While the Nuggets’ brass works the phones, things have settled to a dull roar around the team. It won’t remain that way for long.
But in this pause before the coming storm of more Carmelo Anthony trade rumors and proposals and questions with less-than-satisfactory answers, the Nuggets took the opportunity Sunday to handle some business in the form of the Indiana Pacers.
There was a tinge of revenge contained within the Nuggets’ 121-107 win over the Pacers at the Pepsi Center. The Pacers wiped up the floor with Denver in November, using the rarest of performances – a 20-of-21 shooting performance in the third quarter that powered a 144-113 win.
“It was an embarrassing loss for us, although it was one of those nights,” Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups said Sunday night. “They just couldn’t miss. We realized that, but at the same time, we realized we owed them.”
Thus there were no such performances Sunday.
Except from Anthony, who used this third quarter as his personal playground. The Nuggets star scored 23 points in the quarter, hit a career-high six 3-pointers, and the Nuggets ran away with the victory. He finished with 36 points.
Indiana coach Jim O’Brien said part of the plan was to give Anthony room to shoot. Before Sunday, Melo had hit six 3-pointers combined since Dec. 1.
“Carmelo is shooting 25 percent (from 3-point range),” O’Brien said. “That is the shot we are going to give him, and he made them.”
Anthony caught fire and didn’t cool off until he went to the bench for good early in the fourth quarter.
“They just kept leaving me open,” Anthony said. “The 3-ball was open. I’ve been looking for the 3-ball for about a month and a half now.
“Tonight was one of them games that I was taking open shots, and I was making them. I’m a streaky shooter. I’m a rhythm shooter. If that was their scheme, we took advantage of that tonight.”
Said Nuggets coach George Karl: “There is no question he had it rolling. I thought the passing found him a lot.”
Pretty much every stat was a complete turnaround from the Nuggets’ loss Friday to the Lakers. Sunday night, the Nuggets got a double-double from Nene (15 points, 10 rebounds) and 16 points from Al Harrington off the bench. Arron Afflalo had the task of slowing down Indiana point guard Darren Collison, and Afflalo was up to it, helping hold the productive guard to just five points on 2-of-10 shooting.
The Nuggets also kept Danny Granger — Indiana’s leading scorer — under wraps. He finished with just eight points, 13 below his season average, on 2-of-10 shooting.
The victory kept the Nuggets (25-18) afloat at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff race. The team starts what could be a pivotal five-game road trip starting Tuesday at Washington.
“We need to now assert ourselves more on the road and be more focused,” Karl said. “It always takes a little more to win on the road.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
Nuggets Recap
What you might have missed
Arron Afflalo had X-rays on his left hand, and afterward had it wrapped in ice. He said he didn’t think anything was significantly wrong and expected to play Tuesday. . . . Nene’s double-double was his seventh of the season.
Final thought
Nice way to end a three-game homestand. Will the Nuggets be able to keep the momentum on the road?
Up next
Tuesday, at Washington, 5 p.m.
Chris Dempsey, The Denver Post
