Nuggets Annihilate Hornets 121-63: Biggest Blowout In Playoff History

Game Four of the first round battle between the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Hornets turned out to be a best-case scenario for Denver, as they absolutely destroyed their opponents by 58 points.

Game Four began much as Game Three did, with the Nuggets jumping to a large early lead, up 36-15 after the first quarter, during which Denver shot 70 percent.

The game was a physical encounter, just as the previous three contests had been, but the Nuggets kept their composure and found themselves in a powerful position, up 61-39 at half.

The third quarter was the most telling of the game, as the Hornets could have come out, competed, and brought the game back to a competitive level. Instead, New Orleans all but quit as they scored just 11 in the quarter and 24 in the second half.

The Nuggets simply outplayed the Hornets—offensively, defensively, and with their intangibles, obliterating the Hornets in the end.

The win was so huge that Denver's starters were able to rest for almost the entire fourth quarter—huge if the Nuggets want to continue these amazing winning ways.

On offense, 'Melo scored a game-high 26 points and was followed by Chauncey Billups with 17 points, as Denver shot 56.6 percent from the field.

In all, seven Nuggets players scored double digits, key evidence that team chemistry was clicking, and passing is paramount. Denver finished with 29 assists, and were much improved from the free throw line in Game Four, shooting 83.3 percent.

On defense, Denver's intensity led the way as they were the aggressors early and often. Dahntay Jones, in a repeat from Game Two, completely got into Chris Paul's head and shut the young superstar down. Paul ended with a measly four points, and six assists to match his six turnovers.

To be fair though, no one in a white and teal jersey could score on Denver's D Monday night; David West was the Hornets high-scorer with just 14 points.

Also, the Nuggets forced the Hornets into shooting a horrific 31.5 percent from the floor, trapping CP3 and New Orleans into a shameful 27 turnovers. Birdman and Co. even had six blocks, compared to New Orleans' one.

In the post game interview, Carmelo Anthony told reporters: "We just wanted to be agressive... We took their crowd out of the game from the beginning...[it was] a big win on the road."

A great sign for Denver was that they did not lose energy when going to the bench. The backups, including Anthony Carter, Chris Andersen, and J.R. Smith all played extremely well. The second team had great passing, defense, and even scored the ball well.

Kleiza was the bench's leading scorer at 14 points, Birdman Andersen added eight rebounds, while Smith contributed four assists.

The win takes the Nuggets to a supreme 3-1 lead over the Hornets, with Denver looking to finish off the series at home Wednesday.

Look for Denver to capitalize on this massive win, and carry the momentum back home to the Mile High city, as 'Melo said: "We gotta close this one out at home."

The Nuggets will take their first playoff series victory in a decade and a half, and will finally show the national media they are a team to be reckoned with in 2009.

In The Bonus 

The Nuggets 58 point win tied the NBA playoffs largest margin of victory, set way back in 1956. On top of that, the Hornets' 24 points in the second half was the third lowest output of a playoff team in NBA history.

New Orleans had only three players score in double figures, the same amount Denver had from their bench alone. The Nuggets shot an efficient 50 percent from the three point line, while the Hornets shot a paltry 13.3 percent.

Carmelo's 26 points on Monday night took his streak to eight road playoff games in a row with 20+ points.