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Coming off a win against the Philadelphia Sixers, the Denver Nuggets hoped to continue their summer success. They did more than that, squashing the Raptors by a 90-79 margin to bring their NBA Summer League record to 2-0...

NBA Summer League: Nuggets Demolish Raptors

by Sean Stancill (Senior Writer)

10

1,154 reads

Opinion

July 14, 2008


Coming off a win against the Philadelphia Sixers, the Denver Nuggets hoped to continue their summer success.

They did more than that, squashing the Raptors by a 90-79 margin to bring their NBA Summer League record to 2-0. 

Point guard Taurean Green posted a game-high 17 points with four assists, and Dahntay Jones added 16 points and three rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting.

Center Elton Brown continued his outstanding play, finishing with another double-double: 11 points and 10 boards, while fellow rookie Sonny Weems followed up a strong 17-point performance Saturday with only two points on 1-of-7 shooting.

Joey Graham led the Raptors with 16 points, while John Lucas, Hassan Adams, and Sean Banks scored 11 apiece.

The game began with the Nuggets jumping out to an 11-2 lead, spearheaded by three-pointers from Green, Bobby Jones, and Mike Hall.

Jones scored eight of his 10 points in the first quarter, and Denver built on the lead, making it 28-14 at the end of the frame.

In the second quarter, the Nuggets defense of old reared its ugly head, Toronto outscoring Denver, 19-11, in the second to cut it to 39-34 going into halftime.

As the third quarter started, so did the increase of the Toronto Raptors' will to win.

Toronto went on a 6-2 run early in the quarter, limiting the deficit to 42-40, Denver. Bobby Jones scored seven straight points to push the lead back out of reach, though, at 55-46. The Raptors responded with a 12-6 run, capped off by a Lucas-Banks alley-oop, once again cutting it to a one-possession game, 61-58 with 1:25 remaining.

Meanwhile, Green managed to keep Denver afloat, posting 14 points alone in the period, and the Nuggets graciously took a four-point lead into the final section, 67-63.

The fourth quarter proved to be the game-deciding span.

The Raptors, however did tie the game at 67 with 8:43 remaining, after a pair of Sean Banks free throws. But that was the best position they had the rest of the way.

From that point on, The Nuggs outscored the Raps, 23-12, to seal the game, and activated their inner Spurs, holding the opposition without a field goal for a total of 6:08. From 9:44 to 5:44 and 5:44 to 2:52.

My analysis:

Taurean Green must have caught wind of my criticism as he delivered tonight.

If Green contiues to play the way he did against the Raptors, it will be tough to deny him the starting point guard job.

Dahntay Jones continued his good play, scoring over the 15-point plateau yet again, and is certainly almost pressing for a spot on the team for the 2008-09 season.

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10 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Gary Lloyd 11 months ago

    Taurean Green the team's starter during the actual season? S-U-M-M-E-R L-E-A-G-U-E.

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    • Sean Stancill 11 months ago

      Really?

      So you actually believe Anthony Carter will remain the team's starter this season. If you do, you have to be fooling your self.

      Former Tennessee star, Chris Lofton who is also on the Summer League may emerge as the team's starter.

      An article about the possibility of Lofton taking the job will be coming shortly.

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    • Rich Smithers 11 months ago

      Chris Lofton is not a point guard. Nowhere near one. Never has been one. He'd make an awful point guard on any level. Have you ever watched him play basketball?

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  2. AL B 11 months ago

    I agree with Sean.

    The Nuggets gotta make some bold moves and develop a younger more explosive team.....and get better defensively.

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  3. Gary Lloyd 11 months ago

    If an article emerges about Chris Lofton being an NBA starting point guard and it comes true, I will delete my account.

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  4. c s 11 months ago

    yeah the really "demolished" them by only 11points....lol

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  5. c s 11 months ago

    they*

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  6. WILL THE BOSS WILL THEBOSS 11 months ago

    LOFTON IS THE GOD OF THE 3 DON'T HATE GO VOLS

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  7. Tim Pollock 11 months ago

    Lofton will not make an NBA team this year.

    Green will see very limited minutes and rack up several DNP-CDs.

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  8. j haus 11 months ago

    i didnt realize 11 points constituted demolishing a team. you gotta love fan writers. you might want to look up the term "credibility".

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