GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NBA: DENVER (1-0) at MINNESOTA (0-0)

NBA: DENVER at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 92
MINNESOTA 84 2:59 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 96
MINNESOTA 91 0:45 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 99
MINNESOTA 91 FINAL</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DENVER 21 28 25 25 99
MINNESOTA 27 25 25 14 91 FINAL

HIGH SCORERS: DEN - CARMELO ANTHONY 33, ALLEN IVERSON 24,
MARCUS CAMBY 14
MIN - RASHAD MCCANTS 23, AL JEFFERSON 16, THEO
RATLIFF 14</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
NBA
DENVER 99
MINNESOTA 91 FINAL</div>

 

By James Beilby
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- With Kevin Garnett in Boston, the new-lookMinnesota Timberwolves used an entirely different starting lineupfrom a season ago. As a result, they could not hang on and win their13th consecutive season opener.


Carmelo Anthony scored 22 of his 33 points in the second half asthe Denver Nuggets rallied and pulled away from theTimberwolves for a 99-91 victory on Friday.


Camby had 14 points, 21 rebounds and six blocks and AllenIverson added 24 points on just 4-of-14 shooting for theNuggets, who have won their first two contests this season.

Minnesota was playing without Garnett after a blockbusterseven-for-one megadeal with the Boston Celtics in the offseasonstripped the Timberwolves of their franchise player but added aslew of young players.


Playing without their top three leading scorers from a seasonago, the Timberwolves became the first team in four years to usea different starting five from the season before.


Trailing for most of the game, Denver took its first lead sincetheir was 11:10 left in the first quarter when Marcus Cambyknocked down a jump shot with 7:50 left in the game to give theNuggets a 81-79 advantage.


After McCants made a 3-pointer to put Minnesota back in front,Anthony scored five points during a 11-2 spurt to give theNuggets some breathing room at 92-84 with under 3:30 to play.

Minnesota used a strong 19-2 run to take a 13-point lead in thefirst quarter, which was highlighted by 11 points from McCants.

Denver tied the game three separate times in the third quarter,but the Timberwolves maintained their three-point halftime leadwith a 77-74 advantage after the third.


Rashad McCants netted 23 points and Al Jefferson had 16 and 13rebounds for the Timberwolves, who had not lost their homeopener since the 1995-96 season - which was, ironically,Garnett's rookie year.

 

NBA: DENVER at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">DENVER (99) AT MINNESOTA (91)

DENVER

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

C ANTHONY F 44:05 13-22 5-7 1 4 5 6 3 1 7 33
K MARTIN F 18:57 3-7 0-0 1 4 5 0 3 1 3 6
M CAMBY C 39:13 7-10 0-1 5 16 21 3 3 1 1 14
Y DIAWARA G 7:19 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
A IVERSON G 38:28 4-14 15-16 1 2 3 8 1 3 1 24
L KLEIZA 16:44 2-7 0-0 0 4 4 0 1 0 0 4
NENE 23:36 1-3 4-8 1 5 6 1 3 0 4 6
B JONES 7:07 0-0 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
E NAJERA 14:05 0-3 1-2 0 3 3 0 1 1 0 1
M WILKS 30:26 4-7 0-0 0 2 2 3 1 0 2 8
S HUNTER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
V WAFER DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 34-73 28-38 9 40 49 21 17 7 18 99
(.466) (.737) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 19 (14 PTS)

MINNESOTA

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

R GOMES F 23:50 4-9 0-0 1 3 4 4 3 1 0 9
A JEFFERSON F 37:40 6-14 4-5 3 10 13 3 2 1 0 16
T RATLIFF C 29:16 4-10 6-9 1 5 6 1 1 0 0 14
R MCCANTS G 29:47 9-18 2-3 1 0 1 2 4 1 5 23
S TELFAIR G 35:17 4-13 0-0 1 1 2 5 4 3 3 9
G BUCKNER 25:10 4-10 0-0 1 1 2 4 2 4 1 10
C SMITH 18:12 1-3 2-2 0 4 4 1 4 0 0 4
M JARIC 12:53 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 4 2 1 0
C BREWER 14:55 1-4 0-0 1 3 4 1 2 0 1 2
A WALKER 13:00 2-7 0-0 0 3 3 2 2 0 1 4
C RICHARD DNP - COACH'S DECISION
G GREEN DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 35-88 14-19 9 31 40 23 28 12 12 91
(.398) (.737) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 12 (10 PTS)

DENVER 21 28 25 25 - 99
MINNESOTA 27 25 25 14 - 91

BLOCKED SHOTS: DENVER - M CAMBY 6, A IVERSON, C ANTHONY, NENE. MINNESOTA -
T RATLIFF 3, M JARIC.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DENVER 3-14 (.214), C ANTHONY 2-5, A IVERSON 1-
4, L KLEIZA 0-3, M WILKS 0-2. MINNESOTA 7-22 (.318), R GOMES 1-4, R MCCANTS 3-
7, S TELFAIR 1-2, G BUCKNER 2-5, C BREWER 0-1, A WALKER 0-3.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NONE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: MINNESOTA 1 (M JARIC, 9:18 2ND).
OFFICIALS: MARK LINDSEY, TOM WASHINGTON, VIOLET PALMER.
A - 19,443. T - 2:19.</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">DENVER (99)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
C Anthony 44:05 13-22 5-7 1-5 6 3 33
K Martin 18:57 3-7 0-0 1-5 0 3 6
M Camby 39:13 7-10 0-1 5-21 3 3 14
Y Diawara 7:19 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
A Iverson 38:28 4-14 15-16 1-3 8 1 24
L Kleiza 16:44 2-7 0-0 0-4 0 1 4
Nene 23:36 1-3 4-8 1-6 1 3 6
B Jones 7:07 0-0 3-4 0-0 0 0 3
E Najera 14:05 0-3 1-2 0-3 0 1 1
M Wilks 30:26 4-7 0-0 0-2 3 1 8
S Hunter DNP - COACH'S DECISION
V Wafer DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 34-73 28-38 9-49 21 17 99
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.466, FT-.737. 3-Point Goals:
3-14, .214 (C Anthony 2-5, A Iverson 1-4, L
Kleiza 0-3, M Wilks 0-2). Team Rebounds: 11.
Blocked Shots:9 (M Camby 6, A Iverson, C
Anthony, Nene). Turnovers:18 (C Anthony 7,
Nene 4, K Martin 3, M Wilks 2, M Camby, A
Iverson). Steals: 7 (A Iverson 3, M Camby, E
Najera, K Martin, C Anthony).


MINNESOTA (91)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
R Gomes 23:50 4-9 0-0 1-4 4 3 9
A Jefferson 37:40 6-14 4-5 3-13 3 2 16
T Ratliff 29:16 4-10 6-9 1-6 1 1 14
R McCants 29:47 9-18 2-3 1-1 2 4 23
S Telfair 35:17 4-13 0-0 1-2 5 4 9
G Buckner 25:10 4-10 0-0 1-2 4 2 10
C Smith 18:12 1-3 2-2 0-4 1 4 4
M Jaric 12:53 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 4 0
C Brewer 14:55 1-4 0-0 1-4 1 2 2
A Walker 13:00 2-7 0-0 0-3 2 2 4
C Richard DNP - COACH'S DECISION
G Green DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 35-88 14-19 9-40 23 28 91
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.398, FT-.737. 3-Point Goals:
7-22, .318 (R Gomes 1-4, R McCants 3-7, S
Telfair 1-2, G Buckner 2-5, C Brewer 0-1, A
Walker 0-3). Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked
Shots:4 (T Ratliff 3, M Jaric). Turnovers:12
(R McCants 5, S Telfair 3, A Walker, C
Brewer, M Jaric, G Buckner). Steals: 12 (G
Buckner 4, S Telfair 3, M Jaric 2, R Gomes, R
McCants, A Jefferson).

-------------------------------------------
DENVER 21 28 25 25 - 99
MINNESOTA 27 25 25 14 - 91
-------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: None.
Flagrant fouls: Minnesota 1 (M Jaric, 9:18
2nd). A: 19,443. T: 2:19. Officials: Mark
Lindsey, Tom Washington, Violet Palmer.</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DENVER 21 28 25 25 99
MINNESOTA 27 25 25 14 91 FINAL

HIGH SCORERS: DEN - CARMELO ANTHONY 33, ALLEN IVERSON 24,
MARCUS CAMBY 14
MIN - RASHAD MCCANTS 23, AL JEFFERSON 16, THEO
RATLIFF 14

HIGH REBOUND: DEN - MARCUS CAMBY 21, NENE 6, TWO PLAYERS
WITH 5
MIN - AL JEFFERSON 13, THEO RATLIFF 6, THREE
PLAYERS WITH 4

HIGH ASSISTS: DEN - ALLEN IVERSON 8, CARMELO ANTHONY 6, TWO
PLAYERS WITH 3
MIN - SEBASTIAN TELFAIR 5, GREG BUCKNER 4,
RYAN GOMES 4

ATT: 19,443</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 99
MINNESOTA 91 FINAL</div>

 

By James Beilby
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- With Kevin Garnett in Boston, the new-lookMinnesota Timberwolves used an entirely different starting lineupfrom a season ago. As a result, they could not hang on and win their13th consecutive season opener.


Carmelo Anthony scored 22 of his 33 points in the second half asthe Denver Nuggets rallied and pulled away from theTimberwolves for a 99-91 victory on Friday.


Camby had 14 points, 21 rebounds and six blocks and AllenIverson added 24 points on just 4-of-14 shooting for theNuggets, who are 2-0 for the first time since the 1987-88season.


"I've said that we are going to win some games with defense,"Nuggets coach George Karl said. "And tonight we had more focuson the defensive end and Marcus Camby was incredible."

Minnesota was playing without Garnett after a blockbusterseven-for-one megadeal with the Boston Celtics in the offseasonstripped the Timberwolves of their franchise player but added aslew of young players.


Playing without their top three leading scorers from a seasonago, the Timberwolves became the first team in four years to usea different starting five from the season before.


"It's a little different not seeing Garnett out there," Cambysaid. "But they're a youthful team and they play hard. Theyjumped out on us early, but we had enough veteran leadership tohold on down the stretch."


Trailing for most of the game, Denver took its first lead sincethere was 11:10 left in the first quarter when Camby knockeddown a jump shot with 7:50 left in the game to give the Nuggetsan 81-79 advantage.


After Rashad McCants made a 3-pointer to put Minnesota back infront, Anthony scored five points during a 11-2 spurt to givethe Nuggets some breathing room at 92-84 with under 3:30 toplay.


"In the second half, we buckled down and executed," Iversonsaid. "We can't come in and think that just because a teamisn't a veteran team that we can overlook them. We've got towin the game regardless of whether it's ugly or not."

Minnesota used a strong 19-2 run to take a 13-point lead in thefirst quarter, which was highlighted by 11 points from McCants.

"I think we showed a lot a character tonight," Minnesota guardSebastian Telfair said. "We're going to go out there andcompete and try to get wins every night."


Denver tied the game three separate times in the third quarter,but the Timberwolves had maintained their three-point halftimelead with a 77-74 advantage after the third.


McCants netted 23 points and Al Jefferson had 16 and 13 reboundsfor the Timberwolves, who had not lost their home opener sincethe 1994-95 season - which was, ironically, the year beforeGarnett arrived.


"We didn't have the energy in the second half that we had in thefirst half of the game," Jefferson said. "You gotta start outthe game big and end big. You gotta keep it going."