Rapid Reaction: Denver Nuggets 112, Milwaukee Bucks 104

February 5, 2013
by Kalen
Milwaukee Bucks 104 Final

Recap | Box Score

 112 Denver Nuggets
Danilo Gallinari, SF 36 MIN | 7-14 FG | 5-7 FT | 6 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 3 TO | 22 PTS | +14

Gallo’s night was highlighted by an incredible, off-balance trick shot that was the pinnacle of the Nuggets surge in the fourth quarter; but he played well all night. This might have been the most confident I’ve seen him shoot in a while. He didn’t even think of hesitating. He also played excellent defense and had a few very impressive blocks. Gallo’s truly coming into his own right now.
Kenneth Faried, SF 30 MIN | 5-11 FG | 3-4 FT | 10 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 2 BLK | 3 TO | 13 PTS | +8

Faried played very underwhelming for most of the night, but turned it on in the fourth quarter. And by turned it on, I mean TURNED IT ON. He was all over the place, getting blocks, steals, rebounds and nasty dunks. His energy has wavered lately but as long as he comes through when the Nuggets need it, that’s all that matters. He also played great defense in the fourth quarter.
Kosta Koufos, C 17 MIN | 3-9 FG | 0-0 FT | 8 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 6 PTS | 0

Koufos was struggling most of the night. He missed really easy shots and even had trouble defending, which is something he’s usually best at. Just not a great night for Koufos all around, although it’s good to see he found way to contribute on the glass.
Ty Lawson, PG 37 MIN | 6-11 FG | 9-11 FT | 2 REB | 7 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 22 PTS | +8

Ty struggles with his assertiveness at times. You could see this game. After getting his shot blocked by Sanders he wasn’t as driven to penetrate as he had been. What I’ve noticed is that he’s starting to overcome his hesitance faster than he has in the past. Against the Bucks he recovered from a lull in the middle of the game and was all over the place in the fourth quarter. His jump shot was smooth and precise and his defense was even on par with some of the Nuggets wings.
Andre Iguodala, SG 32 MIN | 4-9 FG | 0-2 FT | 5 REB | 5 AST | 4 STL | 2 BLK | 3 TO | 8 PTS | +10

Excellent defense from Iguodala. Every time you turned around he had his arms in the dribbling vicinity of his opponent, knocking the ball loose. He did struggle a bit offensively and got caught several times trying to find one of his teammates after dribbling into the lane and stopping, instead of making a move one way or the other. But again, his defense was overwhelming this game.
Corey Brewer, SF 27 MIN | 6-13 FG | 7-9 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 20 PTS | +14

This is a patented Corey Brewer-Denver Nuggets basketball game. He’s done this so many times throughout the season and it’s helped the Nuggets win so many games in the process. How he does it is by being active — more than anybody else on the floor. He’s up and down, in and out, cutting, finding the open spots on the floor and then converting when his team needs it most. His defense was great, not only the fourth quarter, but the entire game as well.
JaVale McGee, C 18 MIN | 3-5 FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 4 BLK | 2 TO | 8 PTS | -11

I thought McGee was sound for about 17 minutes. He had a few mistakes (i.e., fouls) but otherwise, he was exactly what the Nuggets need him to be. I can’t even remember how many nice tips, deflections and rebounds he had that were savvy and helped his team recover the ball. He also played very good help defense, evident by his four blocks on the night.
Andre Miller, PG 22 MIN | 3-8 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 9 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 6 PTS | -2

Miller got a little selfish at times and took some ill-advised shots, but otherwise he was fantastic. His distribution was up there with some of the best games he’s had all year. Not only were his passes on target, but they were smart and deceptive.
Wilson Chandler, SG 21 MIN | 3-11 FG | 1-2 FT | 10 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 2 TO | 7 PTS | -1

Chandler needs to figure out how to take better shots. I think this means driving more. The Nuggets offense is predicated of driving to the lane and Chandler is usually at his best when he’s participating. He also can’t settle for jump shots. He’s just not a good jump shooter. His defense and rebounding were awesome though. As long as he keeps those up, his offense will fall into place.
George Karl

Talk about a complete shift in momentum. I was baffled most of this game. I could not believe how well the Bucks were playing and how poorly the Nuggets were defending. Above all else, I could not understand why Karl didn’t come up with a better scheme to prevent the Bucks from penetrating. I know it’s not his style, but even trying a zone defense would have at least given the Bucks something else to try and combat. Instead, Milwaukee pick-and-rolled the Nuggets to death until the fourth quarter came around and their backcourt started hoisting up jumpers. Additionally, the Nuggets were getting killed inside and not once did Karl go with a taller lineup so that one big could roam with the pick-and-roll while the other stayed home to protect the paint. Where he deserves credit is for the fourth quarter. He obviously had a great speech before the final 12 minutes and implemented an effective gameplan that relied on energetic, suffocating defense and getting out on the break.

Three Things We Saw

  1. “Buck”ets: This might have been the best an opponent has played at the Pepsi Center all year. The Bucks were incredible for most of the night. Their offense was shifty and their ball movement, crisp as morning. For whatever reason they collapsed in the fourth (see: backcourt hero ball), but otherwise, they deserved to win this game.
  2. Baby Blue Believer: I’m not reserved in any way when it comes to declaring my feelings towards this team. As I’ve said many times, I’m a full-fledged cynic. I was beyond prepared to write a “I told you so” type of recap tonight. I had backup bullet points and content for days, yet here I sit, the game complete and I’m still coming to grips with the idea that the Nuggets actually won. There are obviously still a lot of concerns I have about this team, but the way they’ve played at home this year is hard to quibble with. If they can somehow figure out how to win on the road, this team could be scary come playoff time.
  3. Besties: The Nuggets have had a few really good wins this year, but in terms of proving something, I think this might have been the most telling win of the season. They had no business winning this game but figured out a way to get it done. I don’t know, this very well could have been the best win of the year (up to this point), all things considered.
Posted on February 5, 2013 at 10:33 pm | filed in Analysis, Game Recap, Rapid Reaction | 90 Comments
  • ny nugs fan

    nice win but missed a few gimmee free throws down the stretch there

  • Ckwizard

    If this was football fans would say the coaches made Excelent second half adjustments! Stressfull but good game.

  • googergieger

    Really happy with the win, close to that fourth seed.

    “Lol @ Googergieger, find ways to give credit to him cause he was your one person to blame…. Do you have any idea what GK says to his team at half time? I don’t… Ponder this please… Maybe GK has same expectations as you but has patience and faith in his team. Gallo finished strong, Igoudala finished strong, Brewer played well, Miller was on the bench to close….. And small ball won.”

    63 points in the first half. Not the first time we just haven’t tried in the slightest in a half(or all game). He didn’t use one time out in that first half except when Faried got popped with twenty five seconds left. He let the lead balloon up to seventeen. I mean again I could go on, as I and plenty of others have before, but…

    Well CK, tell us why Karl is aces in your book? Tell us what he brings to the table? We have a very talented team, all said and done. I mean if we come out flat for the Bulls Thursday will you still say, “Karl is great. Better than literally anything else we can get”?

    I mean great second half here, but again we had an ugly win. This was a good team we were playing as well, and we still didn’t respect them! Meh. Am happy we won seven in a row. Hope we’ll come out strong against Chicago and can be successful on the road after that. Karl be crazy though…

    • Ckwizard

      Karl isn’t aces in my book first and for most… But you blame the coach for the flat start but the game is four quarters. Early in the year I was pissed because Gallo and Iggy were gassed and unable to perform in he fourth quarter after playing 40 mins. Now GK is playing them almost 6 minutes less per game and Gallo has his legs and is closing well. Kosta and Faried were horrible in the first half not to mention turnovers were stupidly bad. Adjutments GK is playing the right players to close the games finally. Do you read the interviews GK constantly has asked Ty to be aggressive and lead this team… Ty wasn’t in the first quarter is that GKs fault or on Ty. Coaching and practice coupled with Excelent on ball defenders contributed to to comeback. Guess what the bucks awesome gaurds didn’t dominate the Nuggets last year Gaurds like these had crazy games against us at least These Nuggets make the other players not best players try and beat them. GK was obviously unhappy with the way the team played…. Observe C Brew who GK leans on when the team stinks…. Because GK expects effort J-Ham rides the pine while C Brew gets his minutes. Your biggest gripe is the effort of the team, Miller, Brewer and Chandler brought effort all game The starter waited till the second half. This one is on the players!

      • googergieger

        Actually Iguodala and Gallo were there defensively from the start. Again Gallo scored seven points in a row and got the ball just one more time in that half. I don’t know McGee was pretty great actually, but yeah sit him. Anywhoots, this is starting to become the norm, which isn’t a good sign. Either Karl isn’t getting to these guys, or what he is putting out there isn’t working. I mean any idea why he hangs on to his time outs like he does? Any idea why he lets 6-0 runs become 10-0 runs? Etc?

        Don’t know, team is winning so maybe that is all that matters? 63 points in a half though. Fuck me, is that turrible.

      • Ckwizard

        Durring Ty’s post game interview he was asked about half time and what GK said… “Coach was Pissed , we weren’t doing anything we worked on in practice especially on pick and roll defense.”

        Then the second half happened… I am not a GK fan but what I say is this teams ceiling is what ever Ty’s ceiling is. It was Ty Lawson’s fault and if the Nuggets win the championship this year it will be Ty Lawson’s fault. The talent on this team is only utilized if Ty plays well… GK impact on the start of these games is minuscule compared to Ty Lawson’s impact or lack there of.

        • Ckwizard

          I don’t like GK and his passiveness when the nuggets are playing against another Starless team… GK does get animated when the nuggets play against teams with players that get all star calls… I wish he was more consistent with how he reacts. But the one thing is he expects his leaders on the court to step up and overcome their issues. We agree on most things Gallo awesome, Iggy positive for team but GK is probably a worse coach than I think , and probably a better coach then you think.

          • googergieger

            Very well then. Guess an agree to disagree is for the best. I think Ty is important for this team, but not as important as Karl and others make him out to be. I think he is one of the players this team needs to play great. Honestly as long as Ty, Gallo, or Iggy, one of those two show up big, we tend to be good. I think they need to start drawing up more plays for Gallo and Ty though, and wish they’d show tapes of Hedo and Dwight running the pick and roll to Gallo and Javale. That’d get us so many easy points.

            • nugswin

              “. . . and wish they’d show tapes of Hedo and Dwight running the pick and roll to Gallo and Javale. That’d get us so many easy points.”

              But that’s an actual planned play, we cant do that!!

              Ckwizard is probably right, Karl is better than we think he is but not as good as he (et. al) thinks. But his no time-outs and no set plays can be infuriating, especially as it sure feels like we lose the after a time-out battle consistently.

        • Avarice

          I don’t like the idea that this team will only go so far as Ty takes them. If this is true, then all it would take is one team in the playoffs with dominant point guards to undo the Nuggets championship hopes. Thunder, San Antonio, Clippers, Bulls all have elite point guards that can also play good defense. This or an injured Ty and the Nuggets lose. I like Ty, but the Nuggets need to be able to win in more ways that slashing inside and dishing it out. I’m worried about how one dimensional the team seems.

          -For a team that plays aggressive and tries to get to the line a lot the Nuggets sure are a poor free throw team.
          -We play too many small ball lineups. Supposedly, they are statistically our strongest lineups but it seems like such a waste when we have so much size on our team.
          -The defense needs to improve against the 3 pointer.
          -Our own 3 point shooting kinda sucks most nights. If we had a defensive player that could also hit the 3 lights out, that would be ideal.
          -I don’t like GK’s clock management, game matchups, and lack of as many called plays.

          Many problems but hopefully Denver can overcome some of them in time for the playoffs. I still don’t like Denver’s odds against San Antonio or OKC in the playoffs, but if they get hot anything can happen. Odds in Vegas have the Nuggets as 50-1 to win it all. I jumped at the chance to place a bet because I think as the 3rd or 4th best team in the West they have much better odds of winning than that.

          Go Nuggs!

          • Ckwizard

            Ty doesn’t have to be better than the elite point gaurds for the Nuggets to win, Ty just needs to be not bad. I really like Googergieger’s suggestions that Gallo needs to be involved in pick and roll with McGee as that would change and improve the Nuggets half court offense adding some much needed versatility. The thing is that if any of those elite teams lose their point gaurd to injury or they get shut down by IGOUDALA then the Nuggets can probably beat them with average Ty. Nuggets are only one dimensional in the “Half Court Offensive Game” but the Nuggets win with defense and transition basketball so they can win in multiple ways and because of their style can beat any team in the league.

            As for Ty he can be as good as any point gaurd out there and he is the right point gaurd for this Nuggets team. If Ty can perform like he did against the Lakers in last years playoffs (Good Ty) and not stumble against the Thunder the Nuggets could be in the finals this year as a team they are that good.

            • mike

              Currently, This team’s title hopes rest on the top 4 teams (MIA, OKC, LAC, and SAS) not being healthy in the playoffs. Ty is a nice player. Iguodala is a nice player. Faried is a nice player. Gallo is a nice player. This team has no legit all-stars. If they had someone like Dwight Howard or Maybe even a healthy Pau I could see you making a case as the guys they have would “play up” with a post big that could draw attention and make up for defensive lapses. But alas they have a few decent bigs who have major flaws (Mcgee consistently makes silly mistakes that cost points on both offense and defense, Kosta is a great backup, but is average almost across the board with below average shooting and athleticism). This team is only one significant upgrade from being a title contender, but clearly is not as currently constituted.

              I would put up serious money on 2:1 odds of them not even making it to a game 7 against a healthy version of the Spurs, OKC, and LAC (assuming top 3 players on each team are healthy). And that takes into account that I think the nugs have the best home court advantage in the league…

              • John

                Two things should be pointed out here…

                First, you mention Kosta’s shot/shooting as being poor… how then does his FG% rank in the top 4 in the NBA? (he is excluded because this category has an arbitrary 10 pt/gm min… which is odd since no other shooting category does)

                Second, and this is not a critique just an observation. This Nugget team, and everyone rely and/or put too much emphasis on the altitude giving a home court advantage…which is dangerous.

                This advantage while real enough, does not exist in the Playoffs. Every study I’ve ever seen seems to agree that bodies acclimate to changes in altitude in 2 days or less.

                Please correct me if I’m wrong, but there are no back to backs in the Playoffs, right? Additionally with the very structure of the staggered home/away games, the advantage is lost.

                That is all…

    • Charliemyboy

      Karl obviously said the right thing, used the right personnel, cultivated the right attitude to apply at the right time. I have seen this for several games and credit the leader: Karl. If otherwise, same call.

  • ryanvdonk

    good comeback, ty and gallo led the way, manimal and brew brought the energy, and AI really set the tone on defense. miller looked absolutely putrid out there, haven’t seen him play that slow in a while. mcgee looked alright in his first game back, he truely looks happy playing with the nuggets. got the win, but the nuggets really should avoid these terrible starts, no reason that the bucks at home should take this much effort.

  • Ryan

    I still don’t know what happened… Sam Dalembert dropped 35 and 12 on us???

    • Aurress20

      GM Ryan, maybe we shud trade for Dalembert.

    • dynamo.joe

      Dalembert has always been pretty good, ranging from above average to not-quite-an-allstar level. He is pretty foul prone which limits his overall production. Last night he didn’t pick up any fouls til the 2nd half, I think.

      Clearly he was having a career night, but it shouldn’t be as big a surprise as people are making it out.

      • Ryan

        According to Elias, no player has ever had that many points and rebounds in that few minutes (27) in NBA history. So if you weren’t surprised by that, then I don’t know what to say…

        • Ryan

          The actual quote on ESPN: “From Elias: Samuel Dalembert: 35 points, 12 rebounds in 27 minutes. He’s the first player in the shot-clock era to have that many points and that many rebounds in that few minutes.”

    • John

      What happened is that GK went small for the majority of the game, allowing Sammie to go off… However, notice that no other Bucks player had more than 12… that is pretty impressive. Letting Dalembert have a career night is better than Jennings or Ellis getting one. Career nights for those guys would be 49 and 56 respectively.

  • Paul

    Not so sure we shouldn’t have put Mozzy in to try and stop Dalembart. We sure made him look like an all-star tonight

    • Andrew

      That’s what I was thinking the whole time. I still don;t understand why Karl refused to use Mozzy on Dalembert. Maybe he was hurt, or they did not want him to get hurt because of possible trade…

    • Trip

      Agreed, Mozzy should have played, we all know Koufas was terrible tonight, I think the C- grade was way too generous. He missed way too many close range shots, and I think about half his rebounds came from his own shots which he should have dunked in the first place. And what was up with his running hook shot that he tried taking about a step inside the free throw line? And his defense was awful.

      But I think Mozzy has proven he does well with the Pick and Roll defense, and also for some reason can slow down the bigs that our others cant.

  • Ban Johnson

    Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis are giving me serious Allen Iverson flashbacks. Thank God they’re not on the Nuggets. Ty Lawson is Chris Paul compared to those guys.

    What an incredibly frustrating game up until the awesome final surge. The basketball Gods punish the Nuggets on the road and then make up for it in the Pepsi Center — just one of those things.

    Corey Brewer was the MVP tonight. 20 points in 27 minutes. 2 big steals. Energy exactly when the Nuggets needed it, all night.

    It makes very little obvious sense that the Nuggets won by going small, when they were getting killed inside…but I think the small lineup just stuffed the Bucks’ penetration. Iguodala, Brewer, Chandler all out there at the same time is a pretty terrifying amount of long quickness.

    I actually wish GK had come back with Koufos in the 2nd quarter when Dalembert was going nuts. Sometimes McGee is just a sieve and you have to sit him down. The weird thing is, Karl seems more likely to sit McGee when he’s playing well. It’s almost passive aggressive sometimes the way he doles out his playing time.

    Chandler looks 100% out there. Very active game, even though he couldn’t hit his shots.

  • Steven

    Will someone write an article about how awesome the Nuggets have been able to close out fourth quarters? I seems like 15 of they’re last twenty (or since they’ve been consistently winning) They’ve outscored their opponents by a lot in the fourth quarters. From an uneducated fans perspective this is a great sign. Go Nuggs!

  • Aaron

    I just saw GIANLUCA running naked down Larimer St.

    • Andrew

      Ha Ha! Was he screaming “GalliNARIIIIIII!!!”?

    • Nuggetron

      And his hair was perfect…

      • Stephen

        laugh

    • mitchell james

      this could be the best comment ive seen in three years on here hahaha

    • GIANLUCA

      yes … i in October 2012 tell :

      GALLO THE BEST NUGGETS …

      and the people on this truehoop :
      NOOOO

      Iggy > Gallo … Ty TO > Gallo …
      W.Chandler > GALLO

      • AaronCAPS

        Gallo probably is the Nuggets best player (Right Now) but hes NOT a billion times better then Lawson, Iggy, & Chandler.

  • Cephus

    Doing it with mirrors and smoke from Brewer generated steals. Lawson & Gallinari were en fuego too, as well. The only question left in mind is the core rotation trying to age Karl in dog years with these glacial starts & furious finishes ? Well they got the W & scored enough to garner free tacos for us fans. That’s the belly ( swelling ) line.

  • Josh

    I only watched the fourth quarter and it seemed like the refs really gave Denver an advantage. Faried’s foul was a charge in my opinion and Gallo’s over-the-back rebound/ putback should not have been awarded free throws. And I didn’t like the way Corey Brewer played–a bit selfish not passing to Iggy or Faried on that fastbreak and thought he should have passed the ball to Lawson instead of holding it for the intentional foul shots. But great game, I am probably too critical here. Great win and now we’re in 5th. Lets hope Memphis loses to ATL tomorrow

    • Ban Johnson

      When you have a clear path to the basket, you have to take it yourself. Passing just increases the chance of a mistake.

    • CJP32

      Dude, Corey Brewer had every right to run the court and jam it – he worked his butt off in the 4th with 7 pts, 3 rebs, 1 ast and 2 stls. He deserves the game ball. That dunk was the turning point, tied the game, crowd went wild, and also triggered a 12-4 game ending run.

      This team is on a mission, I truly feel that the 3rd seed is within reach.

    • heykyleinsf

      Josh…
      we’ve won a season high 7 straight
      and we’ve just tied the biggest
      come from behind deficit in franchise history.

      IF there is a time to relax and celebrate..
      now is good.
      Go ahead.

      And you are being ridiculous about C-Brew.

    • heykyleinsf

      and the refs gave DENVER THE ADVANTAGE???

      I am sorry but………
      WHAT????????

      you sure you had the right game on?????

    • SmokinNugs

      Pretty easy blocking foul call. Both of Larry’s feet were in the air so it can’t be a charge.

  • heykyleinsf

    IGGY SUCKS.

    Ok he doesn’t suck.. but I would have pulled him.
    THree straight plays..
    shoots an airball
    gets embarrassed on defense
    dribbles off his foot.

    The steal was really a gift.

    He does hustle.. it does count..
    but COME ON..

    Just like Affalo last year..
    everyone gives him a pass..

    oh yeah.. missed those two free throws that
    sent them spiralling in the first place in to
    that halftime deficit.

    I just don’t see Iggy being a special player at all

    I’m all for Corey Brewer instead.

    BREWER WAS THE MAN THAT SPARKED THE COMEBACK!!!

    And what more can you say about Tyson and the Italian Stallion?

    • SmokinNugs

      It’s a group effort. Iggy’s steal was part of a string of steals during the defensive stand that won the game. We don’t need O from Iggy, we only need D.

    • John

      Who the hell is Tyson??? Are you trying to make a Hollywood couple out of his name or did you just assume “Ty” stood for Tyson instead of Tywon. Tywon Ronell “Ty” Lawson.

    • Fuzzball

      If you think iggy sucks you have serious issues. When he came into the game I believe we were Down a decent amount and the bucks had 96. Everyone else including your man crush brewer were already in the game. Fans who constantly bash on players that play great defense, facilitate well, and get rebounds need to start liking just the flashy plays in basketball and enjoy the defense and dirty work. Everyone loves brewer cause of his hustle, yet if you notice, he gets his steal maybe once or twice a game, and leaves his open man each other time. But yet I realize what he brings to the table for our team so I don’t complain. If you have a problem with anyone in the game try Wilson chandler giving up rebounds and shooting bricks, andre miller for his NO EFFORT defense, or KK for being scared to go up with the ball or hard to the rim and therefore missing easy shots. Honestly though each player has bad things, but if you’d like to be informed of how off base you are on iguodala, than read the article posted maybe a week or so ago on this site. Just because he isn’t a scorer doesn’t make him a perfect fit for the team.

      • Fuzzball

        *not just the flashy plays

  • ENK

    keep brewer in denver. that is all.

  • heykyleinsf

    here’s another look at that crazy shot by the ITALIAN STALLION!!!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvlvstlLlMw

    • Andrew

      That was awesome. Does anyone have a link to the Andre Miller walk off three the other night against the Hornets. Nuggs were up and he hit a three with 5-7 seconds still on the clock and just walked off the court. sounds pretty funny but I could not find it.

      • Aurress20

        Andre threw it at the rim like he was throwing an oop too! Seemed like he was trying to miss; doink it off the rim so time expired while it was in the air off the rebound… just so happened to go in! It was funny. A true old man Miller moment. It was great.

  • Aurress20

    I’m on the road in Atlanta. Left the bar because I couldn’t believe we were losing to Jennings & Ellis… got back to my hotel room & we won. I’m amazed. Way to take the W!

  • Mark from Charlotte

    Good win for the Nuggets tonight. I would like to see JHam play.

  • SmokinNugs

    Liked what we got from Gallo and Brewer again. Ty looks SO MUCH better on the floor without Andre in the final couple of minutes. He’s starting to put it together. Would love to see Stone or JHam, both could be great/intriguing additions with some development. Seems doubtful they’ll get it in Denver though.

  • John

    my nigga gallo doin work

  • Jeff

    Saying Wilson Chandler is not a good jump shooter, I gotta disagree with that. The bad shots he takes really aren’t that bad because he’s usually open and his teammates aren’t doing much to get a good look. I’d say he’s not a great playmaker. But he’s a pretty good shooter.

    • Dubz

      He just has to get his legs back under him. He’ll get his shooting percentage in the mid 40′s in very short order. I’d imagine you really lose strength in your legs and your hips with the surgery he had. He looks very active though which is a very telling sign that he feels good mentally. First time I can feel confident in saying so since he joined the Nuggets.

      • Aurress20

        I had the same surgery May15. When I run/jog now I feel like I’m pulling along dead weight in that leg. I was amazed when Ill Wil tried to come back earlier at season’s start. It may take him some time to get his hops back. The lateral movement for defense is the toughest. Surprised hes as good as he is now on D.

        • Jeff

          I think he’s good on D right now because of his instincts, hands, and getting in lanes, not so much athleticism. However, he did have that sweet block on one of the Bucks and a big rebound so it looks like he does have some athleticism back. Props to Karl for integrating him into the lineup slowly but surely. I like our D when he comes in for Faried.

  • Josh M

    It gives me a woody when we play lock down D and clog the passing lanes… great fourth quarter and awesome lineup with Ty,Iggy,Brewer,Gallo,Faried…. DEFENSE, DEFENSE… DEFENSE!!!!

  • Theo

    Roller coaster time but gritty and key win.

    Combined two of our frustrating early season patterns–letting point guards into the paint at will along with poor interior D–along with our more recent downward indicator of not showing up until the second half. Won in spite of all 3 established trends.

    Took the Bucks out from the perimeter, played disruptive D in the second half with Iggy and Brewer breaking up the Buck’s rhythms and got lots of aggressive full court attack mode late.

    GS in the rear view mirror. Memphis hanging on by percentage points. Maybe Memphis will get better after the trade. Maybe Bogut will make all the difference.

    Maybe. Maybe not.

  • heykyleinsf

    Kalen come on…

    Brewer earned it.

    A+

  • heykyleinsf

    Seeing Houston plant 140 on GS, plus beating Utah by 40 in their house.. makes me feel good about this team.

    We beat their ass.

  • AaronCAPS

    Should we look yet!?!? Were almost a top 4 team in the Western Conference!

  • Dan

    Tonight’s game made me a believer, we don’t need anymore pieces, we just need to ride these young guys to their full potential.

    Might wanna look at trading Mozzy though, no playing time plus an expiring contract means we should look to get some value from him, even if its just picks.

  • Greco21

    GALLO had an MJ shot at the end.

    When did Dalembert score 40 point? Who is accountable? Was it just bad team defense or was there an individual who has sleep walking on the defensive end?

    I guess if Dalembert did not go off it would be a +30 for the Nuggz.

    On the other hand it is a blessing to see guys stepping up at different part of the game and carrying the team. There are times where everybody commits to defense and that produces large.

    Kosta Koufos is playing like a D-leaguer the past 4 games. His hands have gone stiff catching the ball, and the way he tries to finish is like kindergarden. He should try to dunk the ball and earn a foul the first place and he should learn how to alter the shot of a penetrating guard. Going two hands up is not working. Actually it generates “and one” plays. Him and Farried allowed too many EASY points in the paint.

    Well he made the first step in his carreer to be a starter. With his performance the last few games he is taking a step back. I hope he picks the slack soon because he will find himself deep in the bench during Play-offs.

    Wilson Chandler… I do not know what he brings to the team but to my extend he is not a great contributor. Small playing the PF, does not give long range with his ugly shot. Better at boxing out and dribble penetration. Floor spacing is a plus but i really do not see a real benefit.

    Brewer on the other hand fully exploits the Denver game plan.

    Denver has to work more and more on half court offense.

    • Charliemyboy

      The trade off to stopping the guards was Dalenbart. After forcing their guard to the wrong side in the second half, the strategy worked. Their guards ran out of gas. We were still fresh due to depth.

  • Tonia01

    The most important element of this victory is that I can remember important plays in the 4th quarters from many nuggets players, CB, Iggy, Gallo, Ty, Faried…. This shows how impressive was the team effort in Nuggets come back.

  • dynamo.joe

    So, what is the deal with Gallo and Dunleavy? Is there bad blood there?

    That 1st elbow to the face by Gallo I thought could easily have been a flagrant 1. It looked, to me, as if Gallo was already past Dunleavy and then thought “ah, what the hell, a lil chin music”.

    Then he lead with his knee when he was driving into the lane with Dunleavy trying to take a charge. Probably wouldn’t have noticed without the previous elbow.

    Then they crazy shot at the end where he clearly said “I want the contact”.

    Except for that 1st elbow I would say it came in the flow of the game, but it definitely looked like Gallo has a beef with Dunleavy.

    • Aurress20

      Dukies are known to be hard nosed defenders. Maybe the coaches warned Gallo so he made sure there was legit contact on each drive or shot so the charge couldn’t be called.

      I dunno. I missed the game due to travel. Its sitting on the dvr back home.

    • Ryan

      I think Dunleavy just has a face that you’d want to smack with an elbow…

      • dynamo.joe

        This I agree with. I like Dunleavy and wish we would trade for him, but I would also like to punch him in the face.

        • Aurress20

          He’s a Dukey.of course he shud get punched in the nose: magette, boozer, dunleavy…. singler might actually beat Dunleavy in my book.

  • GIANLUCA

    GALLO = the only nUGGETS good in %3point and in free t. …

    GALLO IS THE NUGGETS !

  • http://yahoo.com prospector

    Chandler cannot shoot… He never ever looks to pass… He plays decent defense, and rebounds… But his production is not worth his salary……. Dump MOZZY, CHANDER, AND MILLER… Free up minutes for JHAM, EVAN, and STONE….. Trade for picks and a 3 point shooter…..

    The player formally known as JHAM still in Siberia watching Different Strokes reruns……

    • magster

      He’s a good free throw shooter. I’d be loathe to dump anyone who can shoot a FT at this point of the season.

  • Giovanni

    What a game!!!!!
    Go NUGS

  • Giovanni

    Gianluca stop with bullshit..
    Please after a great game(in Italy now is ended)again to complain the world..
    Gallo has a great game and so the Nuggets..
    It’s boring read Gallo is the best Gallo is the Nuggets please…

    • Stephen

      *hat tip*

  • http://yahoo.com prospector

    http://wagesofwins.com/2013/02/05/karl-watch-february-5th-versus-the-milwaukee-bucks/

    Morning breakfast read… Good analysis describing our rotations.

    ENJOY

    • John

      This dude is even more negative than you are Prospector… just a thought… maybe George Karl might know slightly more about basketball (and running a team) than a n3rd whose only contact with a basketball was in Big 5…

      We all may not enjoy small ball, but there is no arguing with 1100 wins… I wonder how many wins Andres Alvarez has… outside of NBA2K13 of course.

  • Mitch

    And let’s not forget to thank GK for no Andre Miller at the end of the game. He’s a good PG but is way too slow and cheats too much to play effective defense.

    I loved seeing small ball with Ty, Iggy, Changler, Gallo and Faried. It may have turned out differently if Sanders hadn’t gotten hurt but it didn’t look like their backcourt was interested in passing anyway.

    • Mitch

      Oops, make that was Brewer not Chandler.

      • Ryan

        Haha, I like “Changler”, what a cool name

        • John

          Combine the two and get Brandler… Oooooh and Chewer.

  • magster

    Brewer is making himself indispensable. I love it when he brings “spaz-ball” to the floor. It was totally what was needed to disrupt the Bucks mojo last night.

  • hobbs

    It was nice to see us come back and pull this one out. These are the kinds of games we have often lost in previous seasons.

  • Z

    yes finally front office trade chandler!!! FREE ILL WILL brewer is great (until the next off game)

  • Z

    play JHam he’s the future him Brewer and Gallo.

  • park hill

    I remember when me and few others were yelling keep C-brew whatever you do.

    We can drop the Ty aggressive issues. He’s learning to be a true pg. I’m not saying he doesn’t lapse when we need him. But he finishes games and is still learning the art of scoring when needed. Remember who taught him, and look who he plays with now. How else would he be?

    Sam D got off cuz the focus was on the Iverson like guards for the Bucks. I agree with someone who said it, Ty is a better pg than those cats–right now.

    GK is doing better than expected at rotating the line up. I still don’t get no effort is made to get AR and JHAM comfy. I’m thinking Phil Jackson, Doc and Pops (and only these coaches come to mind, maybe Riley and Auerbach) would get these guys in for at least 3 mins every night. I see it as a must to be as deep as possible and fully loaded as possible when its time to sit OKC or SA on their ass.

    • John

      Um… I don’t remember any of these coaches being “committed” to playing deep in the bench. Karl is already playing rotation that is 9 deep, and people constantly complain about too few minutes for Faried and McGee. I think the only way this happens if we start blowing everyone out every night.

      I can’t speak about Auerbach though, but I did get to meet him (and smoke a cigar) with him (and Rick Neuheisel) in the Hyatt Hotel in SD when the Buffs played in the ’95 Fiesta Bowl.


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