ORLANDO, Fla. — A disappointed Chris Andersen sat in the visitor’s locker room in a coat much too heavy for the warm Florida sun. But there was no need to take it off. He wasn’t suiting up.
Andersen did not play Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic. He vowed to be back after the all-star break as he recovers from left wrist and hip injuries suffered on a hard fall after being flagrantly fouled by Shawn Marion on Tuesday at Miami.
“Oh, yeah,” Andersen said. “I can’t let it get me down. Just going to get rest, stay off my feet and come back with energy.”
Andersen has been a pleasant surprise for the Nuggets. He is having his second-best season in the NBA with averages of 6.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and two blocks and has been the first big man off the Nuggets’ bench.
The Nuggets return to action Feb. 18 at Philadelphia, giving Andersen seven full days of rest. He’ll do part of that resting in Los Angeles over the break.
“I need the days off for my other injuries,” he said. Of a previous rib injury, Andersen said Tuesday’s fall “didn’t affect my rib at all.”
J.R.’s dunk plans.
When J.R. Smith was in the 2005 dunk contest, he sought on-court help from Andersen, a teammate then with New Orleans.
Smith said there wouldn’t be a reprise this time around.
“Nah, I don’t plan on that,” Smith said.
Smith did say, however, he’d seek some advice from the Birdman.
“I might get some pointers from Bird,” Smith said. “He’s got some dunks up his sleeve.”
Footnotes.
Center Johan Petro played significant minutes Wednesday, marking the 11th time he made an appearance since being traded to the Nuggets on Jan. 7. . . . Guard Dahntay Jones started his 48th game of the season, 12 more than in his previous five seasons combined.
Chris Dempsey, The Denver Post
