The Nuggets officially called it dehydration.
But when Carmelo Anthony was vomiting before the game and taking an IV at halftime, he was feeling more than just dehydrated. And those around him could plainly see something more was wrong with him.
“I saw it on his face,” Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin said. “I told him, ‘Just give us what you got and we’ll pick up the rest.’ ”
Said Rex Chapman, Nuggets vice president of player personnel: “It was significant. And our doctors did a terrific job. They were really pulling out all the stops trying to get him settled.”
All that was at stake was the Nuggets’ postseason life. They entered Game 4 down 2-1 in the series, and a loss would have sent them back to Los Angeles in a considerable hole.
On a personal note, Anthony had scored 20 or more points in the 12 games previous to Monday night. He did not reach that mark in Game 4.
What the Nuggets star did do was gut the game out. Adding injury to insult, in the second quarter he twisted his right ankle, which needed to be retaped at halftime.
Anthony had missed his first 10 shots from the field before making a dunk in the second quarter. It was one of just three shots Anthony made. He finished 3-of-16 from the field, but he made 9-of-11 free throws to tally 15 points.
He scored eight points in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets pulled away.
“Even before me twisting my ankle (and) with the stomach thing, I don’t think I had my legs early in the game and felt like I didn’t have any energy,” Anthony said.
Anthony said he had “a little stomach virus.” He said he felt fine when he left his house before the game, but started to deteriorate when he got to the Pepsi Center.
“The IVs were a must,” Anthony said. “It helped me a little bit for the time being. But I’ll be good for Wednesday.”
Teammates weren’t surprised at Anthony’s effort.
“We knew Melo wasn’t feeling real well from the start of the game,” guard Chauncey Billups said. “But he came out and he toughed it out, and that’s what warriors do. They go out there when they’re not feeling so hot and they try their best. He gave us great effort tonight. But, you know, we expect nothing less.”
Said Anthony: “It’s very satisfying to win a game knowing I wasn’t 100 percent out there tonight. But most important, I was able to be there for my team. My presence alone was big for our team in these wins.”
The Nuggets are going to need a healthy, energized Anthony. After a hot start to the series, Anthony has made just 7-of-29 shots the past two games. He averaged 36 points in the first two games and 14.5 in the last two.
“We just have to match their intensity,” Anthony said of Wednesday’s Game 5. “The little things helped us win the game tonight — rebounding loose balls, diving on the floor. We’ve just got to do the same thing on the road.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
