NEW YORK — For one night, laughs could be let out. And Friday the Nuggets were letting them fly, joking and gabbing in what was the most gleeful locker room of their young season. A six-game losing streak had been expunged and with it the growing toxicity that frustration had brought.
And yet there were many questions that remained. Was that the start of a good run of games, or not? Were the Nuggets’ problems solved, or will they continue to crop up as the season wears on? And what about the playoffs?
Simply: Is there recovery from the 1-6 start?
“It’s one game,” Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. “But it’s momentum. We haven’t felt this feeling for a long time, so we just have to keep on building off of that and rolling with it.”
The Nuggets’ 1-6 start was the team’s worst since the 1998-99 season, when that team started 1-8 on its way to just 14 wins. That team, coached by Mike D’Antoni, didn’t win its second game until the 10th contest of the season.
Before Friday night’s game, Indiana coach Frank Vogel dismissed the notion that the Nuggets’ season was already in a free fall.
“I’m a little bit surprised to see them not doing well to start,” Vogel said. “But I think it’s just a matter of they’re working some guys back in from injuries, and their schedule has been tough. It’s still very early on in the season. I think they’ll be fine.”
The current Nuggets are hoping for a springboard effect from the win over the Pacers.
“When you are on a losing streak like that it’s always great to get a win, especially on the road, where you can get in a rhythm,” forward Danilo Gallinari said. “We’ve got to finish this road trip up strong so when we go back home our confidence is still high.”
Turnaround possible
Nuggets’ history has instances of poor starts turning into playoff seasons. The most famous and most recent was the team’s 17-25 start in the 2004-05 season, which, two coaches later, ended with George Karl going on a 32-8 run to end the season and get the Nuggets in the postseason.
In 1986-87, the Nuggets turned a 13-21 start into a playoff berth. In 1983-84, the Nuggets turned a 14-20 start into a playoff berth. Each one of those teams, however, also ended the season with a losing record, which back then was good enough to qualify for the postseason.
That won’t be the case in the current Western Conference, where last season the Phoenix Suns went 48-34 and missed the playoffs by one game.
“The Western Conference isn’t going to wait,” Shaw said. “What I’m hoping happens is that the teams continue to beat up on each other to create a lot of parity.”
He’s getting that wish.
As bad as the Nuggets’ start has been, they were only 2½ games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference before Saturday’s games. So they’re far from buried in the early stages of what will be a hotly contested playoff chase. In effect, all of their goals are still out there for them.
But, Shaw acknowledged, “We have to take care of our own business. We’re not going to get any help from anybody else.”
Losses will hasten change
One win does not constitute a righted ship. If things fall apart, expect Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly not to sit idly by without reshaping the roster. The Nuggets have a number of contracts that are movable, and more than a few players have drawn interest around the league.
If the losses pile up, changes could come as early as the trade deadline. Though it is Connelly’s preference his team turns around its fortunes and gets itself into the thick of the playoff race. That’s wholly dependant on the players.
“It was a good night for us,” Ty Lawson said of the Indiana game. “And hopefully it continues.”
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or
Woeful start
The Nuggets are off to a 2-6 start. A look at their struggles, which have come mostly at the defensive end of the court:
OCT. 29
Nuggets 89, Pistons 79
Outscored Detroit 10-2 in the final three minutes. Kenneth Faried had 22 points and 16 rebounds.
NOV. 1
Thunder 102, Nuggets 91
No Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook, yet Denver fell behind 55-33 by halftime on the road.
NOV. 3
Kings 110, Nuggets 105
Nuggets whistled for 35 fouls; Sacramento capitalized by making 40-of-47 free throws.
NOV. 5
Kings 131, Nuggets 109
Kings scored 40 in the first quarter at home to take 21-point lead and cruised from there.
NOV. 7
Cavaliers 110, Nuggets 101
Cleveland jumped out to a 38-20 lead after one quarter. LeBron James had 22 points and 11 assists.
NOV. 9
Trail Blazers 116, Nuggets 100
Portland made 16 3-pointers. Nuggets again started slowly, trailing 36-27 after the first quarter.
NOV. 12
Trail Blazers 130, Nuggets 113
Nuggets gave up 84 points in the first half at home to a team that played the previous night.
NOV. 14
Nuggets 108, Pacers 87
Gary Harris’ dazzling debut against depleted Pacers raised the question: Why didn’t he play in the first seven games?
DENVER AT NEW YORK
11 a.m. Sunday, ALT; 950 AM
Spotlight on Amar’e Stoudemire: It’s been quite a ride for Stoudemire with the Knicks. He was celebrated in 2010-11, having helped restore some luster while directing the Knicks back to the playoffs after signing with them as a free agent. But his star fell after Carmelo Anthony arrived, and he couldn’t stave off myriad injuries, reducing his effectiveness. Now, as a key reserve, he’s been good with averages of 10.9 points and 7.9 rebounds.
NOTEBOOK
Nuggets: The Nuggets went through a light practice Saturday before adjourning to get ready for this game, the second of a three-stop road trip. … Shooting guard Randy Foye (knee) is questionable for the game. He missed the Nuggets’ win at Indiana on Friday. … Ty Lawson averaged 23.0 points and 7.5 assists in the two games against the Knicks last season.
Knicks: Guard Iman Shumpert, the Knicks’ second-leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, is doubtful to play Sunday because of a right hip contusion. … The Knicks have lost four straight at home, including three on this current four-game homestand. … The Knicks have won two consecutive games over the Nuggets at Madison Square Garden.
Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post
