Perhaps lost amid all the happiness — and relief — that the Nuggets lived to fight another day with a Game 5 victory Wednesday night against the Jazz was the fact that there were still some troubling signs.
The Jazz, for example, still had 13 offensive rebounds, leading to 17 second-chance points. Keeping Utah off the offensive boards tonight in Game 6 won’t be any easier without Nene in the Denver lineup.
“We have to keep fighting, man,” Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups said. “A lot of times, they put you in a position where, with the way they run pick-and-rolls, one of your bigs is going to be out trapping, so he’s not going to be on the glass. It’s tough; we just have to keep scrapping.”
For the series, the Jazz has 45 offensive rebounds, 30 of them from Paul Millsap (16) and Carlos Boozer (14).
No comparisons.
If Kyrylo Fesenko has delivered a workmanlike performance as an unexpectedly effective replacement for injured Utah center Mehmet Okur, one might think the effort could possibly serve as some sort of inspiration for Nuggets reserve Johan Petro, who will likely replace Nene in the lineup.
But Petro disagreed with the idea.
“I’m not trying to compare myself to, pretty much anybody,” Petro said Thursday. “I just try to go out and play hard, defend my man — whatever challenge they have me do, I’m going to try to do the best I can.”
Heat’s on Jazz.
Even before Game 5, Billups was perhaps trying to play a bit of a mind game with the Jazz, saying that if Denver won that contest, the pressure would shift over to Utah, knowing it would have to win Game 6 at home or else face a decisive contest back at the Pepsi Center.
On Thursday, the veteran wasn’t backing away from that thought.
“Yeah, there’s some pressure on them for sure,” Billups said. “They’re trying to win and close out the series at home, because they know if they come here, it’s going to be a madhouse — and we’re not gonna let them come out of here with a win.”
