Nuggets-Warriors: Defenseless

With the two squads tied for the eighth seed out West, Thursday’s Nuggets-Warriors tilt was an early playoff game.

While neither team showed any inclination of advancing past the first round, the Nuggets will at least get into the playoffs because their two stars made plays and Golden State’s didn’t.

Carmelo Anthony’s scoring (12-20 FG, 1-1 3FG, 25 PTS) was a factor with most of his damage coming in the third quarter off impossible to defend step-back jumpers. His other half, Allen Iverson, likewise had an impressive game (12-21 FG, 1-2 3FG, 8-12 FT, 9 AST, 2 TO, 33 PTS), darting here, dashing there, and hitting a handful of clutch jumpers down the stretch.

Meanwhile, Stephen Jackson (5-17 FG, 2-6 3FG, 3 TO,18 PTS) and Baron Davis (9-25 FG, 1-9 3 FG, 3 TO, 20 PTS) were duds. Forget Baron’s triple-double; when Denver switched to a zone defense before the second quarter, Davis eschewed any ball movement, opting instead to force a slew of ill-conceived jumpers. Davis’ decision making was juvenile and the prime factor in Golden State’s defeat.

Indeed, after George Karl switched to a zone defense, Golden State effectively beat themselves by forcing (and missing) too many bad 3-pointers and by playing impulsive immature basketball.

Sure, Al Harrington did whatever he wanted to against Kenyon Martin, sure Monta Ellis continued his coming-out party with a stellar performance (13-26 FG, 5 AST, 5 STL, 6 TO, 29 PTS), and yes Andris Biedrins was a non-stop rebounding, shot-altering machine (19 REB, 2 BLK), but Golden State’s isolation filled, defenseless game was done in a by a more prolific scoring unit.

But hey, when you only know how to play with fire, expect to ultimately get burned.

It wasn’t as if the Nuggets were much better.

Kenyon Martin missed two layups, fumbled passes, and was badly outplayed by Al Harrington. Funny how in a pressure-packed, must-win contest, Kenyon’s childish, screaming, yelling, and self-promoting (and his game) was nowhere to be found. K-Mart is a bully and nothing more.

Marcus Camby’s defense had no positive impact on the game, whatsoever. And he’s everybody’s defensive player of the year?

The Nuggets starting five played even worse defense than their Warriors counterparts.

Denver’s second unit turned the tide in their favor. Eduardo Najera hustled, bustled, rebounded, closed-out, and hit a brace of timely jumpers. Linas Kleize as strong in the back of the Denver zone, and J.R. Smith’s big-time athleticism and unlimited range was never answered by Golden State.

It’s no coincidence that the active defense supplied by the Nugget bench coincided with Golden State putting up a modest 68 points for the final three quarters, proving that defense wins big games.

But neither Denver nor Golden State have what it takes to get anywhere near a championship.