<font size="8"><font color="royalblue">Round 1</font> <font color="gold">Game 3</font></font> series tied 1-1 <div align="center"> @ <font color="darkslategray">San Antonio Spurs (59-23, 2nd seed)</font> @ <font color="royalblue">Denver Nuggets (49-33, 7th seed)</font> Time: Wed, Apr. 30, 2005, 10:30 P.M. Eastern Time TV: <font color="red">ESPN</font> , RSN Place: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO --- Ballers: <font color="darkslategray">Nazr Mohammed</font> ( C), <font color="darkslategray">Tim Duncan</font> (PF), <font color="darkslategray">Bruce Bowen</font> (SF), <font color="darkslategray">Brent Barry</font> (SG), <font color="darkslategray">Tony Parker</font> (PG) Top bench baller: <font color="darkslategray">Manu Ginobili</font> Coach: <font color="darkslategray">Gregg Popovich</font> (9th season with Spurs) --- Ballers: <font color="royalblue">Marcus Camby</font> ( C), <font color="royalblue">Kenyon Martin</font> (PF), <font color="royalblue">Carmelo Anthony</font> (SF), <font color="royalblue">Greg Buckner</font> (SG), <font color="royalblue">Andre Miller</font> (PG) Top bench baller: <font color="royalblue">Earl Boykins</font> Coach: <font color="royalblue">George Karl</font> (32-8, first season with Nuggets) --- <font size="5"><font color="royalblue">Top</font> <font color="gold">Ballers</font>:</font> <font color="darkslategray">Manu Ginobili: 25 points, 6 assists, 4 steals.</font> <font color="royalblue">Carmelo Anthony: 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists.</font> <font size="5">purpleb0n9's <font color="royalblue">Team</font> <font color="gold">Analysis</font>:</font> <font color="darkslategray">- San Antonio:</font> After their Game 1 loss, they made starting lineup adjustment in Game 2, sending Manu to the bench and starting Brent Barry to be his replacement. The move paid off as Brent's outside shooting complemented perfectly with Tim's inside dominance to attack the Nuggets' man-to-man D early in the game . The Spurs crushed the Nuggets in the second quarter by outscoring them by 20 points. Although still looking not 100%, Tim produced much better with 24 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocked shots. Manu came off the bench to score 17 efficient points in 18 minutes. The Nuggets did not look like they wanted the game, so the Spurs seized every opportunity to avoid going into an early 0-2 hole. <font color="royalblue">-D</font><font color="gold">N:</font> The Nuggets could have seized control of the series by taking Game 2 as well, but it seemed they were too satisfied of Game 1 win to take another one, which was obviously an immature thinking on their part. If you watch the game notice how they play with the attitude, "the Spurs are gonna take this one, let's get this over with and let's move on to Game 3". That was disappointing, but to Nuggets loyal fans, let's not lose hope. You could sense that confidence still hasn't escaped them that they can win against the Spurs and it's something that we need to ride high on in Game 3. Some adjustment was made after haltfime, particularly the use of zone D, which really affected the Spurs' O as we outscored them 17-5 to begin the third quarter. Coach Karl suggested he may replace sg DerMarr Johnson with Greg Buckner in the starting lineup to get considerably tougher. DerMarr may be much more versatile on O but there's no question who plays the better overall D. As usual, if we maintain our focus, play with some kind of urgency, determination and fire, and of course D, we'll have a very good shot at taking this game, which... <font size="5">purpleb0n9's <font color="royalblue">Predict</font><font color="gold">ion</font>:</font> ... I think we will. If we lose this one, I can honestly say our chances of winning this series is reduced from 60% to a mere 20%. There's still much hope to take back the series, the Pepsi Center will be rockin and we'll win this convincingly, 123-97. Melo will also have his career playoff high in points.</div>
I think Denver will come out strong with the Pepsi Center crowd behind them. I predict Denver wins by 9 101-92.
I too think that the crowd will be into this game. I'm predicting that Denver will come out firing. I think Carmelo will have a decent 20 point, 11 rebounds and 3 assist game. I think Andre Miller will explode for a 35 point game. Denver wins 97-91.
Most definetly i think the Nugs will take this game. I was listening to melo call in on the radio the other day and he seemed to have the right attitude about the loss. He realized it was only one game, and that theyve learned what it takes to win, and what it feels like to lose. Now they just need to get out there and kik some...toosh
Go Nuggets. I don't want SA to win, Tim Duncan just bothers me and the team is so boring to watch. Go Denver, lol. They can win this one no matter what anyone says.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting raptors4life:</div><div class="quote_post">Go Nuggets. I don't want SA to win, Tim Duncan just bothers me and the team is so boring to watch.</div>amen lol
Rob Horry is killing us with those threes... Spurs up by 8 with 5 mins to play... I still have faith in my team!!! GO NUGGGGETTTSSS!!! We're losing our composure... Melo why the flagrant foul? I hope he doesn't get suspended... but it sets the tone for the rest of the series. We'll bounce back in Game 4 with or without Melo.
Melo suspended? That would be about as much bull as the officials we had in the game! When the player who got hit says that in the same situation he would do the same thing , and didn't think it was flagrant and u gonna suspend Melo? Naw but i'm now petitioning for a job as an NBA official, i mean i can call fouls on one team and not the other unless the guy is thrown to the floor, U guys think i got a chance?
I haven't watched the game but from the ESPN motion I saw we're looking so lost in the game, I suspect from the Spurs run to take a 10 pt lead in the second quarter... we began to lose our composure. Defensively, we're awful, Gino under the basket for 2, Camby could have come to Horry to make it tougher for him taking that dagger three pointer. We choked in this game. I'll comment more after I watch it. But, we definitely need to bounce back in Game 4 otherwise if we don't show that we want to hang with them in this series we don't even deserve to go to second round. The Spurs are the team that should go to the next round... at least for now. What's worse, the officials seemed to be on our side early in the game, I'm not sure if they're gonna call the same calls against them again.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting raptors4life:</div><div class="quote_post">Go Nuggets. I don't want SA to win, Tim Duncan just bothers me and the team is so boring to watch. Go Denver, lol. They can win this one no matter what anyone says.</div> Yeah, I guess you could call a Spurs game boring. Who wants to see incredibly organized ball movement, cunning strategy, hard core blocks, physic-defying floaters and intense drives? I guess seeing a team and their coach crying to the refs about every call against them (even though Tim Duncan, the most boring player in the league, was all but taken out of the game with 3 quick ticky-tacks) is EXCITEMENT INCARNATE. Get real.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting 94ftOfTherapy:</div><div class="quote_post">lol its ok guys melo is not suspended.</div> I hate this NBA front office!!! If it would have been any other player than Melo, Wade or Lebron then it would have definetely been a suspension. This is so f****k unfair. And Fortson would have been "awarded" with a 3 game suspension for a foul like that - I'm sure!
MUman, I have to agree the spurs are pretty boring. Its not as exciting to watch as you try to make it seem
