NUGGETS PROBABLE NUGGETS STARTERS POS. NO. PLAYER HEIGHT WEIGHT PPG RPG APG NOTABLE [imgl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3706.jpg[/imgl] F 15 Carmelo Anthony 6-8, 230 30.8 5.9 4.2 Had 27 points (9-9 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots vs. New Orleans/Okla. City on 2/7. [IMGl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3437.jpg[/IMGl] F 21 Eduardo Najera 6-8, 235 6.3 4.2 0.9 Started for the 32nd time this season and posted 11 points and nine rebounds in a season-high 37 minutes on 2/7. [IMGl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3605.jpg[/IMGl] C 31 Nene 6-11, 260 9.8 5.8 0.9 Is shooting .591 (52-88) over his last nine games. [IMGl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/4199.jpg[/IMGl] G 5 Yakhouba Diawara 6-7, 225 5.4 2.1 1.0 Ranks 3rd among rookies in three-point makes (42) and 5th among qualifying rookies in minutes per game (21.1). [imgl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3741.jpg[/imgl] G 25 Steve Blake 6-3, 172 5.4 1.8 3.7 Contributed 14 points, six assists and a season-high-tying five rebounds vs. New Orleans/Oklahoma City on 2/7. PACERS PROBABLE STARTERS [IMGl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3943.jpg[/IMGl] Forward 33 Danny Granger 6-9 228 Scoring in double figures for the 10th straight game, he had 18 points to go with six rebounds and two assists in 38 minutes vs. Seattle, 2/7. He shot 8-18 from the floor, including 2-5 3-pt FGS. [IMGl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3120.jpg[/IMGl] Forward 7 Jermaine O'Neal 6-11 260 Sitting out a game for the sixth time this season, he did not dress for the game vs. Seattle, 2/7, due to a sore left knee. [IMGl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3524.jpg[/IMGl] Center 3 Troy Murphy 6-11 245 Including a career-high five 3-pt FGS, he scored 22 points with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots in 37 minutes vs. Seattle, 2/7. 22 points is his most in 10 games with the Pacers. [IMGl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3601.jpg[/IMGl] Guard 17 Mike Dunleavy 6-9 230 Including 2-3 3-pt FGS, he had 11 points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal in 32+ minutes vs. Seattle, 2/7. Overall, he shot 4-10 from the floor and 1-2 from the foul line. [IMGl]http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3528.jpg[/IMGl] Guard 11 Jamaal Tinsley 6-3 185 He scored a team-high 25 points to accompany eight assists, six rebounds and one steal in 36+ minutes vs. Seattle, 2/7. He has averaged 23.2 ppg and 8.0 apg in the last five games. NUGGETS RED CROSS REPORT OUT: Kenyon Martin underwent successful surgery on his right knee on 11/15 and will miss the remainder of the season. GAME-TIME DECISION: Allen Iverson returned to action vs. New Orleans/Oklahoma City on 2/7 after missing four games due to a right ankle sprain. He is a game-time decision for tonight?s game Marcus Camby did not play vs. New Orleans/Oklahoma City on 2/7 due to a strained left groin suffered at Sacramento on 2/3 and is a game-time decision. PACERS RED CROSS REPORT Marquis Daniels, sore left knee, day-to-day Jermaine O'Neal, bruised left knee, day-to-day TONIGHT'S MATCHUP BY THE NUMBERS KEY FOR TEAM STATISTICS: PPG Points Per Game (measures offense) OPG Opponents Points Per Game (measures defense) FG% % of All Shots Made (2's and 3's) 3PT% % of 3-Point Shots Made FT% % of Free Throws Made RPG Rebounds Per Game APG Assists Per Game SPG Steals Per Game BPG Blocks Per Game TO Turnovers Per Game ..............PPG.. OPG.. FG% 3PT% FT% RPG APG. SPG. BPG.. TO NUGGETS 105.5 104.1 .455.. .325 .745 44.3 23.2 8.28 5.04 16.6 PACERS.... 96.5. 96.9 .436.. .355 .746 42.5 20.6 7.76 6.02 16.7
The Pacers are heavily favored by basketball know-it-alls, so this is a great opportunity for the Nuggets to begin the rescue of their season. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> VENUE: Conseco Fieldhouse With Allen Iverson sitting out again, the Denver Nuggets look to avoid a fourth straight loss when they visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday. Denver (23-24) has dropped seven of its last eight, including a 114-112 overtime defeat to New Orleans on Wednesday. The loss dropped the Nuggets under .500 for the first time since they were 3-4 on Nov. 15. Iverson, who had sat out the previous four games because of a sprained right ankle, returned and scored 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting, but re-aggravated the injury. "I can't help us out there like this," he said. "I tried as hard as I can tonight, but it just wasn't me. I couldn't move the way I wanted to move and I couldn't get to the basket the way I normally do. I felt at times like I had to settle for jumpers because I couldn't get there all the way." An MRI on Thursday didn't show any structural damage, but he stayed home as the Nuggets headed on their two-game road trip. The team visits Milwaukee on Saturday. "I think it is one of those things where I just came back too soon," Iverson said. "I couldn't be me on the basketball court. I am more effective being aggressive and going to the basket and making things happen." Iverson could return for Monday's game against Golden State, but acknowledged he may be sidelined through the All-Star game Feb. 18. Carmelo Anthony, who was picked by commissioner David Stern on Friday as an injury replacement and will make his first All-Star game appearance, did his best to help carry the Nuggets on Wednesday with 27 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots. He did, however, throw up an airball with 2.9 seconds left in regulation and the game tied at 103. The Hornets then took the lead 26 seconds into overtime and would never trail, with Desmond Mason hitting the game-winner on a putback as time expired. The Nuggets are 8-12 since acquiring Iverson from Philadelphia at the end of December. He is averaging 26.8 points since his arrival. Denver plays six of its next eight on the road, where it is 10-10 and has lost three straight. The Nuggets, who have played without Marcus Camby the last two games because of a strained groin, have won five straight against Indiana (26-23). Two of those victories have come at Conseco Fieldhouse following nine consecutive losses in Indianapolis. The Pacers have dropped their last two after winning six of seven. Indiana lost 103-102 to Seattle on Wednesday as Jamaal Tinsley, who led the team with 25 points, missed a drive to the hoop and desperation shot as time ran out. "Tough loss," coach Rick Carlisle said. "We worked so hard to get the lead, then had a string of missed shots. ... The second-chance opportunities killed us. This is one we shouldn't have let get away." The Pacers are also banged up. Leading scorer and rebounder Jermaine O'Neal missed Wednesday's game because of swelling from a bruise on his left knee. The Nuggets beat the Pacers 121-101 on Dec. 2 as Anthony had 38 points to lead all scorers. O'Neal had 20 points and 16 rebounds in that contest, but is averaging just 12.0 points and 6.8 boards in 22 games against Denver. </div> Source
Good win by the Nuggets, with this win and Melo finally making the All Star team hopefully this is the turn around of what has been a mediocre season so far.
