2008-09 Game 56: Denver Nuggets at Milwaukee Bucks Game Thread

February 22, 2009
by Jeremy

Only one more game before the Nuggets get to return home, but they may be playing without Carmelo Anthony and Kenyon Martin.   Martin’s back is still bothering him and Melo has been trying to work through a knee bruise suffered in Philadelphia.

I bet Martin sits out and Melo plays, but that is pure guesswork on my part.

The Bucks will not feel bad for the Nuggets as they have lost Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd for the season.  The Nuggets did dodge a bullet as Luke Ridinour has returned from injury and that relegates Ramon Sessions, a far superior player to a lesser role.  Milwaukee can still put the ball in the hoop though with Charlie Villanueva and Richard Jefferson both able to score from inside and out. 

Regardless of whether or not Melo and Martin play, the Nuggets can win tonight if they get back to playing the swarming and aggressive style of defense that they used to beat Miami, Orlando and Philly.

Denver Nuggets Game Notes (lists both Melo and Martin as starters)

Previous Matchup:  Game 11 – Den 114 Mil 105

Featured Blog:  Brew Hoop

Posted on February 22, 2009 at 1:39 pm | filed in Game Preview | 38 Comments

38 Responses to “2008-09 Game 56: Denver Nuggets at Milwaukee Bucks Game Thread”

  1. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    Balkman getting the start for KMart! Woop!

    Let’s go Nuggets!

  2. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:13 pm

    Looks like Sessions is starting for Ridnour, Jeremy. Hmm…

    Interesting fact at the beginning – the Nuggets 17 road wins this season are as many as they’ve had all last year.

  3. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    Early turnovers for Denver, 2 by Nene…

  4. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:38 pm

    Fast pace. 35 points in the first quarter.

    And a god damn circus shot by Villanueva, fuck.

  5. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:42 pm

    Holy Crap! I thought this game started at 7pm tonight because I looked at Altitude and that’s when they’re replaying it.

    Anyway, I think this is a must win for the Nugs with the schedule next week.

  6. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:42 pm

    Is Melo playing tonight?

  7. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    Mermaid: Yes, KMart is not. Balkman played okay in the start.

    The story so far is that Villanueva has as many points as the rest of the Bucks COMBINED.

  8. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:50 pm

    Hastings and Marlowe are talking about even more random stuff than usual today. “Kind of like eating cheese out of a can”.

  9. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:53 pm

    What the hell is up with all the Denver turnovers in the past couple of games?

  10. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:54 pm

    CARTER, what the fuck are you doing?!!?

    Also, goddamn Chris Andersen has stone hands. He’s missed about 8 or 9 easy, easy shots under the basket this road trip.

  11. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:58 pm

    Carter is a fucking toobag!

  12. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 3:58 pm

    Good work, Carter. Way to blow a 4 on 1 fast break.

  13. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    I think we’d be better off playing with four guys on the court than playing with Carter in there.

  14. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:02 pm

    Missed free throws, turnovers, settling for jump shots, bad defense = Nuggets after the All Star break.

  15. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:09 pm

    Denver needs to enter the ball to Nene for the rest of the game. Nobody on the Bucks can stop him, and our outside shooting is just not there.

    We’re a tired team after this road trip and we need to play for easy shots and stop turning the ball over (CARTER).

  16. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    Kleiza? wtf?

  17. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:14 pm

    Turnover, turnover, turnover, turnover, turnover, turnover

  18. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:14 pm

    What the hell is up with the refs today and Friday?

  19. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:16 pm

    That ref looks like a turtle.

  20. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:20 pm

    Dahntay!!! That was AWESOME!!!

  21. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:23 pm

    Take that, Charlie.

  22. NuggetsandRockiesGirl says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:33 pm

    DAHNTAY JONES! What a pimptastic shot and loved the handshake with JR and all the clapping afterward!

  23. NuggetsandRockiesGirl says:
    February 22, 2009 at 4:43 pm

    I love Renaldo Balkman!

  24. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 5:10 pm

    Cmon Dahntay, YOU CANT SLIP SCREENS ON PERIMETER SHOOTERS!

  25. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    22 turnovers. Awful.

  26. NuggetsandRockiesGirl says:
    February 22, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    Karl please put RENALDO BALKMAN back in so we can win! Please and TVM!

  27. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 5:17 pm

    Fuck you, Carter.

  28. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    NBA needs to improve it’s ref’ing. It’s by far the worst of all the major pro sports.

  29. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 5:34 pm

    Kleiza *facepalm*

  30. UnarmingMermaid says:
    February 22, 2009 at 5:37 pm

    Nene down…Oh shit!

    I hate to be Chicken Little; however, I’m starting to sense an epic collapse by the Nugs in the next couple of weeks.

  31. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 5:38 pm

    Welp, looks like this game is pretty much done. Even if we go 5-3, I gotta say that we’ve played tough on this Road Trip. We’re just too tired as a team to really play at 100%.

  32. NuggetsandRockiesGirl says:
    February 22, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    Carl is so dumb. Had Balkman (3 steals) and Bird (4 blocks) sitting on the bench with AC and Kleiza in and in turn we lose the game and quite possibly Nene.

  33. BeefySwats says:
    February 22, 2009 at 6:24 pm

    I seriously do not understand Karl’s hardon for Kleiza. He’s a terrible defender, average at best in perimeter shooting, and cannot pass at all.

    Why would you not play Balkman, who is in all respects a more athletic, taller, and better defender than Kleiza? You don’t lose any presence on the offensive end since Balkman will hustle down the shots that aren’t made and is always cutting.

    Kleiza needs to go.

  34. Josh Hopp says:
    February 22, 2009 at 9:40 pm

    Disaster time in Denver. If we lose Nene we not only say goodbye to the division but also homecourt and possibly even a playoff birth. The overall roadtrip record is tolerable but not what you expect out of a truly great team and I am terrified about the future; i.e. without Nene and just generally based on the fact that we lose to 2 essentially poor East conference teams. Boston will eat us.

  35. BeefySwats says:
    February 23, 2009 at 12:32 am

    Dude, panicking a little bit? He crunched knees with RJ, but wait until you start predicting doom and gloom. Nene has come back from testicular cancer, a blown achilles tendon, and a popped knee. I think he’ll be fine. This home stretch will do them good.

  36. Josh Hopp says:
    February 23, 2009 at 3:49 am

    God damn I hope you are right. I’m stressing big time, honestly. Just when I get super high on my Nugs I come down big time, methamphetamine style.

  37. BeefySwats says:
    February 23, 2009 at 10:26 am

    From the Rocky Mountain News:

    “Nene, enjoying the most productive season of his career, injured his right knee when he banged into Richard Jefferson in the final minute of the Nuggets’ 120-117 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

    The initial diagnosis is a contusion, and Nene will be evaluated today by team doctor Steve Traina.

    “It is hurt a lot,” Nene said. “It’s a hard bump. It’s nothing crazy. No big thing.”

    http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/22/nuggets-fall-bucks/

    He might not play tonight, but Kenyon will definitely be back for guarding Paul Pierce or Ray Allen. At least we don’t have to worry about KG.

  38. BeefySwats says:
    February 23, 2009 at 10:28 am

    Oh and haha at this gem:

    “Balkman, who got the start in place of Martin, scored 10 points in only 17 minutes.

    “Renaldo was very good in the second half,” Karl said. “I should have had the courage to play him a little bit more.”

    GEE KARL I WONDER IF THAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL YEAR

    http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/22/nuggets-report-martin-plans-return-tonight/


Array