<font color="Green">Timberwolves </font> @ <font color="MediumTurquoise">Nuggets</font> Time: November 4, 2004; 10:30 Arena: <font color="MediumTurquoise">Pepsi Center</font> TV: TNT Preview: Tonight's matchup between the Wolves and Nuggets features the Northwest divisions two most explosive teams. The Nuggets have high hopes maybe even championship dreams. But they got their season off to a horrible start tuesday night, as they went to LaLa land and got out played Lakers in all aspect in a 89-78 loss. The Nuggets are looking to bounce back tonight in their home opener. The Timberwolves on the other hand got off to an impressive start beating a upstart Knicks team 99-93. The Wolves looked a bit sluggish in the 2nd half but held off a tuff Knicks team to get the win lead by Kevin Garnett's 28pts & 20rebs. Cassell also chipped in with 19pts & 11ast despite not shooting his normal effeciency from the field or line. The Wolves look to continue their winning ways tonight as they vist the mile high city. <u>Starting 5 </u> Backcourt: PG: Sam Cassell (Wolves)/Andre Milller (Nuggets) SG: Latrell Sprewell (Wolves)/ Greg Buckner (Nuggets) Frontcourt: C: Kandiman (Wolves)/ Marcus Camby (Nuggets) SF: Trenton Hassell (Wolves)/ Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets) PF: Spotlight Matchup Battle of Top bigmen at the 4 Spot Tonight's battle between the Wolves' <font color="DarkGreen">Kevin Garnett </font> and the Nuggets' <font color="MediumTurquoise">Kenyon Martin</font> is a battle of two of the league's premiere bigmen. Martin brought over from the Nets during an offseason sign & trade deal, is expected by many as the missing piece to the Nuggets championship hopes for the next decade. Him & Carmelo Anthony teamup to make one of the league's more explosive inside/outside young combo's. Martin struggled in his Nuggets debut against the Lakers, held down by early foul trouble the new Nuggets was only able to tally 13pts and 7rebs. And often one of the league's better defensive players Martin struggled with the play of Laker's bigman Chris Mihm. Martin looks to bounce back tonight against argueavly the league's top Power forward Kevin Garnett. And prove he is well worth the hefty contract Denver paid to bring him to the Mile High City. Kevin Garnett unlike Martin, had an extremely strong showing in his season debut. Garnett ate up the Knicks frontline for a 20-20 night. But gone are the likes of Mike Sweetney & Vin Baker, and end comes the frontline of the Nuggets who size and athletism, without Martin last year gave the 04 MVP some trouble from time to time during their 4 regular season matchups. And 1st round playoff meeting last year. Garnett's success tonight may depend on the type of help KG recieves from the bigbodies playing alongside him. But regardless at the end of the day KG should be counted on for his usual double-double. ------------------ <u>Things To Watch In Tonight's Matchup </u> Point Guard Play. The Battle between Cassell and Miller at the point will be key, it seemed everytime last year in the Nuggets/wolves matchup, the point guard who did the better job of controlling their teams tempo led their team to the victory. Miller wants to get the Nugget up & down the court in open court style. While Cassell wants the game played at a half-court, effeicent & methodicial pace. The Point Guard who can best dictate the style their team wants to play may dictate the outcome of tonight's game. Hassell needs to Start for Minny Trenton Hassell needs to be in the starting lineup for the wolves tonight, he gives Carmelo Anthony alot of problems with him defensive ablities. Hassell perimeter defense is a key to what the Wolves want to do...with Wally S or Sprewell trying to cover Anthony early, he may get off to such a great start that Hassell defense wont be a factor in trying to contain Anthony, by the 2nd quarter when Hassell comes off the bench. What will the Nuggets do at the 2. Not only did the Nuggets suffer a lose on tuesday on the scoreboard. But they also suffered all loss to their top perimeter shooter. As starting off-guard Voshon Lenard, suffered a season ending knee injury. The injury leaves the nuggets, who were already thin at the 2, with a major hole on their perimeter. Expect Buckner to start at shooting guard for defensive purposes but the Nuggets may spend alot of minutes using a small backcourt of Andre Miller & Earl Boykins. --------------------- <font color="DarkGreen">Keys to the game for Minny</font> Bench play. The Wolves are playing a back to back in one of the most tiring arenas in the league the Pepsi Center, that means the order veteran guys may be a bit sluggish. The bench has to pick up any slack left by the starters who played big minutes in the win vs New York. the Wolves need a strong effect from guys like Hoiberg and Hassell. Also tonight would be a good night to get Eddie Griffen so action if he is available. The Kandiman can. The Kandiman has to be a factor in tonight's game, their is no way KG can take own this entire Nuggets frontline without some help along the frontline from Micheal. Slow the game down. On back to back night's their is no way that the Wolves want to come out and get into an up an down shoot out with the Nugs. The Wolves must control tempo by limiting turnovers and start shot selection. ---------------- <font color="MediumTurquoise">Keys To the Game for The Nuggets</font> Force Tempo. The one thing that the Nuggets definately didnt do in their loss against the Lakers was force tempo. They played the Lakers style all night & were on the defensive most of the evening. Against the Wolves the Nuggets must be aggressive in getting the ball up the court. Make the older Wolves run. Earl Boykins Factor. Earl Boykins has been a pest in the side of the Wolves in every single one of their matchups. The Wolves simply dont have anyone quick enuff to stay in front of the speedster. Boykins will have to come up big again tonight especially with the Nuggets backcourt being short handed. Smart Shot Selection. The Shot Selection of the Nuggets can be horrible from time to time. Guys like Carmelo Anthony and Rodney White have never met a shot they didnt like. But tonight against the Wolves poor shot selection may lead to a path of distruction. The Nuggets must spread the ball around and keep the wolves D on its heels. Ball movement leads to good opportunities for the Nuggets and will definately be a key for Denver Enjoy the game.
Elson got tossed because Garnett was about to throw down. That flagrant was nasty. EDIT: 12:41 AM...no replies in the game thread. Either everyone's watching the GREAT game, or nobody cares. jk Awesome game...I thought Garnett was dropping that shot at the end again...but good defense and a great game by both teams. :thumbsup:
Great game.... I think that this is how basketball is surpose to be played. The Wolves needed a loss like this honestly, going into tonight's game I dont think the Wolves were as focused as a championship team should be. And I think Denver woke them up, just to let them know that walking off with the Northwest title wont be as easy as Minny might think... The Wolves had a chance to pull this game out. And probably should have won. But their were a few mistakes I think were made on both sides... When Cassell got ejected, flip should have brought in Fred Hoiberg and Troy Hudson & sat Wally S. I think if you lose a clutch shot maker like Sam then you have to make it up with a group effort down the stretch. And I think a lineup with Hoiberg and Hudson is more likely to come up with a couple of big shots then a lineup with Wally instead of Hoiberg. Wally is a better player but Fred is more of a big shot maker. And the wolves were screaming for someone to make a big shot to go long with what Kg was giving you inside. Free Throws was a big part of what cost the Wolves the game. They choked away alot of free throws at the wrong time. KG missed a few big ones after Elson took the hard foul on him. I think that they gave the Nuggets some life and sparked that little 6-0 run they went on. If KG would have stepped up & Knocked down all three free throws that would have really took the crowd out of the game. But I cant be mad at KG cause he carried that team on his back tonight. And Hassell & Spree missed some big ones as well. I think that the Nuggets would have actually won in regulation, if they would have ran that last play thru Boykins like they did in OT. The Wolves have nobody on their roster who can come close to keeping up with him off the dribble, so they always retreat and give him the jumpshot. And he is money off the dribble shooting in the mid-range area. Carmelo Anthony cant make a jumpshot with Hassell guarding him so I think it was a big mistake calling an Iso for Melo against Hassell. It should have been PiCk & Roll at the top with Boykins coming off the screen to get in the mid-range area off the dribble. And I think K-Mart showed what he brings to the table. He really did an excellent job defending KG before the major foul trouble down the stretch and they had to switch Camby on KG which really free up KG a bit. And the energy Martin Brings is incredible. Also despite it being against my boy Sam, you got to love the way he had Boykins back in that situations. The foul wasnt that hard by Sam against Boykins(and he definately shouldnt have been ejected for it), but it still was extra. And Sam took the extra push only because he was really struggling tonight, and he cant keep Earl in front of him off the dribble. And trying to guard such a quick player can be upsetting. So I definately think Martin should have had Earl's back. The refs should have made it equal by ejecting both at least Cassell & Martin tho...cause you cant give dencer an advantage like that by taking out Minny 4th quarter player. And leaving Denver with their All-star when both led to the situation elevating to a certain degree. Bith I got love for both them cats. Two extremely competive guys. And Iam pretty sure they put that behind them after the final horn. Anyway I love playoff style basketball in November. And I cant wait for these two teams to hook up again, next time in Minny tho. I think this is becoming a legitimate rivalary not one of those media saturated, marketing joints like you have around the league today. When Denver and Minny hook up you start off playing Basketball & a football game breaks out.
KMart was amazing. Great job overall defending and grabbing rebounds. His first double-double out west.
it sucks to have such a hard loss, so early in the season. This one was an emotionally charged gamet that could have gone either way towards the end.
This game was exiting. Earl boykins shot was one of the best plays iv'e seen in a long long time. How many ejections were there anyway?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AA13:</div><div class="quote_post">This game was exiting. Earl boykins shot was one of the best plays iv'e seen in a long long time. How many ejections were there anyway?</div> 3 i think cassel,kenyon and another nuggets gurd maybe kenyon was just fould out i aint possitive...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting the main event:</div><div class="quote_post">3 i think cassel,kenyon and another nuggets gurd maybe kenyon was just fould out i aint possitive...</div> Nuggets Center/ Power Forward Fransco Elson got ejected; one tech was for his hard foul on KG and then the 2nd tech came a few minutes later when him an KG were post up in each others face talking BS. And then Sam got ejected for throw the rock at Kenyon. But Kenyon didnt get ejected, he just picked up his 6th foul in overtime. So only Elson and Sammy got ejected during the game.
