<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%">@</span> December 28, 2006 - 10:30 pm ET<span style="color:#FF0000">Game on TNT</span></div><span style="color:#006600">Seattle Sonics</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">(12-17)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">PG</span> <span style="color:#006600">Luke Ridnour</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SG</span> <span style="color:#006600">Earl Watson</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SF</span> <span style="color:#006600">Damien Wilkins</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">PF</span> <span style="color:#006600">Chris Wilcox</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">C</span> <span style="color:#006600">Andreas Glyniadakis</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#006600">Nick Collison, Johan Petro, Mickael Gelabale, Danny Fortson, Mouhammed Sene</span><span style="color:#00BFFF">Denver Nuggets</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">(15-10)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">PG</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Allen Iverson</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SG</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Yakhouba Diawara</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SF</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">DerMarr Johnson</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">PF</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Eduardo Najera</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">C</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Jamal Sampson</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Earl Boykins, Reggie Evans, Linas Kleiza</span> Injury Report<span style="color:#FFCC00">SEA:</span> <span style="color:#006600">Ray Allen will not play (attending his child's birth)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">SEA:</span> <span style="color:#006600">Rashard Lewis will not play (torn tendon in right hand)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">SEA:</span> <span style="color:#006600">Robert Swift is out for season (torn ACL)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">DEN:</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith will not play (serving suspensions)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">DEN:</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Marcus Camby will not play (broken bone in finger)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">DEN:</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Nene will not play (no idea why)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">DEN:</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Kenyon Martin is out for season (microfracture surgery)</span> Who To Watch Out For<span style="color:#006600">Luke Ridnour</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 15.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 6.4 apg</span><span style="color:#006600">Chris Wilcox</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 12.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg</span><span style="color:#00BFFF">Allen Iverson</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 30.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 7.8 apg, 2.2 spg</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">As A Nugget: 25.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 11.5 apg, 2.0 spg</span> Rookie Watch <span style="color:#FFCC00">SEA:</span> <span style="color:#006600">Mouhamed Sene</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 10</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#006600">0.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SEA:</span> <span style="color:#006600">Mickael Gelabale</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: Undrafted</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#006600">3.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SEA:</span> <span style="color:#006600">Andreas Glyniadakis</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: Undrafted</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#006600">1.5 ppg, 0.6 rpg</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">DEN:</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Yakhouba Diawara</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: Undrafted</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">5.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.1 apg</span><span style="color:#006600">Seattle's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#006600">Damien Wilkins</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 7.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.6 apg</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">As A Starter: 12.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.0 spg</span><span style="color:#006600">Wilkins is a high energy player, and he always brings heart and hustle. Tonight, he has to bring some extra offense with Allen and Lewis out of the lineup. He has to bring hustle and defense as usual, but he also has to bring some offensive firepower to help fill in for the missing stars.</span><span style="color:#00BFFF">Denver's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#00BFFF">Jamal Sampson</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 0.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg</span><span style="color:#00BFFF">He's starting in place of Nene, and Marcus Camby is still out. He has some big shoes to fill, let's see how he does.</span> <div align="center">Key Matchup vs. <span style="color:#006600">Luke Ridnour</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#00BFFF">Allen Iverson</span></div><span style="color:#000000">We all know what AI is going to bring, but Ridnour needs to step up tonight as well. He is probably the best player on the floor for Seattle, and he's going to have his hands full tonight with Iverson and Boykins, while at the same time knowing he has to do a lot offensively since Allen/Lewis are out. I think AI will kill him, but Watson will be guarding him as well.</span> CelticBalla's Extra Thoughts/NotesNo Ray Allen, no Rashard Lewis, no Carmelo Anthony, no Marcus Camby, no J.R. Smith... this game is on TNT? Ugh. We get AI, at least... I'm just kidding, it does suck but I don't care. I'll still watch all 48. CelticBalla's PredictionDenver should win this game. No Allen or Lewis for Seattle, and Denver does have Allen Iverson and some good role players, plus they are at home. I'll take Denver in this one.
Wow, AI is off to a great start. He's getting to the basket, hitting his mid-range shots, and he's setting people up for open shots. A lot of energy coming from the Nuggets right now.Does anyone know why Nene isn't playing?
This is my first chance at getting to watch AI in Denver. AI has been great so far. He's attacked relentlessly, got some buckets around the basket, and hit his midrange shots. He set up Najera well too. It's a joy to watch him.Jamaal Sampson has scored twice on the exact same move....Offensive rebound...dribble...wait...go up for the dunk..Whoa! 30 points and still 2:45 left in the 1st. AI is doing very well at leading the Nuggets offense. Their starting lineup looked freaking terrible. I can't believe they're scoring this much.
Allen Iverson has been great. He's attacked the basket with ease, and he is finding people very well. He's got 14, and he should come back into the game pretty soon to try and extend the Nuggets lead going into the half.
Iverson has been great..He gets to the rim at will, and he's passing ability is looking great. I'm going to bed though, so to bad I'll miss the rest of the game.
LMAO Iverson to Evans! HahaAI started off REAL good. He was hitting everything, he was finding people, he was getting to the basket. As the half wound down, he did take/miss a couple questionable shots, and he did try and get an assist to a guy not on the floor (lol). But he had a very nice first half. He has made some terrific passes off penetration, and he has put the ball in the basket. Jamal Sampson really has done a very nice job as well. He has been very active on the glass and he has gotten a couple clean-up dunks. Boykins brought some energy and played solid, as did Evans.For Seattle, Damien Wilkins has carried the load offensively, but they need more guys to step up. I was surprised to see Petro take (and make) so many shots right away, but that's not going to cut it. Wilcox, Ridnour, and Watson need to step it up.And LMFAO - Sheryl Miller is like a foot taller than Boykins, and Barkley was giving him crap. Haha.
44 and 10 for AI. I liked Jamal Sampson out there, he played well on the glass. One things for sure, that was the worst defense I have ever seen in my life.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (kingjamez @ Dec 29 2006, 12:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>44 and 10 for AI. I liked Jamal Sampson out there, he played well on the glass. One things for sure, that was the worst defense I have ever seen in my life.</div>Huh? What's defense?But yeah Jamal Sampson really did do a lot better than I thought he would. Iverson, of course, was excellent. He got to all the spots he wanted, made some nice passes, and really destroyed Luke Ridnour. You have to give guys like Reggie Evans and Earl Boykins credit tonight though, they were exceptional off the bench. Najera played pretty solid as well. But Denver really killed Seattle on the boards.For Seattle, Damien Wilkins played well throughout the entire game. He had a great first half offensively, and he did a solid job in the second half as well. The Ridnour and Watson backcourt was alright offensively, but they got absolutely destroyed defensively by AI and Boykins. I think Wilcox should have, and could have, done a much better job. He didn't get anything going offensively, he wasn't very aggressive, and he didn't attack the basket like he usually does. Oh, and I also want to give some props to Mike Wilks for the way he played Iverson. He did a much better job on AI than Ridnour and Watson put together.Also, congrats to coach Karl - 800th win!
