NBA: DENVER NUGGETS DOWN, NOT FOR THE COUNT; N.Y. KNICKS, UNRAVELING OR TRANSITIONING?    

 For more sports analysis, go to Mile High Sports Radio AM1510 or FM93.7, and to Denver’s best sports blogging team, milehighsports.com

                “SPORTS NOTEBOOK” posts its columns Tuesday and Friday of every week---Ed. & Publ., Marvin Leibstone.

            SPECIAL OLYMPICS SUMMER GAMES, COLORADO: for more information: specialolympicsco.org

NBA:       HERE’s a basketball coach speaking to kids at their school, a Bobby Knight-type, think Gene Hackman as the coach in the classic basketball movie, Hoosiers: “You want to be in enemy territory for as many minutes as possible, it’s where the shots for points are and it’s points that win a game, which means you want lots of turnovers and fast breaks, good passing and assists, no wasted shots, although you want to take the shots that seem to guarantee those two or three points, for which you execute your planned plays. And, when in your own territory, you want to protect it like it’s your homeland. You rebound. The ball is yours again. You rush that ball to the enemy’s basket and score. It’s in the basketball bible, check it out!” 

Too bad the Denver Nuggets hadn’t had the above on three-by-five cards so they could read it before the second half of a home game against the mighty Thunder on Thursday night, March 14, when they had obtained a lead at the end of the first half, albeit only 51-50.

In that second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Nuggets seemed to come apart, losing by 17 points, 103-90. Among reasons why, perhaps the fact that the Denver team came into the first quarter of the game like caffeinated cops chasing a coke-head burglar, an out-of-the-gate speed that was unusual for the more cautious, more methodical Nuggets starters, as if each decided to be as quick in the offense as teammate and guard Ty Lawson can be, who had scored only three points in the first half, a steep drop for a player who’s been averaging 15 points per game. Anyway, that new and flashy momentum must have had the Nuggets close to exhaustion and error-prone as the second half proceeded.  

Against the Thunder, forward Danilo Gallinari appeared to be the only Nuggets player who could ratchet up the momentum without losing shooting accuracy. Another reason for the loss to the Thunder is that the Nuggets were being challenged by what could be the year’s best NBA team, a team that had brought defense to a nearly perfect art against the Nuggets in that second half. The Thunder has remained in first place of the Northwest Division of the NBA’s Western Conference, now 33-10, ahead of second place team, the Nuggets (24-20).

If you’ve watched enough NBA games, it won’t surprise when a team that has lost a game has also produced some of the more amazing plays and shots seen in a long while. Watching 5’11” Lawson rebounding and stealing, passing and setting up plays, leaping over the Thunder’s bigger men, and Gallinari making a three-pointer after fast evasion from the Thunder’s double-teaming, such tells you that the Nuggets are not about to be the New York Knicks and experience a long losing streak.

That the Nuggets are an above-the-margin NBA team rests with the numbers, for example, the Nuggets have scored 50 and more points in the paint within each of 22 games thus far this season, and they have scored 100 and more points in 24 games and have scored 90 or less points in only four games. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have held opponents to fewer than 100 points, 18 times. More importantly, the Nuggets have outgunned all opposing teams in averages regarding ppg (Nuggets are 104 vs. opponents 101), and have outplayed all opposing 2011/12 teams in field goal percentage and in total number of assists, rebounds and steals.      

In spite of being trounced by the Thunder in last night’s second half, the Nuggets are more than alive and well, a transitional note the departure of forward/center Nene. The Brazilian dynamo helped the Nuggets reach the playoffs during many seasons and was traded yesterday to the Washington Wizards.

NBA, N.Y. KNICKS:   FOR a lot of head coaches and managers in professional sports, it’s not even three strikes and you’re out, it’s more like “One false move, and you are history.” Well, for whatever reason, Mike D’Antoni as a head coach in N.Y. is history after a ride this season that has the Knicks behind the power curve where an easy shot at the playoffs would otherwise be in sight, which in 2011 was touted as a strong possibility with the addition of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups from the Denver Nuggets. Maybe the Knicks front office acted too quickly, Billups having been sent to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he’s having a good season. Anthony has disappointed, in that he hasn’t surpassed his fine record achieved as a member of the Nuggets (in fact, he hasn’t matched it---yet!).

Also, the Knicks ”Linsanity” episode was not to endure, another turn of the screw for New York. The story is a familiar one: Overblown expectations = Frustration + Anger = Irrational decision-making, a coach grabs his scooter and drives off. So, who’s to be the Knicks next field general? Sorry, Big Apple, Phil Jackson prefers his retirement to at least stay as is in 2012 (who knows, maybe next year), and George Karl continues to enjoy life in the West. Patrick Ewing, again? New York likes the drama of a second chance. Truth of it all, N.Y. is Drama City, more so than L.A. The Knicks are now the only NBA team resembling a reality TV show. The Miami Heat? Who are they?

END/ml