Marcus Camby's Prayer, LA Clippers Fall Short As Denver Nuggets Prevail, 106-105

Hollywood couldn't have scripted a better ending.

Marcus Camby's new team, the Los Angeles Clippers, were facing his old team, the Denver Nuggets, in Camby's first matchup against Denver since their angry breakup over the summer.

Camby was upset at the Nuggets organization, calling them a classless bunch for basically sending him out west for a bag of basketballs, and he had this date circled on his calendar for months just waiting for his chance to sock it to the Nuggets' front office.

Oh, he got his chance, all right.

With Denver leading 106-105 with five seconds left in the game, the Clippers came down the court looking to snatch this game from the Nuggets' grasp.  Guard Baron Davis dribbled down the left side of the court and was immediately met with a double team determined to not let the Clippers' superstar take the final shot.

Davis dumped it to a wide open Camby, who stood behind the arc at the top of the key as the clock ticked down to three seconds.  With no other choice left, Camby, a career 18 percent shooter from three point range, flung a rainbow towards the rim as everyone on the Denver bench held their breath.

It was in.  Of course it was.  Camby would prove that the Nuggets made a mistake by tossing him out the door and he would head home with the smug satisfaction of a job well done.

This was the end of every sports movie ever made.  The star with a chip on his shoulder, looking for redemption against the evil team that dismissed his talents.  The ball finds itself in his hands as the final seconds tick away, and you just know that he's going to win the game.

Only the director decided on a different ending.

Camby's floater barely grazed the front of the rim.  Nuggets' guard Anthony Carter snared the rebound out of mid-air and avoided any contact as the buzzer sounded, giving the Nuggets a 106-105 victory.

This was Willie Mays Hays getting tagged out at home, Jonathan Moxon fumbling the snap on the game's final play, and Coop Cooper's desperation heave clanging off the rim.

Carmelo Anthony became the first Nugget to score 30 points in a game this season as he also gathered 11 rebounds, further continuing his commitment to becoming a more well-rounded superstar. 

The Nuggets are now 9-2 since trading for Chauncey Billups and at 10-5, find themselves on top of the Northwest Division, a half game ahead of the Utah Jazz.

Tonight, the Nuggets welcome the Chris Paul and the 8-5 New Orleans Hornets into the Pepsi Center as they look to continue their sizzling stretch against the league's top teams.