@ <font color="Blue">Denver Nuggets (31-29)</font> @ <font color="SlateGray">San Antonio Spurs (47-14)</font> Time: Sat, Mar. 12, 2005, 08:30 P.M. Eastern Time TV: NBATV Place: SBC Center, San Antonio, TX --- Ballers: <font color="Blue">Marcus Camby</font> ( C), <font color="Blue">Kenyon Martin</font> (PF), <font color="Blue">Carmelo Anthony</font> (SF), <font color="Blue">DerMarr Johnson</font> (SG), <font color="Blue">Andre Miller</font> (PG) Top bench baller: <font color="Blue">Earl Boykins</font> Coach: <font color="Blue">George Karl</font> (14-4, first season with Nuggets) --- Ballers: <font color="SlateGray">Rasho Nesterovic</font> ( C), <font color="SlateGray">Tim Duncan</font> (PF), <font color="SlateGray">Bruce Bowen</font> (SF), <font color="SlateGray">Manu Ginobili</font> (SG), <font color="SlateGray">Tony Parker</font> (PG) Top bench baller: <font color="SlateGray">Devin Brown</font> Coach: <font color="SlateGray">Greg Popovich</font> (443-220, ninth season with Spurs) <font size="4"><font color="Blue">Top</font> <font color="Orange">Ballers</font>:</font> <font color="Blue">Carmelo Anthony: 22 pts, 10 rebds, 3 assists</font> <font color="SlateGray">Tim Duncan: 25 pts, 9 rebds, 6 assists</font> <font size="4"><font color="Purple">purple</font><font color="Orange">b0n9</font>'s take:</font> The most important game yet for us Nuggets has finally arrived. Playing against arguably the top team in the NBA on the toughest home arena is every competitor's dream. Just forget about the result. Win or lose does not really matter. What I want to see as a fan is to see my team compete from the start to finish against this team, given the opponents're at full strength too. It would be a joke if both or either Duncan and Ginobili are forced to sit out again in this game, just like they did in their recent loss to Phoenix. The Suns got the W, but do they really feel they won it against the Spurs? <font color="SlateGray">- San Antonio:</font> "They have a pride, they have a tradition, they have a style that's top-notch, first class, they're the New England Patriots of the NBA." George Karl's praise of the Spurs serve as constant reminders for his players who they'll play this Saturday, that their opponents are for real this time. And were they for real indeed @ Phoenix, finding ways to hang with another top NBA team minus their best two players until the very end when they lost by only six, where a blowout loss would have made more sense, even to the Spurs fans. One thing that stands out besides team play from this ballclub is its defense. They're the stingiest (86.8 ppg allowed), the hardest to shoot against (.422% FG allowed), the toughest to make passes against (16.67 apg allowed) team in the NBA. It's interesting to see how they will try to guard the inside-outside Nugget O, now that it has sharp-shooting Wesley Person in the mix (14.0 ppg and 4-of-7 3 pointers in the last 2 games). If they decide not to double team the post men, watch for Marcus Camby, who averaged 14.0 ppg, 15.7 rpg, 4.7 apg, and 4.33 bpg in his last three games and was named player of the week on 7 March. - <font color="Blue">D</font><font color="Orange">N</font>: And don't forget about K-Mart too. He played only 23 minutes in the last game vs. Portland and had only 7 pts, but had 5 steals, including one that led to a breakaway one handed flush. But I think the key to the game for us is Melo who will spot up for open jumpers or slashes to the hoops for easy buckets. But it will be no easy task since the player guarding him will be Bruce Bowen, a defensive small forward who will do whatever it takes to keep his job (defense) in this L. He kicked Wally in the face, provoked class-acts Mike Finley and Ray Allen into nearly a fight, maliciously got under an in-the-air Vince Carter that nearly injured him, and basically all small forwards in the L have tasted Bruce's nasty elbows and knees. I'm pretty sure Melo is next on his HIT list, he's just gotta be careful and play it cool and make sure not to jump high when Bruce's around because he will try to slip those legs unde him and all of a sudden... snap! Our season will be over just like that and I think one of those multi-billionaries who happens to be a Nugget fan will hire a sniper and gun down Bruce Bowen, who is eating out at Pop's Burger. <font size="4"><font color="Purple">purple</font><font color="Orange">b0n9</font>'s Prediction:</font> This will be a bold prediction but I will defy all odds just like the Lakers yesterday at Dallas that we will win this game 94-89. Long live Nuggets!
