’s new normal – albeit temporary – is knowing that on a semi-regular basis his left knee will swell, feel “a little loose,” get drained and feel solid again.
Itap the reality the veteran Nuggets forward is living with as he plays while simultaneously bringing the knee back to full strength.
“For a minute I’m going to have to worry about that,” Arthur said. “With a lateral release (procedure) it takes a lot of time. Itap usually a 50-50 procedure, so it can go one way or it can go another. Starting out, I thought I was going to be back earlier than what I was, but itap just been something thatap taking time. I’ve been trying to grind it out and stick with it, just try to work on myself, work on my body and try and make sure I’m ready whenever my number is called.”
On Thursday, Arthur’s number was not only called, he was plucked from his recently diminished role and put right into the starting lineup. The 19 minutes he played were the most he had played since the lineup change Dec. 15 that shortened the rotation. His 13 points in the game were a season high.
But it was his defense that prompted the shakeup.
“Darrell was solid,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Gets you 13 points, shoots the ball well. Defensively, Darrell is one of our better defenders and we’re looking for some guys that can help us in that department in a hurry.”
Arthur was happy to get back into regular action. Since Dec. 15, he had not played in seven of the 11 games. One of those was because of the knee. In the last two games, however, Arthur has gotten extended minutes and he has responded averaging 12.5 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 64.2 percent from the field. His 3-point shot has been especially hot. He has made six of his last nine attempts from the arc, and all 12 of his points against Sacramento on Tuesday came via the 3-point shot.
“I haven’t really been playing consistently as of late, but it felt good to get my feet wet a little bit,” Arthur said. “Jumper is falling; been practicing, been working on my game with our staff, and just continue to come in and do my job.”
As for the knee, Arthur said: “The knee is good. It had swelled up on me, I’d say about a week ago, before the Golden State game. It feels good. Itap just I have an arthritic knee, so itap going to swell up from time to time. But I drained it and was ready to go. The team decided to sit me out a couple of days to give it a little bit of rest. But I have been going hard in five-on-fives, four-on-four, full-court stuff. So, just trying to stay in shape.”
DENVER AT OKLAHOMA CITY, 6 p.m. Saturday, ALT, 950 AM
Spotlight on Steven Adams: The 7-foot center left Oklahoma City’s game on Thursday night against Houston with a right calf injury. His status for Saturday’s game against the Nuggets is to be determined. Adams is in the midst of his best season as a pro, averaging career highs in points (12.1), rebounds (7.8), assists (1.1) and steals (1.3).
Nuggets: This is the last game before the team heads on a near weeklong trip to London, where it will face the Pacers on Thursday night. The Nuggets have lost seven consecutive games to the Thunder, including one at the Pepsi Center earlier this season. They’ve also lost seven straight to the Thunder in Oklahoma City. The Nuggets are hoping to get Kenneth Faried back into the lineup. He has missed three consecutive games with back pain.
Thunder: Oklahoma City has hit a rough patch in the schedule, losing three in a row and four of the last five. None of those, however, were home games. The Thunder has won two straight and three of the last four at Chesapeake Energy Arena. … Oklahoma City has been great in Saturday games this season, going 4-0.
