<div align="center">Venue: The Pepsi Center, Denver ColoradoNational TV: TNTTime: 8:00 PM ESTDate: Saturday, April 28thSeries: Tied 1-1</div><span style="color:#3366FF">Denver Nuggets (45-37)</span>Projected Starters:<span style="color:#3366FF">PG- Steve BlakeSG- Allen IversonSF- Carmelo AnthonyPF- NeneC- Marcus Camby6th man: JR Smith</span>San Antonio Spurs (58-24)Projected Starters:PG- Tony ParkerSG- Michael FinleySF- Bruce BowenPF- Tim DuncanC- Francisco Elson6th man: Manu GinobiliComments:<span style="font-family:Arial">This is going to be a tough matchup, we all know what San Antonio is capable of doing in the playoffs. It's nearly impossible to defeat the Spurs in a 7 game playoff series, they are one of the best adjusting teams in the league. They will know Denver's entire game inside and out before the series is over.</span>Key matchup: Carmelo Anthony VS Bruce Bowen<span style="font-family:Arial">Anthony's stats against SA: 15.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.8 apg.Bowen's stats against Denver: 6.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.3 apg.</span>X-Factor players: Marcus Camby, Michael FinleyBALLAHOLLIC's key to victory:<span style="font-family:Arial">- Perimeter defense. If we let Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili gain an inch of space, they will burn us every single time down the floor. Both of them do exceptionally well against Denver, especially Manu Ginobili. It's up to our guards to control the perimeter, we can't allow them to torch us offensively.- Nene cannot get himself into foul trouble, we need his strong defensive presence against Tim Duncan in the post. I think he plays the best defense against Duncan on our team, even better than Marcus Camby. Duncan is a smart player, I'm sure he's going to try and get alot of fouls called on Nene.- Our role players need to step it up on both ends of the floor. We need Blake, Smith and Kleiza to hit their open jump shots and keep their man under control. We need those guys to take some pressure off of Carmelo and Iverson.</span>Conclusion: <span style="font-family:Arial">I don't see this series going past 6 games. The Spurs are too experienced, I don't think anybody expects us to beat the best team of the past decade. The Spurs have the depth, the firepower, and the experience to win this in 6 games.</span>My predictions:<span style="font-family:Arial">Game 1: Nuggets 94, Spurs 88Game 2: Spurs 97 Nuggets 91Game 3: Spurs 99 Nuggets 89Game 4: Nuggets 104 Spurs 97Game 5: Spurs 91 Nuggets 86Game 6: Spurs 101 Nuggets 93</span>
This should be a great game! The winner of this game will have the mental advantage over the other. A.I. and Melo will not dissappoint :no3:
They also are old and can get out jumped, and out hustled it will go a full 7 games if Spurs end up winning. I don't see Spurs winning 1 out of 2 in Denver now, and also closing out game 6 over there not gonna happen they won't beat them 2 out of 3 at home. So if they win it be in 7. And yes I know Denver has not been a good team this season at home.
I think Denver will win tonight simply because of the home crowd, similar to what happened last night with the GS/Dallas game, although it won't be a huge blowout. Probably an 8-10 point win for Denver tonight, with SA winning Game 4.
The Spurs are forcing up some bad shots, early in the shot clock. When they have shared the ball, and moved it, the Spurs have gotten wide open shots near the end of the shotclock.They need to keep trying to go to Duncan down low, as when he is drawing double teams, he is killing them with his passing out. They have gotten a few points from his double team drawing. Parker also needs to be getting into the lane and kick out to send the ball into motion.
This Denver crowd is REALLY disappointing to me... they have a chance to help their team out, but instead of cheering from the opening tip they are just sitting down. Granted Denver hasn't really done much of anything to get the crowd going, but the crowd needs to try to provide some energy for their players similar to what the Warriors fans did last night for their team.Denver also needs to stop playing in the half-court. They need to start running whenever they get the opportunity. Blake is just walking the ball up the court even when they have a transition opportunity.The referees have been questionable both ways, in my mind.EDIT: This seems like a regular season game, not a playoff game.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigMo763 @ Apr 28 2007, 09:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>EDIT: This seems like a regular season game, not a playoff game.</div> My thoughts as well, the crowd needs to get into it and these players need to increase their intensity level. While I'm disappointed with the crowd, however, Denver isn't giving them a whole lot to cheer for. Like BigMo said, it seems like a regular season game. In the 2nd half, I'd like to see Iverson attack and get to the free throw line! He didn't get there even once in Game 2 and he's only taken 1 tonight. AI needs to take it to the rack a little harder (this may be the 1st time I've ever said that about him).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigMo763 @ Apr 28 2007, 08:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Denver also needs to stop playing in the half-court. They need to start running whenever they get the opportunity. Blake is just walking the ball up the court even when they have a transition opportunity.</div>I agree, the pace of this game is very slow right now, which definately favors the San Antonio Spurs. The Nuggets need to get out and run the break a little bit more if possible, which might get the adrenaline going and the crowd into the game. This game is being played way to slow for the Nuggets right now in my opinion.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Apr 28 2007, 08:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>My thoughts as well, the crowd needs to get into it and these players need to increase their intensity level. While I'm disappointed with the crowd, however, Denver isn't giving them a whole lot to cheer for. Like BigMo said, it seems like a regular season game. In the 2nd half, I'd like to see Iverson attack and get to the free throw line! He didn't get there even once in Game 2 and he's only taken 1 tonight. AI needs to take it to the rack a little harder (this may be the 1st time I've ever said that about him).</div>AI was attacking in Game 2 and the first half tonight, but the Spurs just stopped him and he didn't get any calls from the referees, although that has changed a little bit in the second half.Missed free throws have killed Denver, as have turnovers and poor defensive rotations, especially on the Spurs' perimeter shooters.San Antonio has done an absolutely terrific job at taking the Nuggets offense out of sync these past two games. That Game 1 win by Denver seems like a fluke to me now. Let's see if Denver can change my mind on that by coming back here...EDIT: NBA referees have really hated the Nuggets since the brawl... EDIT 2: Random question that I've always wanted to know the answer too... anybody know why Camby always gives high-fives with the back of his hand? Any reason, or is it just random?
Denver just hasn't played well at all tonight and the fans were bad too. Game 4 really is a must win now, but I see San Antonio taking this in 5 or 6.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigMo763 @ Apr 28 2007, 07:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>This Denver crowd is REALLY disappointing to me... they have a chance to help their team out, but instead of cheering from the opening tip they are just sitting down. Granted Denver hasn't really done much of anything to get the crowd going, but the crowd needs to try to provide some energy for their players similar to what the Warriors fans did last night for their team.</div><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Apr 28 2007, 07:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>My thoughts as well, the crowd needs to get into it and these players need to increase their intensity level. While I'm disappointed with the crowd, however, Denver isn't giving them a whole lot to cheer for.</div>The crowd might have sounded quiet on TV, but in the arena is was definitely were into it. Sitting down after the opening tip was because we had been standing for about the last 10 minutes at least. It was absolutely insane inside the building.Anyways, 3 things lost this game for us.1) Free throws. San Antonio went 13-14 when we couldn't hit one to save our lives, which turned out to be a killer.2) Layups. We couldn't finish anything at all tonight, we missed so many layups it was unbelievable.3) The refs. I am not saying we lost because of them, but damn we couldn't buy a call. We would get assaulted in the paint and it would be a no call when they would get little touch fouls. One time Melo was in the air than Bowen set his feet and flopped like it was nobodies business and they called a charge.This game was fun to go to besides 2 drunk SA fans who were obnoxious as hell and kept trying to pick fights with people twice their size. I'm pretty sure they are getting their asses handed to them right now. Game 4 is a MUST WIN, I don't see us being able to win game 5 on the road.I am looking forward to game 4 and hopefully game 6. :winkglasses:
Now last game I put it on the reffs they sucked. This game I don't understand were was Denver's energy at all.And can we bench Blake I like him, but this dude slows us down I think I am so tired of it. AI does not really touch the ball let him run it. PLEAZE I mean come on this is getting pathetic.We going to take game 4 Monday it be tied I am not even worried about that. I agree about Spurs winning, but it be 7 games.And who ever said Denver winning game one was a fluke is a idiot no offense. Denver came back what 15-17 in last few min game 2, and was a close game today even though it was like they did not show up it felt like it was a close game still.Karl needs to run some plays then no body be abkle to stop them instead of just telling them to run ALL THE TIME. I mean you got JR throwing it up guys who can't calm down when you just let them run lose it becomes a mess sometimes.I don't know I am tired f*ck it.
I said Game 1 is looking like a fluke, not that it definitely was, and that isn't hard to conceive at all. Think about it, coming into Game 1 San Antonio had not seen the Nuggets attack at full strength... that made Game 1 the perfect game for Denver to steal from the Spurs. Since then, San Antonio has dominated the series because Pop and his staff saw what Denver was going to do and came up with an appropriate game plan.Watching the game, Bill Walton was severely overrating the Nuggets at the beginning of the game. They're good, but not as good as Walton was making them out to be... Hopefully Denver can win Game 4, but they need to make a lot of adjustments if they want to do that. I'm pulling for them to beat SA... but it doesn't look like it'll go past six if they keep playing as bad as they have been playing lately.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigMo763 @ Apr 29 2007, 03:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I said Game 1 is looking like a fluke, not that it definitely was, and that isn't hard to conceive at all. Think about it, coming into Game 1 San Antonio had not seen the Nuggets attack at full strength... that made Game 1 the perfect game for Denver to steal from the Spurs. Since then, San Antonio has dominated the series because Pop and his staff saw what Denver was going to do and came up with an appropriate game plan.Watching the game, Bill Walton was severely overrating the Nuggets at the beginning of the game. They're good, but not as good as Walton was making them out to be... Hopefully Denver can win Game 4, but they need to make a lot of adjustments if they want to do that. I'm pulling for them to beat SA... but it doesn't look like it'll go past six if they keep playing as bad as they have been playing lately.</div>Dude they lost by a few points game 2 after losing by like 15-17 with a few minutes left in the game. And the reffs messed that game up we should have been up 2-0 they put us in a bigger hole then we would have been in by just us strugling that night.Then you got this game lost by what 5?Exactly we beeing sucking, but the 2 loses came by like 10 points combined a few more w/e my point is we sucked and strugled like crazy both the loses, and only lost by a few both times.Walton is right people underrate Denver. So all the praising was good.
I still don't think you realize that Denver is not that good. They'll be lucky to get to 6 games. San Antonio is a much better team. Their offense looked slow because the Spurs can force the tempo on you. Game 4 is Denver's last chance for a win.Yes, ima being correct.
Well, the Spurs are the superior team...Its just that simple. They took a HUGE advantage in the series by winning game 3. Denver is going to come out full of energy I would imagine in game 4, and I think they are going to play good, but that is what I expected out of them last night....I still am going to go with Spurs in 6.
Noo freakin energey from Denver there fans also need to take a example from the Warriors fans PATHETIC.Denver bench needs to step up, and Nene/Camby need to play like they did game 1 more. Iverson is due to break out.I expect Denver to tie it up tomorrow so it be 2-2. And they will not close it out in Denver so it will go 7 games Spurs in 7.Unless they win tomorrow in Denver then beat them game 5 at home to end it.I see 7 games still Spurs will win in 7 I think.The fans need to really scream get loud so Spurs can't here jack even from the coach in the hudle. Even if Nuggets are strugling to start the game or at anytime go crazy give the Spurs hell.
