WASHINGTON — What?
Yep. The Denver Nuggets lost Friday at Washington, 107-97, after winning a thriller in overtime at Cleveland the night before.
Denver was emotionally exhausted after the big win — and the ensuing post-midnight travel — but the Wizards (19-33) aren’t exactly title contenders. Yet the new-look Wizards (four key players were traded in the past week) fought all night, climbing out of a 13-point hole in the third quarter to take the lead in the fourth.
Carmelo Anthony went 6-for-10 from the field in the first half, but just 1-for-10 in the second half, a night after he hit the game-winning jumper over LeBron James. The Nuggets are 36-19 heading into Sunday’s big matchup against the Celtics at Pepsi Center.
The Nuggets thrive when they pass crisply and consistently — they are 17-1 when they have 25 or more (and a 29-5 when they have 20-plus). That means, yes, they’re 7-13 when they tally fewer than 20. Make that 7-14. The Nuggets had just 12 Friday.
For Anthony, Friday was Denver’s lone game of the season in D.C., which is close to his hometown of Baltimore. Traditionally, Melo plays better in front of his mother and friends. For his career, he averages 24.6 points per game, but in the six games in D.C. entering Friday, he averaged 28.1.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
