Should they have called timeout?
Chauncey Billups corralled the rebound and thought about it, but said to himself: “I might as well just go for it.”
George Karl liked the “initial bust-out,” with 6.9 seconds left and Denver down two, but as Billups kept dribbling, the Nuggets coach said, “I was kicking myself that I didn’t call timeout.”
Carmelo Anthony had “timeout” on the tip of his tongue, but Stephen Jackson tapped the ball away from Billups, and by the time Billups recovered, Melo was tongue-tied.
And as it was, in Denver’s 100-98 loss at Charlotte, Billups missed a jumper in the right corner, which would have tied the game. Whether one agrees with Billups’ decision or not, the reality is, Mr. Big Shot missed, and now Karl will have to wait (at least) a night to become Mr. 1,000.
With Tuesday’s loss, the Nuggets coach remained stuck on 999 career wins (and, now, 678 losses). He will have another crack at history tonight, but, man, it’s going to be tough — playing the second game of a back-to-back in Boston, where the talented Celtics rested Tuesday.
The loss to Charlotte (8-13) put an end to Denver’s seven-game winning streak, and, frankly, ruined what could have been a perfect night for Karl — he played college ball down the road at North Carolina and the Bobcats coach, Larry Brown, is his Tar Heel buddy and a member of the 1,000-win club. But Karl’s team didn’t play much defense, and if you don’t do that, well, you can’t even beat the Bobcats.
“Defensively, our urgency wasn’t good enough to win on the road,” said Karl, whose team is 13-7. “Offensively, we missed some easy shots. On the road, it’s tough to build a game at the offensive end of the court — it’s better to build it on the defensive end.”
Anthony admitted after the game that he’s still feeling the effects of his cold, and it showed out there on the court, again. He hadn’t made more than six shots in a game since the Nov. 28 illness, and on Sunday against Memphis, Melo was just 4-for-20. He did make eight baskets on Tuesday, but he missed 13, smothered by both Boris Diaw and his own fatigue.
“That little mid-range jumper is just not there right now,” said Anthony, who finished with 22 points and just one assist. “I’m just trying to find my rhythm. Ever since I’ve been fighting back from that cold, the shots just don’t feel right for some reason. A lot of the shots I would make any other time, they’re just not falling right now.”
Billups, who had a team-high 25, is known for his clutch shots, but this was the second time this season that he couldn’t convert on a final possession. At Portland on Nov. 18, he launched a 26-foot 3-pointer with 7 seconds left, which bounced away . . . and Denver lost by three.
Anthony was hoping that on Tuesday, Billups would have at least attempted a 3 to win it. But when Jackson rattled Billups dribbling, Denver’s point guard had to scoop up the ball, and by that point, his momentum had him going toward the right corner. But that was just one of 42 missed shots on a night when Denver shot 42.5 percent from the floor.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
Nuggets Recap
What you might have missed
The Nuggets tried hard to acquire Tyrus Thomas at the trade deadline last season. Now with Charlotte, Thomas was explosive against the Nuggets, scoring 16 points in 15 minutes. . . . Al Harrington continues to struggle with his shot — he went 2-for-8 after nights of 3-for-9, 0-for-4, 5-for-15 and 2-for-7. . . . Four Charlotte starters played 38 or more minutes.
Final thought
Would have been a fun win, but the defense doomed Denver.
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
Denver at Boston
5 p.m. tonight, ESPN/ALT, 950 AM
Spotlight on Kevin Garnett: In his 16th season, Garnett remains a major factorand the thumping heart of the Celtics, one of the better teams in the NBA. In four of the past five games, he has tallied a double-double, including 20 points, 17 rebounds and 13 points, 14 rebounds the past two games. The Nuggets, playing the second game of a back-to-back, will have their hands full with a fresh Garnett. Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
