Perspective is a quirky thing, but sometimes it reveals the truth.
After a disheartening loss at Dallas Monday night, the Nuggets did their best to tie a pretty bow around the mess.
“It was a tough trip for us as far as games go,” Denver’s Carmelo Anthony marked the fourth loss on an ugly five-game road trip. “But we’re OK. There’s nothing to panic about. We’ll be all right. I know what type of team we have. I know what type of guys we have. We’re a good team.”
But that’s not what the Mavericks think.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, no friend of the Nuggets, told a Dallas sports-talk radio show before Monday’s game that the Nuggets are “discombobulated right now.”
He’s right.
Anthony was awful Monday night, scoring only 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting from the floor. According to Anthony, his off night was the result of constant double-teams and blurry vision after getting poked in the eye during the first quarter.
Anthony didn’t give Shawn Marion’s in-your-face defense a whole lot of credit.
But the numbers suggest that Marion has Melo’s number. In the playoffs against the Mavs without Marion last year, Anthony averaged 30 points on 49 percent shooting. But in two games against the Mavs this season in which Marion has played, Melo has averaged 13 points per game on 8-of-35 shooting.
“The key to the game was the job Shawn Marion did on Carmelo,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “He’s one of the toughest guys to guard in the league, and (Marion) took the challenge.”
So there you have two perspectives on the same game.
My perspective? The Lakers clearly remain the class of the Western Conference, the Mavericks are a solid No. 2 and the Nuggets (still missing prime defender Kenyon Martin) are clearly second-class citizens.
Trivia time
Who holds the Nuggets’ franchise record for most points scored in a playoff game? (Answer below)
Polling
Monday’s “Lunch Special” poll asked readers which young Rockies player is most likely to have a breakout 2010 season. By capturing more than 39 percent of the 465 votes, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was the clear front-runner, followed by pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez (26.7 percent) and third baseman Ian Stewart (22.6 percent).
Quotable
“It’s refreshing to see four teams where team is the most important thing. It’s enjoyable and refreshing to watch teams that rely on each other to advance rather than just one person.” — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo in
Blog spot
Tom Kensler blogs that the Colorado Buffs football team but at least there’s promise in sophomore defensive tackle Nate Bonsu.
Reader’s rant
“The game is 48 minutes long and the Nuggets consistently play about 75 percent of them and take the rest of the game off. The talent is there, but the motivation isn’t. Standing around until the shot clock is about to run out and jacking up a jump shot isn’t going to win any playoff series. — Don E., posting on The Post’s story about the loss in Dallas.
In case you missed it
I’m not sure how any respectable hoops fan could have missed it, but the Butler Bulldogs, headed to the Final Four for the first time in their history, play their home games in Hinkle Fieldhouse, the setting for mythical Hickory High’s state championship in the classic movie “Hoosiers.”
Over the next few days, as the Bulldogs prepare to meet Michigan State in the national semifinals.
This day in sports
On March 30, 1943, the University of Wyoming beat Georgetown 46-34 to win the NCAA men’s basketball championship behind tournament MVP Ken Sailors.
Trivia answer
Spencer Haywood, who scored 45 points for the ABA’s Denver Rockies against the Washington Capitols on April 19. 1970.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1720 or psaunders@denverpost.com
