Suns embarrassed by Denver Nuggets
One night after gettting abused by the Detroit Pistons, the Suns went into Denver attempting to recoup some of the excitement generated from their 2OT victory of the Mavs on Wednesday. What started out as a great idea ended up completely opposite - the Nuggets embarrassed the Suns 131-107.
Led by Allen Iverson's 44 pts and 15 assists, the Nuggets outplayed the Suns in the first 3 quarters so badly that the Suns starters were rested late in the game; no Suns starter played more than 33 minutes. Denver's hussle is evident in the stats: 47-38 rebound advantage and 35-26 assist advantage. Leading by as many as 38 pts, Denver entered halftime with a 70-44 lead. (Get an Iverson Nuggets' jersey)
Carmelo Anthony dunks against Phoenix on 3-17-07 in 131-107 victory
Leandro Barbosa led the Suns w/ 25 pts, but no other player on the team was able to contribute close to that w/ Nash coming in next at 15 pts. Six players scored in double figures, but when Denver shoots 57% from the field (44% for PHX), it's almost impossible to win. Steve Nash only had 2 assists in the first half; his second straight game w/ 2 or fewer assists in a half. (Get an official Nash jersey)
Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni explains the great game by Denver:
"They made every shot in the world," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They are hard to handle when Anthony and Iverson are coming at you like that. They are hard to handle on any night.”
“They played great," D'Antoni said. "We're in a little bit of a funk right now. Discombobulated. We have the regroup a little bit."
Denver won its 4th straight game, but faces a tough task ahead w/ 8 of 9 games on the road.
"When you're in a zone, it doesn't matter if guys are on you or anything," Iverson said. "It just feels good. It just feels like throwing rocks in an ocean."
"That's another confidence booster for us," Carmelo Anthony said. "To beat a team like that. You know one of the top teams, if not the top team. To beat a team like that is really a great deal for us. So we can take that momentum from this game and from the previous three games and take it on the road with us."
Phoenix will look to rebound from this weekend's emotional collapse against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. Get ready for the game w/ your Suns fan gear or Timberwolves fan gear.