| Clips’ Ferocious Start Buries Nuggets Authored by Graham Flashner - April 25, 2006 - 11:51 am
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“We knew they were going to come out with intensity,” said Elton Brand. “We wanted to match their intensity – and go beyond it.”
Did they ever. In a remarkable blitzkrieg that an NFL team would be proud of, the Clippers smoked Denver, 32-13 in the first twelve minutes, setting a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a quarter (they would set another record for fewest points allowed in a half, 34), shooting 65%, committing only one turnover, and sending Carmelo Anthony to the bench with two quick fouls in the first five minutes.
“We came, we blocked, we attacked,” said coach Mike Dunleavy.
This time, there would be no blowing a 16-point lead, as the Clippers did in Game 1. (Though the Nuggets did chip away at a 25-point deficit, coming as close as 12). Their 98-87 win gave the Clippers a 2-0 lead in a series that moves to Denver Thursday night.
“We dug ourselves a deep hole we couldn’t get out of,” said Marcus Camby, one of the few Nuggets who actually remembered how to shoot. “They’re supposed to win on their home court – that’s all they did.”
Well, not quite. The Clippers didn’t just win, they dominated completely. Any hopes the Nuggets had of building off the momentum of their near-comeback in Game 1 disappeared faster than Kenyon Martin fleeing reporters.
How bad was it for Denver? They missed 24 of their first 30 shots, and had to depend on that offensive sparkplug, Marcus Camby, to keep them afloat. They endured a scoreless first half from Anthony, and lost K-Mart for the second half due to a left knee contusion.
If there was one play that summed up the Nuggets’ inability to pick up even a shred of momentum, it was the play that ended the first half. Earl Boykins, whose wretched shooting continued (5-17) hit a driving layup to bring the Nuggets deficit under 20 with seconds left. But Cuttino Mobley (21 points, 5 assists) hustled up court and banked in a one-hander from about 35 feet. To put L.A. up 56-34 at the break.
The Nuggets showed some life in the third quarter, opening with a 16-6 surge (led by Anthony’s 9 points) to close to within 62-50, but the Clippers, as they so often do at home, ratcheted up the defensive pressure, answering with a 12-4 run of their own. A blind-side steal by Cassell off Anthony, capped off by a thunderous Brand dunk, brought the sellout crowd to its feet.
By the fourth quarter, that crowd was cocky enough to do something hitherto reserved for the sixth inning of an endless baseball game - the Wave, which I hoped never to see at an NBA game.
It was that kind of night for the Clippers, who dove for loose balls, spread the ball around unselfishly (five starters in double figures), and defended relentlessly. Even Corey Maggette, who appeared to be in Mike Dunleavy’s doghouse after being benched for defensive lapses in Game 1, came off the bench to score 12 energetic points.
“We wanted to contest their shots and limit their fast break,” said Elton Brand (19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocked shots).
If there’s been one consistent pattern to the first two games – aside from the Clippers building big leads in both – it’s been their tendency to let Denver back in the game.
“They relaxed when we got up 25,” said Dunleavy. Some of our guys had a sense it was over. I didn’t like that.” Said brand: “We have a lot of work to do on our shot selection when we’re up.”
That should only be the Clippers’ biggest worry. The Nuggets, who shot 34%, continue to look lost offensively, have no dependable scorer other than Anthony, and have seen their fast break slow to something more like a trot. “We’re just playing some bad basketball,” said Andre Miller, who was shut down after a sparkling Game 1.
And the Clippers have picked the exact right time to be playing their best basketball of the season. |
