In the most thrilling regular-season NBA game in Denver in years, in a game reminiscent of the old ABA, in what could be a preview of a potential postseason series, in the best and brightest victory of the post-Melo period, the Nuggets finally outlasted the Spurs.
Whew! That was entertainment.
The Nuggets, the Spurs and the Knicks were playing on ESPN on Wednesday night, and Doug Moe — who has fond feelings for all three NBA teams — was fixated on his TV in San Antonio.
“Are you crazy? Why are you bothering me now? I shouldn’t have answered the telephone,” Moe said gruffly, then laughed.
He was watching “American Idol.”
Still the Big Stiff after all these years.
“But the Nuggets and the Spurs will be tipping off soon. Who you got?” I asked Moe, who was head coach of the pair of ABA-NBA adversaries for 14 seasons.
“Jacob Lusk.”
Lusk is one of the “American Idol” finalists.
Later in the night, though, Moe would be watching the Nuggets’ incredible comeback.
Earlier, Moe took time from the TV show and his busy retirement schedule — “I’ve got commitments” (six grandchildren) — to offer his opinion for the first time publicly about The Big Trade between the Knicks and the Nuggets.
“When it happened I thought it would be a great deal for the Nuggets. Anything I say is going to sound like I’m cutting down Carmelo (Anthony), but that’s not it,” he said. “It has been terrific for the Nuggets. Their style of play is totally different. I’m so happy for George (Karl) because he gets to coach and teach and help players that he’s really comfortable with.
“I’m excited about them. They’ve got a real chance to win in the playoffs.”
This is the same guy who proclaimed in 1987 the day before the Nuggets-Lakers playoff series, “We have no chance,” infuriating the league and L.A. coach Pat Riley.
But Moe was right. The Nuggets had no chance. The next season Moe was selected the NBA’s coach of the year.
Moe was the longest-tenured head coach of the Nuggets (1980-1990), replacing his good friend Donnie Walsh. Moe coached the Spurs from 1976-80 and served as a Nuggets assistant under Walsh, Larry Brown in the ABA and George Karl until finally retiring, for good (or bad), a couple of years ago.
Would he want to coach these Nuggets?
“I don’t want to coach anybody at my age.”
He’ll be 73 this year.
“If I were a young coach, this would be a perfect situation. The Nuggets are a real deep team. It does remind me of those ABA teams Larry and I had. They run, pass the ball, play defense and work hard together every game. In the trade they got some great young players in (Raymond) Felton, (Wilson) Chandler and (Danilo) Gallinari. The Nuggets had to do something.
“I never thought Carmelo would wind up anywhere but New York. That’s where he wants to be. He wasn’t going to the Nets, and that trade (proposal with the Nuggets) wasn’t any good.”
Moe is from Brooklyn, where the Nets will be moving to a new arena.
“The Dodgers left Brooklyn for a reason. I’m hoping that Carmelo does great for the Knicks, and they become a good team again. I grew up going to Knicks games, and I love Donnie (Walsh) and Mike D’Antoni (both former assistants and head coaches here). But it’s going to take awhile to turn it around there.”
He hasn’t seen the Newggets in person yet — “I will be in Denver for the playoffs” — but he has viewed most of their games on TV — when “American Idol” isn’t scheduled.
“With Felton and (Ty) Lawson, they’ve got a pair of real good point guards.”
Moe might be prejudiced about both ex-Tar Heels since he played at North Carolina — “and even though they’ve had had some injuries, the other players have stepped up. They would have made the playoffs with the team they had that won 50 games a bunch of years (three) with Carmelo, but it was a tough situation for everybody. Carmelo wanted out, and they had to do something.
“They’re a better team now. They’re not stiffs.”
Moe knows of megadeals. In 1984 the Nuggets traded starting forward Kiki Vandeweghe to the Trail Blazers for Fat Lever, Calvin Natt, Wayne Cooper and two draft choices. The Nuggets finished 52-30 and beat the Spurs and the Jazz in the postseason before falling to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
He also was involved in one. In the first season of the ABA (1967-68), Moe and his little buddy Brown were on the New Orleans team that lost in the league finals to Pittsburgh. Moe was named all-ABA first team; Brown was on the second team. But they were traded before the next season to Oakland for three players.
“Can I get back to ‘Idol?’ ” Moe demanded after admitting he would switch over soon to the Nuggets-Spurs and also watch the Knicks- Magic highlights.
Anthony and Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets and the Spurs were featured the same night.
Although the Knicks led at halftime, by the end of the game, their “fans” were booing the discombobulated bunch. New York dropped its fourth straight and seventh in eight games. The Knicks are 7-10 since the trade. The honeymoon is history.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, are 11-4 after Melo and after that 115-112 victory over the Spurs. They haven’t lost a home game as the Newggets, and they were the real American idols on Wednesday night.
Moe would vote for them.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
