ProdigalSun
Hall of Famer
Hopefully we've figured out how to contain Earl Boykins since the last game, or we could be in for another dogfight.
Triple feature merits encore
Nuggets host Suns in rematch of wild three-overtime game
By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News
February 15, 2006
Cue up the highlight reel.
There is Rocky, the Denver Nuggets' mascot, jokingly bringing an oxygen tank to the Phoenix Suns' bench at the start of the second overtime.
There is Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, playing in the third overtime with tissue paper stuffed in his left nostril to control the bleeding caused after he was kicked in the head.
There are players falling over at the end, in exhaustion. At least Anthony, soon after making the game-winning jumper with 2.9 seconds left, has enough left to raise his arms in triumph as he lay on the court.
It was triple overtime at the Pepsi Center on Jan. 10. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 139-137 in perhaps the most exhilarating game in the seven-year history of the building.
"It was the greatest game I've ever broadcast," said Nuggets television play-by-play man Chris Marlowe, who has been a broadcaster for 27 years, 20 doing basketball.
Now the teams get to do it again. The Suns are back in Denver tonight (7, Altitude).
Instant classic. Instant rematch.
"Hopefully, we won't let anyone down," Nuggets guard Earl Watson said of whether fans will get another thriller. "(The previous meeting) was one of the best games I've ever played in. One of the best games I've ever seen."
Watson, though, hasn't had the time to see it again.
"It's too long," he said. "It would take a week."
Watson played 47 minutes in a reserve role. Then, again, that was nothing.
Three other Denver players logged 47 minutes or more, with Anthony playing 52. The Suns used only seven players, with four registering 46 minutes or more, including Raja Bell (58) and Shawn Marion (57).
"It was really exciting," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It was a great game back and forth. It was fun to be a part of. Both teams were making shots and making unbelievable plays. We have no regrets. We just weren't good enough (to win)."
Long games haven't been kind to Phoenix this season. Only eight days earlier, the Suns had lost in triple overtime to the New York Knicks. The Suns have lost twice in double overtime.
Both teams have played legendary triple-overtime games in their history. The Suns fell in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in what many dub the greatest game ever played. The Nuggets lost 186-184 to Detroit in December 1983 in the highest-scoring game in league history.
Jan. 10 might not top either team's all-time list. Still, it was a pretty good one.
"That's probably one of the best games I've played in," Anthony said. "That's a good memory."
It looked for a while as if Anthony might not remember much. Midway through the third overtime, Anthony was inadvertently kicked by teammate Eduardo Najera after converting a layup.
Anthony's nose was bloodied. He went to the bench to get treatment, and tissue was stuffed in his left nostril.
But with 2.9 seconds left in the third overtime, Anthony made a 20-footer from the right side to give him 43 points, and the Nuggets had a 139-137 lead. Denver, playing its first triple-overtime game in 10 years, finally secured victory when Phoenix's Eddie House missed a three-pointer and Marion couldn't control the tip at the buzzer.
"A lot of people were calling me," Anthony said of friends seeing highlights of him scoring the winning basket despite having a "messed-up face."
There were other big shots, such as Phoenix's Steve Nash making a straightaway three-pointer with 21.7 seconds left in the first overtime to force a 117-117 tie. And there were big misses, such as one by Denver's Earl Boykins, who scored a career-high 33 points but watched a free throw rattle out shortly before Nash's shot, ending a streak of 42 in a row made.
The game featured 32 lead changes and 25 ties, and neither team led by more than three points after regulation. It's the NBA's second-highest-scoring game this season, eclipsed only by Phoenix's 152-149 double-overtime loss to Seattle on Jan. 22.
"It was a nail-biting game," said Francisco Elson, who was Denver's only true post player available with Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin and Nene all injured.
Now, the teams meet again. Just in case, perhaps Rocky will have extra oxygen tanks on hand.
Suns at Nuggets
• When: 7 MST tonight.
• Where: Pepsi Center.
• TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950).
• Starting lineups
Phoenix (33-17) Pos. Ht. Pts.
31 Shawn Marion F 6-7 21.2
3 Boris Diaw F 6-8 11.9
40 Kurt Thomas C 6-9 8.6
19 Raja Bell G 6-5 14.4
13 Steve Nash G 6-3 19.3
Head coach: Mike D'Antoni
Denver (28-25) Pos. Ht. Pts.
15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 25.9
6 Kenyon Martin F 6-9 14.2
23 Marcus Camby C 6-11 14.8
7 Greg Buckner G 6-4 5.7
24 Andre Miller G 6-2 14.5
Head coach: George Karl
• Injuries: Suns - F Brian Grant (knee surgery), F Amare Stoudemire (knee surgery), out. Nuggets - Camby (neck), probable; F Eduardo Najera (knee surgery), F Nene (knee surgery), F-G Bryon Russell (knee surgery), out.
• Notes: Karl expects Camby to return from a neck strain. "I'll be out there," said Camby, who sat out the final eight minutes and all of overtime Sunday at Seattle after taking a charge and banging his head into the knee of teammate Francisco Elson . . . The teams meet for the first time since Denver's 139-137 triple-overtime win Jan. 10 . . . It's the last game before the All-Star break for the Nuggets, who have won two in a row . . . Phoenix has won five of six and hasn't played since Friday . . . Former Denver forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili has scored two points since his Jan. 26 acquisition from Minnesota. "He's coming along fine, but it'll be a while," D'Antoni said of adjustments for Tskitishvili, adding that Phoenix plans to pick up his team contract option for next season.
Triple feature merits encore
Nuggets host Suns in rematch of wild three-overtime game
By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News
February 15, 2006
Cue up the highlight reel.
There is Rocky, the Denver Nuggets' mascot, jokingly bringing an oxygen tank to the Phoenix Suns' bench at the start of the second overtime.
There is Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, playing in the third overtime with tissue paper stuffed in his left nostril to control the bleeding caused after he was kicked in the head.
There are players falling over at the end, in exhaustion. At least Anthony, soon after making the game-winning jumper with 2.9 seconds left, has enough left to raise his arms in triumph as he lay on the court.
It was triple overtime at the Pepsi Center on Jan. 10. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 139-137 in perhaps the most exhilarating game in the seven-year history of the building.
"It was the greatest game I've ever broadcast," said Nuggets television play-by-play man Chris Marlowe, who has been a broadcaster for 27 years, 20 doing basketball.
Now the teams get to do it again. The Suns are back in Denver tonight (7, Altitude).
Instant classic. Instant rematch.
"Hopefully, we won't let anyone down," Nuggets guard Earl Watson said of whether fans will get another thriller. "(The previous meeting) was one of the best games I've ever played in. One of the best games I've ever seen."
Watson, though, hasn't had the time to see it again.
"It's too long," he said. "It would take a week."
Watson played 47 minutes in a reserve role. Then, again, that was nothing.
Three other Denver players logged 47 minutes or more, with Anthony playing 52. The Suns used only seven players, with four registering 46 minutes or more, including Raja Bell (58) and Shawn Marion (57).
"It was really exciting," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It was a great game back and forth. It was fun to be a part of. Both teams were making shots and making unbelievable plays. We have no regrets. We just weren't good enough (to win)."
Long games haven't been kind to Phoenix this season. Only eight days earlier, the Suns had lost in triple overtime to the New York Knicks. The Suns have lost twice in double overtime.
Both teams have played legendary triple-overtime games in their history. The Suns fell in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in what many dub the greatest game ever played. The Nuggets lost 186-184 to Detroit in December 1983 in the highest-scoring game in league history.
Jan. 10 might not top either team's all-time list. Still, it was a pretty good one.
"That's probably one of the best games I've played in," Anthony said. "That's a good memory."
It looked for a while as if Anthony might not remember much. Midway through the third overtime, Anthony was inadvertently kicked by teammate Eduardo Najera after converting a layup.
Anthony's nose was bloodied. He went to the bench to get treatment, and tissue was stuffed in his left nostril.
But with 2.9 seconds left in the third overtime, Anthony made a 20-footer from the right side to give him 43 points, and the Nuggets had a 139-137 lead. Denver, playing its first triple-overtime game in 10 years, finally secured victory when Phoenix's Eddie House missed a three-pointer and Marion couldn't control the tip at the buzzer.
"A lot of people were calling me," Anthony said of friends seeing highlights of him scoring the winning basket despite having a "messed-up face."
There were other big shots, such as Phoenix's Steve Nash making a straightaway three-pointer with 21.7 seconds left in the first overtime to force a 117-117 tie. And there were big misses, such as one by Denver's Earl Boykins, who scored a career-high 33 points but watched a free throw rattle out shortly before Nash's shot, ending a streak of 42 in a row made.
The game featured 32 lead changes and 25 ties, and neither team led by more than three points after regulation. It's the NBA's second-highest-scoring game this season, eclipsed only by Phoenix's 152-149 double-overtime loss to Seattle on Jan. 22.
"It was a nail-biting game," said Francisco Elson, who was Denver's only true post player available with Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin and Nene all injured.
Now, the teams meet again. Just in case, perhaps Rocky will have extra oxygen tanks on hand.
Suns at Nuggets
• When: 7 MST tonight.
• Where: Pepsi Center.
• TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950).
• Starting lineups
Phoenix (33-17) Pos. Ht. Pts.
31 Shawn Marion F 6-7 21.2
3 Boris Diaw F 6-8 11.9
40 Kurt Thomas C 6-9 8.6
19 Raja Bell G 6-5 14.4
13 Steve Nash G 6-3 19.3
Head coach: Mike D'Antoni
Denver (28-25) Pos. Ht. Pts.
15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 25.9
6 Kenyon Martin F 6-9 14.2
23 Marcus Camby C 6-11 14.8
7 Greg Buckner G 6-4 5.7
24 Andre Miller G 6-2 14.5
Head coach: George Karl
• Injuries: Suns - F Brian Grant (knee surgery), F Amare Stoudemire (knee surgery), out. Nuggets - Camby (neck), probable; F Eduardo Najera (knee surgery), F Nene (knee surgery), F-G Bryon Russell (knee surgery), out.
• Notes: Karl expects Camby to return from a neck strain. "I'll be out there," said Camby, who sat out the final eight minutes and all of overtime Sunday at Seattle after taking a charge and banging his head into the knee of teammate Francisco Elson . . . The teams meet for the first time since Denver's 139-137 triple-overtime win Jan. 10 . . . It's the last game before the All-Star break for the Nuggets, who have won two in a row . . . Phoenix has won five of six and hasn't played since Friday . . . Former Denver forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili has scored two points since his Jan. 26 acquisition from Minnesota. "He's coming along fine, but it'll be a while," D'Antoni said of adjustments for Tskitishvili, adding that Phoenix plans to pick up his team contract option for next season.
