cap and brown suede jacket with jeans. “And,” he said with a smile, “long johns underneath.”
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
