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		<description>RUWT? News for Denver Nuggets</description>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:55:14 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Anthony scores 30 points, Nuggets beat Bulls]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DENVER(AP) -- J.R. Smith finished off the Chicago Bulls.

Smith, Denver's streak-shooting sixth man, scored 12 of his 19
points in the final period and the Nuggets pulled away for a
112-93 victory Saturday night.

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points, and Chauncey Billups added 21,
helping keep Denver in the game and setting the stage for
Smith's fourth-quarter spree.

"He's an explosive player," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I
thought we ran a couple of plays that got him going."

The Bulls had a 14-point lead in the first half.

"Chauncey went off on us in the second quarter and got them back
in the game and then J.R. started hitting shots in the fourth,"
said Derrick Rose, who led the Bulls with 28 points. "He's tough
to guard. It's hard to guard him when he's shooting from
everywhere."

The Nuggets came back to tie it at 61 when Billups hit a
3-pointer with 6:09 left in the third quarter. They moved in
front for first time since the game's opening moments during
their ensuing possession, when Kenyon Martin hit a jump hook
over the 7-foot Joakim Noah.

Chicago regained the lead 71-70 on Rose's running jumper, but
Anthony made a jumper and Smith connected on a 3-pointer to give
the Nuggets a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Denver took control from there, going on a 14-4 run to start the
final period that featured a fast-break layup by rookie Ty
Lawson off a steal and a pair of 3-pointers by Smith.

"It started off with defense," Smith said. "We started playing
great defense, started running, getting out in transition,
getting everybody involved. It became fun and easier to play."

That's also when Smith began to find the range.

"Whenever I get in one of those zones, it usually starts early,"
Smith said. "This one came late, but I'm not complaining. I'm
glad I started making shots. Sometimes, you've just got to roll
with the punches, keep shooting and hope you shoot your way out
of it."

It was the 15th straight regular-season home win for the
Nuggets, including all five this season as Denver bounced back
from Friday night's loss in Los Angeles to the Clippers.

"This was a tough win for us, especially coming off a tough
loss, tough loss," Billups said. "We feel like we need to get as
many games at home as we can, and the only way we can do that is
try to win as many games at home as we can. There's going to be
some tough nights, but we do focus on establishing a great home
court."

Anthony, the NBA's leading scorer, reached 30 points for the
ninth time in his first 13 games in helping the Nuggets sweep
their two-game season series with Chicago. They won the first
meeting earlier this month when officials waved off a potential
game-winning basket at the buzzer by Brad Miller, ruling it was
an instant too late.

Luol Deng added 22 points, and Noah had 10 for the Bulls, who
lost for the 10th time in their last 11 games in Denver.

"I thought it started in the second quarter when Chauncey took
over and got them back in," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said.
"In the third quarter, Carmelo and the fourth quarter, J.R. got
going a little bit. They've got three big scorers. I thought our
energy, our effort, the physical part of the game; we were not
near at the level we need to be at."

Trailing 27-14 after a sluggish first quarter, the Nuggets cut
in to the Bulls' advantage in the last 4:34 of the second
quarter, when they outscored Chicago 17-7 to pull to 52-49 at
halftime.

Billups was at the center of the burst, feeding Nene inside for
a dunk and going to the basket himself for 13 of his 14
second-quarter points.

NOTES: Bulls center Aaron Gray, out all season with a left
fibula stress fracture, could be nearing a return. He joined the
Bulls in Denver, but Del Negro said he'd like to see him
practice a few times and get a better feel for his conditioning
before putting him back on the floor. ... Chris Andersen,
inactive Friday night because of right knee tendinitis, was back
in action for the Nuggets. ... The Nuggets last lost a
regular-season game at the Pepsi Center on March 9 to Houston,
97-95.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/136263-Anthony-scores-30-points-Nuggets-beat-Bulls</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/136263-Anthony-scores-30-points-Nuggets-beat-Bulls</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:09:29 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Bulls-Nuggets Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By KATE HEDLIN
STATS Writer

Chicago (6-5) at Denver (8-4), 9:00 p.m. EDT

When the Denver Nuggets and Chicago Bulls met earlier this month
at the United Center, the final result was decided on an
overturned basket at the buzzer.

Chicago's recent visits to Denver have been just as frustrating.

The Nuggets look to beat the Bulls for the 10th time in 11 home
contests Saturday night.

Denver (8-4) beat Chicago 90-89 on Nov. 10 after Chauncey
Billups hit a go-ahead free throw with six-tenths of a second
left. Brad Miller's jumper at the buzzer was overturned
following a lengthy replay review.

Not that Billups had a doubt about the decision.

"As soon as I saw the flight of the ball, I knew it was good,"
he said. "Then, I was sitting and laughing. Not so much about
the shot, but looking at their reaction. They were dancing and
jumping around like they had just made the Sweet 16."

While the Nuggets and Bulls have alternated decisions in the
last 11 games, Denver has been much more consistent in recent
matchups at home, winning three straight and nine of 10 going
back to the 1999-2000 season.

Six of the 10 games, though, have been decided by 10 or fewer
points, including four separated by four or less.

Denver, which is 4-0 at home this season, lost 106-99 Friday to
the Clippers in Los Angeles. Carmelo Anthony scored 37 points,
including 17 in the first quarter, but the Clippers led 56-46 at
the half. The Nuggets opened the fourth with a 19-4 run that
narrowed the gap to 92-90 with 6:10 to play, but Los Angeles
pulled away after that.

Anthony finished 12 of 20 from the field. He's shooting 63.6
percent in the last three games.

Denver was coming off back-to-back double-digit wins over the
Lakers and Toronto. The Clippers had lost five of six.

"We have to somehow realize that we are everybody's big game,"
Billups said. "It's a very tough loss, but we have to forget
about this game and focus on tomorrow night."

The Bulls (6-5), meanwhile, are looking to bounce back after a
108-93 loss to the Lakers on Thursday. Chicago gave up 100
points for only the second time this season as it struggled to
contain Los Angeles' big men. The Bulls trailed by as many as 24
points and gave up a season-high 60 in the paint.

Derrick Rose finished with 20 points, but was held to only four
in the first half. He finished 9 of 20 from the field as he
continues to struggle early in his second season. The reigning
rookie of the year, who was limited in the preseason because of
a strained tendon behind his right ankle, averaged 12.7 points
on 39.5 percent shooting in his previous three games.

"He's frustrated because he's a competitive kid," coach Vinny
Del Negro told the NBA's official Web site. "He's not physically
100 percent, not in the condition he was (last season) just
because of the injury. You just have to take a step back, give
him some time."

Del Negro's team has four more games left on the annual Circus
Trip, which began with a 101-87 victory over Sacramento on
Tuesday. Chicago is 2-4 on the road this season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135956-Bulls-Nuggets-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135956-Bulls-Nuggets-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:04:28 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Butler leads Clips to 106-99 win over Nuggets]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[LOS ANGELES(AP) -- The first player off the Los Angeles Clippers'
bench led them in scoring, something that doesn't happen with
this club except when there are injuries - which is most of the
time.

Forward Rasual Butler had 27 points, Al Thornton added 18, and
the Clippers withstood an early scoring spree from Carmelo
Anthony to beat the Denver Nuggets 106-99 on Friday night.

"We're so deep that anyone can lead us in scoring, and tonight
was Rasual's night," teammate Baron Davis said. "He played with
aggression, we played at a pace and a speed that was great for
us, and it got him a lot of wide-open shots. If we continue to
play like that, I think we're going to have different leading
scorers every night."

Chris Kaman had 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists for
the Clippers. Davis had 12 points and nine assists.

The defending Northwest Division champion Nuggets, coming off
one-sided victories over the Lakers and Toronto Raptors, lost to
the Clippers for the first time since Nov. 11, 2007. They had
won the previous seven meetings, including a four-game sweep
last season. Anthony led Denver with 37 points, and Nene had 18
points and 12 rebounds.

"It's not like a few years ago, where you play the Clippers or
somebody and it's just another game," Denver's Chauncey Billups
said. "We have to somehow realize that we are everybody's big
game. It's a very tough loss, but we have to forget about this
game and focus on tomorrow night."

The Clippers, who set an ignominious franchise record last
Friday by blowing a 22-point lead in a home loss to Toronto, led
Denver by 19 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The
Nuggets opened the fourth with a 19-4 run that narrowed the gap
to 92-90 with 6:10 to play and gave the crowd of 18,155 a sense
of impending doom.

"We needed this win. It was a nationally televised game, and we
didn't want to be embarrassed," said Butler, who was 8 for 15
from the field after coming in averaging 9.5 points with a 36.7
shooting percentage.

"I just hadn't been shooting the ball lately. I've been playing
a pretty good floor game, but my shot just was off," Butler
said. "My teammates and the coaching staff have supreme
confidence in my ability to shoot the ball and they continue to
be positive with me. I was able to just put those other games
behind me and give myself a fresh start."

The Clippers missed six of seven shots during Denver's rally,
but grabbed the momentum back with 3-pointers by Butler and
Davis 32 seconds apart to take a 98-90 edge with 5:18 left. The
Nuggets got as close as 104-99 on a 3-pointer by J.R. Smith with
1:09 left.

"We gave them some turnovers and easy scores and had some missed
defensive assignments," Butler said. "During the timeout, we
just talked about tightening back up and refocusing. We were
able to do that and started getting stops and rebounds. Marcus
Camby came up with two big stops for us, getting the charge
after the timeout and then a blocked shot that started the fast
break for us."

Anthony, who scored 17 points in the opening quarter, made his
first six shots before Kaman blocked his attempted layup with
8.9 seconds left in the period. The rejection led to a 3-pointer
by Butler at the other end with less than a second on the clock,
slicing Denver's lead to 26-21.

The Clippers took the lead for good at 28-26 on a layup by
Sebastian Telfair with 9:50 left in the second quarter. Davis,
who missed his first four shots, ended the drought on a
3-pointer with 1:20 left in the first half to increase Los
Angeles' margin to 53-42. Butler followed with a three-point
play 28 seconds later to cap a 7-0 spurt.

NOTES: Clippers longtime play-by-play announcer Ralph Lawler and
color analyst Michael Smith did not work Friday's broadcast,
after the Fox Sports Prime Ticket cable network suspended them
for one game because of some off-the-cuff comments they made
during Wednesday night's telecast from Memphis about
Iranian-born Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi. The on-air banter
offended one viewer who e-mailed Fox to complain. Michael Eaves
and former NBA and UCLA player Don MacLean, who regularly serve
as halftime and postgame analysts on the Clippers telecasts,
substituted for Lawler and Smith at courtside. ... Davis
recorded his 5,000th regular-season assist in the NBA when he
set up Kaman's 15-foot jumper with 3:19 left in the first
quarter. ... Anthony has scored at least 30 points in eight of
his first 12 games. He and Miami's Dwyane Wade are the only
players in the league who have had 20 or more in all of their
teams' games so far. ... Denver coach George Karl got a
technical foul from referee Marc Davis with 4:40 left in the
third quarter after Anthony was called for a foul on Thornton
with the Nuggets trailing 75-60. .]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135939-Butler-leads-Clips-to-106-99-win-over-Nuggets</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135939-Butler-leads-Clips-to-106-99-win-over-Nuggets</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:45:33 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Nuggets-Clippers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Denver (8-3) at Los Angeles (4-9), 10:30 p.m. EDT

Poor play away from the Pepsi Center has been holding the Denver
Nuggets back somewhat. Perhaps a road contest with the Los
Angeles Clippers will give them a boost.

Following two more successful home games, the Nuggets travel to
Los Angeles looking to extend a seven-game winning streak
against the struggling Clippers on Friday night.

A 4-0 record at the Pepsi Center has helped put Denver (8-3) in
a tie for first place with Portland in the Northwest Division.
After beating the Lakers 105-79 there last Friday, the Nuggets
continued their home dominance four days later with a 130-112
victory over Toronto.

Denver, though, has lost three of its last four on the road,
averaging 95.0 points - 6.4 below its season average - during
that span.

The Nuggets have three road wins over the Clippers (4-9) during
their seven straight victories in the series. Denver has beaten
Los Angeles by an average of 11.4 points since a 101-90 road
loss Nov. 21, 2007.

Carmelo Anthony, who scored a combined 66 points in his last two
road games versus the Clippers, had a big game against the
Raptors despite suffering from a severe headache. Anthony woke
up with his first migraine in a couple of years, but had 32
points and five assists in 30 minutes.

The All-Star forward once struggled with migraines all the time,
but it had been a while since he had one.

"That's why it was weird to all of a sudden wake up with one,"
he said. "All I can do is sleep. You've just got to sleep it
away."

Anthony is averaging 29.9 points, topping 30 in seven of 11
games.

J.R. Smith has been effective in coming off the bench to help
Anthony carry the scoring load. Smith has settled in nicely
after being suspended for the first seven contests after
pleading guilty to reckless driving over the summer, averaging
22.3 points in his last three games.

Los Angeles may be without second-year guard Eric Gordon, who
missed a 106-91 loss to Memphis on Wednesday night due to a
strained groin. The Clippers fell to 1-8 when Gordon doesn't
play.

Gordon, averaging 18.9 points and 1.7 steals, is day to day.

When healthy, Gordon teams with Baron Davis to give the Clippers
a formidable backcourt. Davis shot 8 for 13 and finished with 23
points versus the Grizzlies, although he turned the ball over
four times.

"At times, we get out of sync offensively," Davis said. "Next
thing you know, a two-point game is a 10-point game. ... You
can't play like that. ... You have to stay close, and you have
to be able to get stops and get rebounds."

Davis is five assists shy of 5,000 for his career. He's
averaging 7.2 assists as he continues to feed the ball to center
Chris Kaman, who is averaging 21.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5
blocks.

"I just try to come out and help my team win," Kaman said. "I
have been getting pretty good looks at the basket and my
teammates are finding me. ... I just try to keep playing and do
my job."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135430-Nuggets-Clippers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135430-Nuggets-Clippers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:41:37 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[MRI on Birdman's knee reveals no structural damage]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DENVER(AP) -- The Denver Nuggets say Chris "Birdman" Andersen is
day-to-day with moderate patellar tendinitis in his right knee.

Anderson has been sore, so he underwent an MRI on Wednesday in
Denver, and Dr. Steve Traina said the test revealed no
structural damage.

Also, guard Anthony Carter is listed as questionable for the
Nuggets' game Friday night against the Clippers in Los Angeles.
He has sat out the last two games with a strained left hip.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135106-MRI-on-Birdmans-knee-reveals-no-structural-damage</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135106-MRI-on-Birdmans-knee-reveals-no-structural-damage</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:37:40 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA['Melo leads Nuggets past Turkoglu-less Raptors]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

DENVER(AP) -- 'Melo overcame his migraine and the Toronto Raptors.

Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points in 30 minutes despite suffering
from a severe headache and reserve J.R. Smith had 29, leading
the Denver Nuggets past the Raptors 130-112 on Tuesday night.

Anthony awoke with his first migraine in a couple of years but
never once thought of sitting this one out.

"My legs could work," he said. "As long as I could run up and
down that court, I was good."

The Nuggets didn't shake off the Raptors until well into the
third quarter, and coach George Karl suggested it took that long
for Anthony to shake off the cobwebs, too.

"It's funny, man, I still have one," Anthony said after the
game. "I had the aftereffects. You know if you've ever had one,
they don't just go away like that. It will still be lingering
around. There were some points at the beginning of the game
where I felt it and then some points when I didn't.

"And then I got hit in the head twice and that brought it all
the way back."

Anthony used to get migraines all the time but hadn't had one in
a while.

"That's why it was weird to all of a sudden wake up with one,"
he said. "Today I felt lethargic. All I can do is sleep. You've
just got to sleep it away. I'm all right, though. I played. We
won. I can't complain."

And even with the throbbing headache, 'Melo was 'Melo.

"Carmelo did a good job of creating shots for other guys,"
Raptors forward Antoine Wright said. "He's just matured as a
basketball player. He's not only looking for his shot but he's
looking how to make players better and I think that's what beat
us tonight."

After withstanding Smith's seven-game suspension and a six-game
trip consisting of three back-to-backs, the Nuggets weathered a
determined Raptors team that was without forward Hedo Turkoglu
but didn't trail until midway through the third quarter.

Chris Bosh led Toronto with 13 points and 14 rebounds and DeMar
DeRozan scored 17. Nene had 20 points and 10 boards for Denver,
which shot 62 percent.

Turkoglu missed the game with a sore left hip and was replaced
in the starting lineup by Wright, who's dealing with a sore left
ankle and finished with five points in 17 minutes. All the other
starters reached double figures, as did reserves Marco Belinelli
and Sonny Weems, who scored a career-high 12 against his former
team.

Denver didn't grab its first lead until Anthony fed Kenyon
Martin for a dunk that made it 70-68 early in the third.

Jose Calderon sank a 3-pointer at the other end and it was back
and forth until Denver took control with a quick 7-0 spurt that
made it 81-74. Nene hit two free throws and Chauncey Billups
sank a technical foul shot before Anthony swished a fadeaway
followed by a turnaround jumper.

Denver went on a 16-4 run to start the fourth, building a
20-point lead on the way to its 14th straight regular-season
home win. That's its longest streak since 1989, when it won 19
straight home games.

The Raptors put together an 11-point lead in the second quarter,
but they settled for a 64-64 halftime tie. Nene scored eight
points and 'Melo seven during Denver's 17-6 run to end the first
half, which ended with Anthony's breakaway basket at the buzzer.

"We got together at halftime and told each other we didn't want
to play like that," Anthony said. "That's their game."

So, they cranked up the defense to take control, then coasted.

Denver coach George Karl said this was the best passing game his
team has had so far, and it showed in the paint, where the
Nuggets outscored the Raptors 68-36.

"We had no answer for them inside," Toronto coach Jay Triano
said. "They posted us up with 3s, and once you try to help on
Carmelo, when he's making shots, you try to help, he picks you
apart by hitting bigs diving to the basket. That second half got
away from us."

NOTES: Toronto claimed F Pops Mensah-Bonsu off waivers from
Houston. ... Anthony has topped 30 points seven times in 11
games so far.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134938-Melo-leads-Nuggets-past-Turkoglu-less-Raptors</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134938-Melo-leads-Nuggets-past-Turkoglu-less-Raptors</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:59:21 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Raptors-Nuggets Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Toronto (5-5) at Denver (7-3), 9:00 p.m. EDT

The Denver Nuggets showed they can be one of the NBA's best
teams by beating the defending champions in their last game.

The Toronto Raptors didn't need to be reminded.

The Nuggets look to build on their most impressive victory of
the season Tuesday night when they try to win their fifth
straight against the Raptors and sixth straight at home in the
series.

In a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals, Denver
(7-3) routed the Los Angeles Lakers 105-79 on Friday, holding
the defending champs to eight third-quarter points on 4-for-20
shooting from the field. That tied a Nuggets franchise record
for fewest points allowed in a quarter.

"I think it was the best quarter I've seen our team play against
a special team, maybe since I've been in Denver," said
sixth-year Nuggets coach George Karl. "It was intense, focused,
disciplined, and the offense rewarded the defense by converting
plays."

Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points on 11 of 20 shooting, despite
having first-year Laker Ron Artest assigned to shut him down.

"I don't really think it's possible to have a 'Melo stopper,"
said Anthony, averaging a career-best 29.7 points. "No team in
the NBA will just let me play 1-on-1 against them. They just
won't do it."

Anthony overcame a sore elbow and scored 23 as the Nuggets shot
a season-best 59.8 percent in Toronto's last visit to the Pepsi
Center - a 132-98 Denver victory on Dec. 2. The Nuggets have won
five in a row at home against the Raptors (5-5) since an 81-74
loss on Dec. 30, 2003.

Last season's rout in Denver was the fifth-worst loss in Raptors
franchise history, and it ended coach Sam Mitchell's tenure with
the team. He was fired the following day and replaced by
assistant Jay Triano.

Looking for its first three-game winning streak of the season,
Triano's team fell to 1-1 on its western trip with Sunday's
101-100 loss to Phoenix. First-year Raptor Hedo Turkoglu matched
a season high with 20 points but missed a step-back jumper from
the top of the key as time expired.

"The shot was just like the shot I made a couple minutes before
that on the left corner, and that's a shot I'll take every
time," said Turkoglu, who gave Toronto a 100-98 lead with 51.5
seconds remaining with a jumper over Steve Nash.

Playing for Orlando, Turkoglu averaged 21.0 points, 5.0 boards
and 5.0 assists versus Denver in 2008-09.

Raptors four-time All-Star Chris Bosh looks to extend his
double-double streak to six after posting 25 points and 10
rebounds against Phoenix. Bosh, who has scored 20 or more points
in 17 straight games dating to last season, had 24 in each of
the two losses to Denver last season.

The Raptors and Nuggets are among the league's highest-scoring
teams, averaging 106.9 and 106.2, respectively.

Denver is trying to improve to 4-0 at home for the first time
since 1989-90.

The Raptors' last win over the Nuggets was a 121-94 victory in
Toronto on March 23, 2007.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134624-Raptors-Nuggets-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134624-Raptors-Nuggets-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:21:11 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Rookie Lawson adjusts to NBA faster than expected]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

DENVER(AP) -- Everybody knew about Ty Lawson's speed at North
Carolina. Just as impressive is how quickly the Denver Nuggets'
new backup point guard is adjusting to the NBA.

Fellow Tar Heels alum and Nuggets coach George Karl has
notoriously had little use for rookies, but he's making an
exception for this exceptional player, saying even he didn't
expect this smooth of a transition.

"I can't deny that. He's pretty mature for a young kid," Karl
said.

Lawson is averaging 10.3 points, 2 boards and 3.2 assists in
21.8 minutes through his first 10 NBA games.

Yet, it's more his hustle and pluck, matters that don't
necessarily show up on the stat sheet, that are wowing
teammates, coaches, opponents and fans alike.

Take his pickpocketing of Kobe Bryant in the first half Friday
night and his amazing dunk over 7-footer D.J. Mbenga in the
second half that were the highlights of Denver's 105-79
demolition of the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

These were the kinds of things that had the Nuggets practically
salivating even a year ago, before Lawson decided to return to
Chapel Hill, where he helped lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA
championship as a junior.

"Well, when Roy Williams whispers to you that he's the best
point guard he's ever coached - I mean, he's had a few good
point guards," Karl said.

Lawson's guru in Denver, Chauncey Billups, said the energetic
rookie has made a seamless transition to the pros because he and
the system are a perfect fit.

"He's in a great situation because he's in a fastbreak offense,
just run up and down and play. He's not in a structured
offense," Billups said. "So, it's easy for him and he's done a
great job of coming in and using what he does best and that's
his speed. And that's something that we need."

While best known for his baseline-to-baseline velocity, Lawson
became an all-around threat last season by shooting 53 percent
from the field and 47 percent from 3-point range.

His speed and hustle remain his forte.

Karl said he's never seen a player so deft at coming up with
loose balls as Lawson. He always seems to be fast-fowarding
while the other nine players on the court are moving at regular
speed. Like Friday night, when Bryant thought he had picked up
the loose ball only to watch helplessly as Lawson swooped around
from behind and tipped it upcourt for the breakaway basket.

"I'm lower to the ground than most people," explained Lawson,
who's 5-foot-11. "And the thing I do is tip it and keep it going
and go get it."

Thanks to Lawson, Karl insists this version of the Nuggets can
be better than the one that took the Lakers to six games in the
Western Conference finals last summer.

"Ty gives us a guy that we've never had before," Karl said. "We
have a guy that can GO."

Lawson said he figured he's adjust quickly to the NBA once he
saw the offense Karl was running.

"Basically, we run the same system as Carolina, up and down, so
that's probably helping me out a lot more than people think. And
just hard work," Lawson said.

Along with having a superstar in Billups serving as his mentor.

"He's been priceless," Lawson said. "He tells me everything from
what to do on the road to what to do on the basketball court. If
I have a question, I go straight to him. He can't be replaced."

Well, eventually, the plan is for Lawson to do exactly that.

Although he certainly seems to have a lot left in him, Billups
is in his 13th season, and he said he's grateful now that he's
in his golden basketball years to have a protege as easy to work
with as Lawson.

"I just love that he's real humble, he's quiet, he listens when
you're trying to help him out. He has a really good
understanding of the game for a young player," Billups said.

And Lawson's presence should benefit Billups, too, by keeping
him fresher down the stretch.

Last year, Billups tired out toward the end of the Nuggets' long
playoff run because he had to log so many minutes just getting
them there that his tank was empty when he needed to push them
over the top.

"There's times out there where George wants me to come back in
and Ty's playing good, and I'm like, 'Let him play,"' Billups
said. "'Let him play."'

That way, he gets his rest along with a front-row view of this
sensational speed demon who's playing like he's been in the
league forever.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134493-Rookie-Lawson-adjusts-to-NBA-faster-than-expected</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134493-Rookie-Lawson-adjusts-to-NBA-faster-than-expected</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:55:58 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA['Melo gets better of Artest as Nuggets whip Lakers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

DENVER(AP) -- The Denver Nuggets don't care that the Los Angeles
Lakers were tired or playing without Pau Gasol. This was one
whooping worth celebrating.

Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points - two more than the Lakers
scored in the entire second half - Kobe Bryant was held
scoreless after halftime and the defending champs scored all of
eight points in the third quarter of their 105-79 blowout loss
to the Nuggets on Friday night.

"They beat the hell out of us," Bryant said. "I don't know if we
had Pau it would have made any difference. They played extremely
well."

The Lakers figured the Nuggets were up for this game after
losing to L.A. in the Western Conference finals, and 'Melo
acknowledged that was certainly on everybody's minds in Denver.

"It's a big, big win for us," Anthony said. "I know it's early
... but it's hard not to get excited for a game like this.
Hopefully, it sends a big message, not only to the Lakers, but
to the whole NBA. We're a legit team."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson had talked before tip-off about
finally having the muscle to match up with 'Melo in Ron Artest,
suggesting he might be able to defend him straight up, 1-on-1.

Nothing doing.

Anthony, limited by foul trouble in the first half, scored 18
points in the second, finishing with 25 in 29 minutes before
taking a courtside seat and enjoying the rest of the rout, which
included 5-foot-11 Ty Lawson's dunk on 7-footer D.J. Mbenga and
6-9 forward Josh Powell, the highlight of the evening.

"I don't really think it's possible to have a 'Melo stopper,"
Anthony said. "No team in the NBA will just let me play 1-on-1
against them. They just won't do it."

The Lakers' six-game winning streak was snapped, and it all came
down to the third quarter, when the Nuggets turned a two-point
halftime lead into an 87-64 cushion with a 29-8 run that had
ecstatic fans chanting "Beat L.A.!" - something Denver couldn't
do enough of in the Western Conference finals five months ago.

"To hold a team like that to eight points in the third quarter?
We did something incredible that third quarter," Anthony said.

The eight points tied a Nuggets record for fewest points allowed
in a single quarter, and it was just two shy of tying the
Lakers' mark for futility in a single quarter. They scored just
six points in a quarter against Chicago in 1977.

"No one stepped up in the second half and played ball," Jackson
said. "We ended up taking long shots and turning the ball over
at the start of the third quarter. Those are the results you
get."

Bryant was held scoreless in a half for the first time since the
first half of a game at Sacramento on April 11, 2004.

Limited by foul trouble in the first half, Anthony scored 10
quick points in the third quarter to give the Nuggets (7-3) a
double-digit lead and turn this one into a laugher.

'Melo's run was highlighted by his steal from Lamar Odom and a
breakaway basket. After that, the Lakers (7-2) looked every bit
like the team that was coming off a late game in Los Angeles the
night before.

J.R. Smith came off Denver's bench again and scored 20 points in
his third game back from a seven-game suspension to start the
season.

Andrew Bynum and Bryant each scored 19 points to lead the
Lakers, who sat their starters in the fourth quarter with the
game out of reach. Artest scored 11.

While so much was made in the offseason of how the Lakers
augmented their championship resume with the signing of Artest,
the Nuggets quietly improved their versatility and offense with
the additions of Aaron Afflalo and Lawson and the subtractions
of Dahntay Jones and Linas Kleiza.

Many preseason prognosticators painted the Nuggets' run to the
Western Conference finals as an aberration, but Jackson wasn't
among them. He said the Lakers view the Nuggets as bona fide
challengers in the West.

"There's no doubt that we consider the team among the three or
four (top) teams in the Western Conference," Jackson said before
tip-off.

He was even more impressed with them after the game.

"They were great today," Jackson said.

NOTES: Bynum had 15 rebounds. ... The Nuggets were without
backup PG Anthony Carter, whose chronic strained left hip
prevented him from suiting up. He's day to day.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133760-Melo-gets-better-of-Artest-as-Nuggets-whip-Lakers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133760-Melo-gets-better-of-Artest-as-Nuggets-whip-Lakers</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:39:16 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Nuggets' Carter out against Lakers with hip strain]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DENVER(AP) -- Backup point guard Anthony Carter of the Denver
Nuggets is unavailable for tonight's game against the Los
Angeles Lakers because of a strained left hip.

Carter's injury is chronic and it flares up from time to time.
He'll receive treatment over the weekend and is listed day to
day.

He is averaging 3 points and 2.1 assists over 17.1 minutes in
relief of starter Chauncey Billups. He's been splitting backup
point guard duties with rookie Ty Lawson.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133607-Nuggets-Carter-out-against-Lakers-with-hip-strain</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133607-Nuggets-Carter-out-against-Lakers-with-hip-strain</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:13:04 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lakers-Nuggets Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Los Angeles (7-1) at Denver (6-3), 10:30 p.m. EDT

Although Friday's game is just one of 82 on the schedule, the
Denver Nuggets are understandably putting a little more emphasis
on this matchup.

Facing the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers for the first
time since last season's Western Conference finals, Denver looks
to get back on track following a lengthy trip.

But the way the Pacific Division-leading Lakers are playing,
that could be quite a challenge.

After rolling through New Orleans and Dallas in the opening two
rounds of the 2008-09 playoffs and advancing to their first West
finals since 1985, the Nuggets fell to Los Angeles in six games.
In the series finale at the Pepsi Center on May 29, the Lakers
routed Denver 119-92 and advanced to their second straight NBA
finals behind Kobe Bryant's 35 points and 10 assists and 20
points apiece from Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.

"We've been waiting kind of all summer to re-introduce ourselves
to the Lakers," coach George Karl told the Nuggets' official Web
site. "I think it's kind of good to have the first one on your
court."

Denver and Los Angeles play four times during the regular
season, but this heated rivalry got a jump-start in the
preseason. In both teams' exhibition finale Oct. 23 in San
Diego, the Nuggets' 119-105 victory was overshadowed by eight
technical fouls, two flagrants and an altercation under the
basket between Odom and Denver center Chris Andersen.

"They're going to be ready to go up against us, especially after
the little melee we had in San Diego," said Bryant, who averaged
36.7 points, 6.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds as the Lakers won two
of three in Denver in the West finals. "It will be interesting."

The Nuggets (6-3) will try to improve to 3-0 at home for the
first time since 1989-90 as they play their first game at the
Pepsi Center since Nov. 1. Denver's six-game eastern trip ended
with a 108-102 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday.

The Nuggets have dropped three of four since a 5-0 start.

"Before the season started, you probably would've taken 6-3,"
Karl said. "After being 5-0, you're probably hoping for a little
bit more."

Denver, though, couldn't ask for much more from Carmelo Anthony,
who is averaging a career-best 30.2 points. He scored 14.5
points per game as the Nuggets lost three of four to the Lakers
in the 2008-09 regular season, but he improved his production to
27.5 in the conference finals.

While the Lakers will likely give Ron Artest the task of
guarding Anthony, Denver will need to find someone to slow down
Bryant after defensive specialist Dahntay Jones signed with
Indiana in the offseason.

Bryant had 29 points and center Andrew Bynum added 26 with 15
rebounds as Los Angeles (7-1) shot a season-best 57.6 percent
from the field and won its sixth straight Thursday - 121-102
over a Phoenix team leading the NBA in scoring at 111.3 points
per game.

"We did a great job trying to corral a team that's been scoring
out of this world," Bryant said.

Gasol will not make his season debut Friday due to a strained
right hamstring, but Bynum could create problems for Denver's
Nene and Kenyon Martin after a strong showing Thursday following
a two-game absence with a strained right elbow.

"I got my legs back, and I'm fresh," Bynum said. "As far as the
elbow goes, I'm going to continue getting treatment. It hurts a
little bit, but it's going to be that way for a little while."

The Lakers and Nuggets next play Feb. 5 in Los Angeles.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133397-Lakers-Nuggets-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133397-Lakers-Nuggets-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:48:27 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Jennings dazzles again, Bucks beat Nuggets]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By COLIN FLY
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE(AP) -- Brandon Jennings never expected to start his NBA
career this way.

The rookie point guard scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth
quarter, and Andrew Bogut added 23 points and 10 rebounds to
lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 108-102 victory over the Denver
Nuggets on Wednesday night.

"I came in here, wanted to learn and take (it) step-by-step,"
Jennings said.

It appears to be leap-by-leap for the player who decided to skip
college for the pros in Europe before being picked 10th overall.

"Fortunately, everything I learned over there seemed to impress
the coaches and everybody," he said. "I just go out there and
play with a chip on my shoulder."

And the results couldn't be better for Milwaukee. Expected to be
one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Bucks (4-2) are leading
the Central Division.

"We've got a long way to go, but it's a great game to win,"
Bogut said.

Carmelo Anthony had 32 points and 10 rebounds for Denver (6-3).

"He ran out of gas a little bit," Nuggets coach George Karl
said. "We weren't good enough offensively and we weren't good
enough defensively."

Jennings, who also had nine assists, had already played his best
game to date before Denver whittled a 10-point deficit with 10
minutes to play down to 91-90 on a layup by Chauncey Billups.

Jennings answered with consecutive 3-pointers, dribbling
aimlessly on the second for most of the shot clock before
slowing down and stepping back behind the 3-point line to make
it 97-90 with Billups guarding him.

"I was feeling it from the first one," Jennings said. "I knew it
was in right as it left my hands. That was a great feeling."

Billups, who finished with 19, was impressed with Jennings'
confidence.

"Give him credit, he stepped up and made some big, big shots. He
was great all night," Billups said. "That, to me, is sometimes
more than the result. That you have the ultimate confidence than
you can hit those shots. That was impressive."

After another defensive stop, the Nuggets frustration began to
run over. Kenyon Martin was whistled for a technical foul and
Ersan Ilyasova made it 100-90 on three free throws with 2:41
left.

But Denver rallied, cutting it to 100-97 with 46 seconds to go
on a 3-pointer by Billups. Bogut hit a 7-foot floater in the
lane and J.R. Smith answered with a 3 with 21 seconds left to
make it 102-100.

But Jennings kept up the pressure, hitting his final six free
throws to seal it.

"Brandon has unique talents," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said.
"We're trying to put him in positions where he can make
decisions because he's normally very good at it."

Denver got 18 points from Smith in his second game back from
suspension and 16 from Nene. Ilyasova finished with 17 points,
and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute added 10.

Anthony picked up the pace midway through the third with Denver
trailing by 12 when he took a hard foul from Bogut that drew a
double technical. He went on to score 12 of Denver's next 13
points, but the Nuggets trailed 81-72 to start the fourth.

Jennings was well on his way to a special night with a late
spurt before the half, twice taking Chris Andersen to the
basket. Jennings capped the second quarter by using a screen
from Bogut and hitting a fading jumper over the outstretched
Birdman to give Milwaukee a 53-47 halftime lead.

"He's learned so much in (six) games, it's like he's played a
season already," Bogut said. "He's hitting big shots for us,
understands when to pass, when to drive. Defensively, he's
getting more involved. Nobody thought he would be this good
yet."

NOTES: Milwaukee has won three straight overall. ... A night
after benefiting from a replay review in a 90-89 victory over
Chicago, Denver got two favorable calls when Hakim Warrick's
layup to end the third was waved off and a jumper by Ilyasova
was ruled a 2-point basket instead of a 3 early in the fourth
quarter.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133111-Jennings-dazzles-again-Bucks-beat-Nuggets</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133111-Jennings-dazzles-again-Bucks-beat-Nuggets</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:46:24 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[NBA: Refs' call correct after Nuggets-Bulls review]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NEW YORK(AP) -- The NBA said the review that overturned a winning
shot by Chicago's Brad Miller was correct and handled
appropriately.

Referees looked at video replay for about 3 minutes before
determining that Miller's shot came after the final buzzer,
giving Denver a 90-89 victory Tuesday night. Though a review is
supposed to be completed in a two-minute period, crew chief Mark
Wunderlich then asked the truck if there were any additional
angles.

He was provided with the overhead view that showed the ball was
still on Miller's fingertips at the buzzer.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank says Wednesday "the replay was handled
by the book and the referee made the right decision," adding
there was no issue with the officials taking extra time.

Nuggets coach George Karl said he appreciates having instant
replay and that he had no problems with what seemed like an
"8-minute wait" before the final decision.

"Losing is so painful, when you win a game and lose (it) because
of a technicality, I think it's better we don't do that, we
don't put that stress, that frustration on teams and on coaches
and toward referees," Karl said Wednesday night before Denver
faced the Milwaukee Bucks.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132880-NBA-Refs-call-correct-after-Nuggets-Bulls-review</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132880-NBA-Refs-call-correct-after-Nuggets-Bulls-review</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:32:33 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Nuggets-Bucks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Denver (5-2) at Milwaukee (3-2), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Denver began its longest road trip of the season in good shape.
After stumbling a bit, the Nuggets hope to end it the same way
they started.

Coming off a last-second win, the Nuggets look to secure a
winning six-game road swing with a victory Wednesday night
against the surging Milwaukee Bucks.

Chauncey Billups hit the go-ahead free throw with six-tenths of
a second left to give Denver (6-2) a 90-89 win Tuesday at
Chicago. The Bulls' Brad Miller appeared to hit a jumper at the
buzzer, but the basket was overturned following a replay review.

The Nuggets are 3-2 on a six-game trip, which they opened with
wins over Indiana and New Jersey before falling at Miami and
125-100 to Atlanta on Saturday.

Denver managed to bounce back Tuesday despite shooting 41.7
percent and getting a season-low 20 points from Carmelo Anthony,
who's still averaging 30.0 per game. The Nuggets also caught a
break when after a lengthy review, the officials ruled Miller's
shot with three-tenths of a second left did not count.

"Fortunately I just read the rule a couple of days ago that with
three-tenths of a second you can't pivot or turn," said Nuggets
coach George Karl, who got his 939th win to move past Red
Auerbach into eighth place on the NBA's all-time list. "It
doesn't count. The longer it took, I thought the more it was in
our favor."

Anthony is averaging 24.9 points in 11 career games against
Milwaukee. He had 33 in a 120-117 road loss to the Bucks on Feb.
22.

Suspended for the season's first seven games after being
arrested for reckless driving, Denver's J.R. Smith returned
Tuesday with a new name. The veteran guard, who had five points
and five assists in 29 minutes, wants to go by his given name,
Earl Smith III.

The Nuggets will need to hope the momentum from Tuesday's
victory helps them avoid a third straight loss at Milwaukee
(3-2). Denver is averaging 106.9 points, but faces a Bucks club
that's trying for a third consecutive victory overall and hasn't
allowed an opponent to score 100 points this season.

Andrew Bogut continued his solid play with a season-high 22
points and eight rebounds in the Bucks' 102-87 win over New York
on Saturday.

Rookie guards Jodie Meeks (19 points) and Brandon Jennings (17)
helped Milwaukee set season bests for points and shooting (46.6
percent).

Bogut has picked up the slack while star Michael Redd is
sidelined with a strained tendon in his left knee. The No.1
overall pick from the 2005 draft, Bogut is averaging 18.3
points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his last three
contests.

"He's been playing real well. We need that every night from
him," said this year's Bucks first-round pick Jennings,
averaging a team-leading 18.4 points. "Now that Michael Redd is
down, he's picking up the scoring a little for us, and that's
helping us out a lot."

Bogut's improved health is a key factor in his progression. The
7-footer was limited to 36 games last season because of a back
injury.

"Physically I'm 100 percent," Bogut said. "It's more of getting
that mental rhythm back of the NBA game, the travel, the
back-to-backs, get used to that again. Otherwise, I feel fine."

Bogut is averaging 9.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in seven career
games against Denver.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132885-Nuggets-Bucks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132885-Nuggets-Bucks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:20:47 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Nuggets' Smith returns from suspension]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[CHICAGO(AP) -- Suspended for the season's first seven games,
Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith returned Tuesday with a new
outlook and a different name.

He wants to go by his given name, Earl Smith III.

Smith said there are "a lot of personal reasons" that "I can't
really explain at this time" for the switch. He went with J.R.
because he was often called "Junior," but now he's going back to
his given name as part of an effort to fix an image that's taken
some hits over the years because of a poor driving record that
resulted in the suspension.

Smith says he plans to phase in his new - or given - name over
the next few weeks, although the Nuggets plan to keep calling
him J.R. On Tuesday, Smith was expected to come off the bench
against the Chicago Bulls in his first appearance after a
tumultuous offseason.

Denver's Kenyon Martin returned after missing a game with a
bruised left fibula.

Smith went from finishing second in the voting for the NBA's
Sixth Man award and helping Denver reach the Western Conference
finals last season to spending 24 days in a New Jersey
correctional facility during the offseason after pleading guilty
to reckless driving. He was involved in an accident in 2007 that
caused the death of a passenger in his car.

"I always learn from my mistakes," Smith said. "I definitely
have a different outlook on life, on basketball, on everything."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132848-Nuggets-Smith-returns-from-suspension</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132848-Nuggets-Smith-returns-from-suspension</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:11:03 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Nuggets-Bulls Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Denver (5-2) at Chicago (4-2), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Joakim Noah gave the Chicago Bulls a great sense of optimism
following his breakout performance in last season's first-round
playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

He's been just as good, or better, in 2009-10.

Noah and the Central Division-leading Bulls look to open 4-0 at
home for the first time since the team's last championship
season Tuesday night, when they host a Denver Nuggets club
that's dropped two in a row.

Selected ninth overall by Chicago in the 2007 draft, Noah wasn't
much more than a role player during his first two seasons. In
the unforgettable playoff series versus the Celtics last spring,
though, he averaged 10.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks to
help the Bulls push the defending champions to seven games.
Noah's career averages heading into the postseason were 6.7
points, 6.6 boards and 1.1 blocks.

With forward Tyrus Thomas out for up to six weeks with a broken
left forearm, Noah has stepped up his game in 2009-10, averaging
a career-best 11.3 points, while ranking in the league's top 10
in rebounding (11.0) and blocked shots (2.3).

He had a career-high 21 points with 16 boards and four blocks in
Saturday's 93-90 win over Charlotte - Chicago's third straight
victory since back-to-back losses at Boston and Miami.

"Since I've been in Chicago (arriving via trade in February),
I've been impressed with Jo," Bulls guard John Salmons said
after hitting 9 of 16 shots and scoring a season-high 27 points
Saturday. "He's been one of those glue guys, one of those guys
that works hard."

Forward Luol Deng has also been working hard, averaging 16.7
points and 10.0 boards after missing the last 22 regular-season
games of 2008-09, and the playoffs with a stress fracture in his
right tibia.

Prior to his injury, Deng scored 22 points and grabbed 12
rebounds in a 116-99 home win over Denver on Feb. 20.

While Chicago (4-2) looks to go 4-0 at home for the first time
since the Michael Jordan-led Bulls opened with four straight
wins at the United Center in the 1997-98 championship season,
the Denver Nuggets (5-2) are trying to get back on track on what
started as a successful eastern trip.

After opening 5-0 for the first time in 24 seasons, the Nuggets
are looking to avoid a three-game skid following losses at Miami
and Atlanta.

"We didn't have enough energy. We never did get a grip," coach
George Karl said following Saturday's 125-100 loss to the Hawks.

The 125 points were the most allowed by Denver since a 127-99
defeat at the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 29, 2007.

Led by Carmelo Anthony's 31.4 points per game, Denver is among
the league's highest scoring teams, averaging 109.3. The
Nuggets, though, will face a Chicago defense that is holding
visiting teams to 85.3 points and 40.4 percent shooting.

Anthony missed 13 of 18 shots and scored 12 points in last
season's loss in Chicago.

Point guard Chauncey Billups led Denver with 25 points and six
assists in that game - the Nuggets' third straight loss at the
United Center since a 97-94 victory Jan. 16, 2006.

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose averaged 12.5 points and 6.0
assists as Chicago and Denver split two meetings in 2008-09.

The home team has won the last six matchups in this series.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132642-Nuggets-Bulls-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132642-Nuggets-Bulls-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:14:44 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Crawford, Smith help Hawks rout Nuggets]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ATLANTA(AP) -- Josh Smith had a night to remember, especially
after one he and the rest of the Atlanta Hawks would like to
forget.

Jamal Crawford scored 25 points, and Smith had 22 points, nine
rebounds, six blocked shots and seven assists in the Hawks'
125-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

The Hawks were coming off a 103-83 loss to Charlotte on Friday
night.

"It's a big statement. Having a letdown loss last night, and
being able to come in and beat the number two or three team last
year in the Western Conference. That's a big boost of
confidence," said Smith, 8 of 10 from the field and 6 of 8 from
the line.

"I had opportunities to succeed and I seized the moment. I have
wonderful guys to pass the ball to and I was really looking to
crash the boards."

The Hawks had a season-high 125 points and 30 assists.

"It's big, more mentally than anything else," Crawford said. "We
had tough loss against Charlotte last night,and we beat a tough
Denver team. We didn't lay down, and we fought. From start to
finish, I thought we were really good as a team."

The Hawks had seven players in double figures. Joe Johnson added
21 points, Marvin Williams had 14, Mo Evans 12 and Al Horford
and Mike Bibby 11 each.

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points for Denver, and Chauncey Billups
added 25. The Nuggets lost their second straight after winning
their first five. Anthony was 7 of 21 from the field and 15 of
18 from the line.

"We didn't have enough energy. We never did get a grip," Denver
coach George Karl said. "Crawford played great. Joe Johnson did
a good job. Josh Smith had an incredible game. We didn't respect
his shot blocking. We needed an A game from a lot of guys, and
we didn't get it," he said.

The Hawks scored the first 10 points of the second half to make
it 70-50. Denver never got closer than 12 points - at 90-78 less
than a minute into the final quarter.

The Hawks shot 52 percent, hitting 45 of 87 shots, including 8
of 19 3s. Bibby was 3 of 4 from 3-point range.

Both teams were coming off Friday night losses. The Hawks lost
103-83 at Charlotte, and the Nuggets fell 96-88 at Miami.

NOTES: The Nuggets were without forward Kenyon Martin. He
injured his leg Friday night. ... Karl is still seeking win No.
939 to pass Red Auerbach for eighth place on the career victory
list.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132227-Crawford-Smith-help-Hawks-rout-Nuggets</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132227-Crawford-Smith-help-Hawks-rout-Nuggets</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:27:43 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Nuggets-Hawks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Denver (5-0) at Atlanta (4-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Denver Nuggets are coming off their longest postseason run
in 24 years.

The Atlanta Hawks advanced to the second round of the playoffs
last season for the first time in a decade.

Neither team looked playoff-ready Friday.

Denver looks to rebound from its first loss of the season
Saturday night, when it faces a Hawks team returning home from a
disappointing trip.

After pushing the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers to six
games in their first Western Conference finals appearance since
1985, the Nuggets opened 2009-10 with their first 5-0 mark since
1985-86.

With the franchise-record 8-0 start within sight, Denver (5-1)
fell to Miami 96-88 on Friday. The Nuggets were averaging a
league-best 115.4 points.

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points on 12 of 22 shooting, but the
Nuggets' other starters hit a combined 6 of 20.

"I'm not going to give anyone an 'A' on this one," Nuggets coach
George Karl said. "We all have to be disappointed on how we
showed up."

If Karl is going to pick up his 939th career victory Saturday
and move past Red Auerbach for eighth place on the all-time
coaching wins list, he likely won't have forward Kenyon Martin,
who left Friday's game in the second quarter with a leg injury.

Karl said Martin could be sidelined for "a week or two."

The Nuggets will also continue to be without guard J.R. Smith,
who serves the final game of his suspension Saturday, stemming
from his guilty plea for reckless driving in an accident that
killed his friend in 2007.

While Denver tries to get its six-game eastern trip back on
track, the Hawks (4-2) are hoping to erase bad memories of
Friday's 103-83 loss at Charlotte.

Atlanta shot a season-low 39.8 percent from the field and was
handed its worst defeat since a 121-97 loss to Los Angeles
Clippers on Feb. 7.

"Ain't no way (Charlotte) is 20-some points better than us,"
guard Joe Johnson said after scoring a season-low 13. "It can't
continue to go like this."

Johnson, though, continued by calling out his teammates
following the Hawks' 2-of-16 effort from 3-point range.

"Everybody who touches (the ball) wants to score," he said. "I
really think guys on this team don't know their roles, so it's
killing us. And it's going to continue to kill us."

Atlanta, though, looks for its third straight home win. The
Hawks were 31-10 at Philips Arena last season when they defeated
Miami in seven games for their first playoff series win since
1999.

In Denver's last visit to Atlanta, the Hawks won 109-91 on Dec.
29 behind Johnson's 25 points and 16 points and 10 rebounds from
Al Horford.

Anthony picked up a technical foul in that game while scoring 16
points on 4 of 17 shooting. He is averaging 25.0 points and 7.8
boards in six career games in Atlanta.

The Nuggets have lost two in a row and seven of 35 all-time
visiting the Hawks. Denver's last victory in Atlanta was 100-87
on Dec. 12, 2006.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131972-Nuggets-Hawks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131972-Nuggets-Hawks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:12:40 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Heat deal Nuggets 1st loss of year, 96-88]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI(AP) -- By the time Dwyane Wade got rolling, the Miami Heat
were already in control.

That's just fine with the reigning NBA scoring champion.

Wade scored 22 points, Jermaine O'Neal added 18 and the Heat
dealt the Denver Nuggets their first loss of the season, 96-88
on Friday night.

Mario Chalmers scored 16 points, Quentin Richardson added 13 and
Udonis Haslem finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the
Heat, who are 5-1 for only the third time in their 22 seasons
and beat Denver for the first time since Dec. 17, 2004.

"As I continue to keep saying, it's going to take that for us to
be successful," Wade said of the balanced scoring punch. "I
enjoyed it. I really did."

Denver (5-1) got 30 points from Carmelo Anthony, and little from
anyone else. Take away Anthony, and the high-powered Nuggets
shot only 12 for 35 through the first 36 minutes, getting
outscored 14-0 over a 6-minute stretch spanning the second and
third quarters.

Reserve Arron Afflalo scored 18 for the Nuggets, who were held
more than 27 points below their season average.

"I'm not going to give anyone an 'A' on this one," said Nuggets
coach George Karl, who remained tied with Red Auerbach for
eighth on the NBA coaching wins list with 938. "We all have to
be disappointed on how we showed up."

Making matters worse for Denver, Kenyon Martin got hurt again.

He left in the second quarter with what the team said was a
lower left leg contusion. Karl said Martin will likely get
further tests Saturday and could be out "a week or two."

"When one person goes down, that's why everybody else gets paid
to play," Nuggets guard Anthony Carter said. "Kenyon ain't the
whole team."

Wade started slowly, and it didn't matter. He missed his first
five shots, not getting one to drop until 1:34 remained in the
first half. His jumper with 4:12 left in the third gave him 11
points, extending his Heat-record streak of consecutive
double-digit games to 100.

The tempo clearly went Miami's way throughout.

Denver came in averaging 53.8 first-half points. The Nuggets
didn't come close to that Friday, going into the break down
50-38. It was the fourth time in six games Denver trailed at
halftime, with the other three each by one point.

There wouldn't be a comeback this time.

Miami scored 17 of the first half's final 22 points, and just
kept rolling after halftime.

Wade made a jumper 20 seconds into the third quarter, matching
his total field goal showing from the entire first half.
Chalmers then made another 3-pointer, and O'Neal connected off
an assist from Wade for a 57-38 lead, capping what was a 24-5
spurt over a span of about 9 minutes.

"For large stretches of the game, we played really well," Heat
coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Once Chalmers got into a groove, he put together his best
stretch of the season.

All in a span of about 2 minutes, he got past Chauncey Billups
for a reverse layup, made another 3-pointer (he was 6 for 7 from
the field at the time) and split the lane with a nifty bounce
pass to O'Neal for a 68-44 lead with 5:18 left in the third.

"We got some stops and just went on from there," Chalmers said.

It got interesting down the stretch: Afflalo's layup with 3:47
left made it 93-82, the closest Denver had been since late in
the first half. But the Heat held the ball for more than a
minute on one late possession, offensive rebounds by Haslem and
Richardson helping seal the win.

"Obviously, once we got going, we were tough to stop," O'Neal
said.

NOTES: A pregame moment of silence was held for those killed
Thursday at Fort Hood. ... Denver was again without J.R. Smith,
who is still suspended by the NBA. He made 19 3-pointers in his
last five games against Miami. ... Celeb night: Flo Rida was
seated next to Wade's mother, Jolinda, who was celebrating her
55th birthday. Other stars included Lil' Wayne, Jon Secada and
former University of Miami standout Bryant McKinnie of the
Minnesota Vikings.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131909-Heat-deal-Nuggets-1st-loss-of-year-96-88</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131909-Heat-deal-Nuggets-1st-loss-of-year-96-88</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:02:05 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Nuggets-Heat Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Denver (5-0) at Miami (4-1), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Carmelo Anthony has cooled off since his red-hot start, but the
Denver Nuggets keep winning.

As they continue a season-high six-game road trip, the Nuggets
look to match their best start in 24 years by extending their
dominance over the Miami Heat on Friday night.

Anthony averaged a league-best 37.7 points on 53.6 percent
shooting for Denver (5-0) in its first three wins but shot 34.1
percent over the past two games, scoring a combined 47 points.

Anthony didn't lead the Nuggets in scoring for the first time
Wednesday, finishing with a season-low 22 points and shooting 8
of 24 in a 122-94 win over New Jersey.

His teammates carried Denver to the victory instead, as five
other Nuggets scored in double figures, led by rookie reserve
guard Ty Lawson with 23.

Denver scored 44 points in the third quarter and Anthony shook
off a 1-for-11 performance in the first half to score 11 in the
period. Chauncey Billups scored all 12 of his points in the
third for the Nuggets, who lead the NBA with 115.4 points per
game.

"The first half, we couldn't it going at all," Billups said.
"There are not many times when 'Melo and I are off at the same
time. But the bench came in and did a great job. Sometimes, the
shots don't go, but we just had to regroup at halftime and get
the job done."

Denver scored at least 110 points in 11 of its last 14
regular-season games.

The Nuggets, who haven't started 6-0 since 1985-86, play a
winning team for the first time Friday in the third game of
their trip. They also face the league scoring leader from last
season, Dwyane Wade.

The Heat (4-1) bounced back from their first loss as Wade had a
season-high 40 points in a 93-89 victory at Washington on
Wednesday night.

"This was one of those games where you have to will your team to
victory as the leader," Wade said. "As the guy they look to, I
took it upon myself to get the job done."

Wade averaged a career-best 30.2 points in 2008-09 and is at
29.2 this season. However, he couldn't score enough to snap the
Heat's lengthy losing streak to the Nuggets last season despite
averaging 32.0 points and shooting 55.6 percent in the two
meetings.

Denver has won eight straight against the Heat overall and five
in a row at Miami. The Nuggets took 12 of the past 14 meetings
after losing 18 of 21, including 13 in a row, to begin the
all-time series.

Anthony, who has averaged a team-best 28.4 points during the win
streak over the Heat, missed the first matchup last season with
a fractured right hand. He was 5 of 15 while scoring 19 points
in a 99-82 win at Miami on Feb. 10.

Billups averaged a team-leading 22.0 points on 56.7 percent
shooting versus the Heat in 2008-09. The point guard is scoring
21.0 points a game this season.

Anthony and Billups will face a Miami club that is among the
league's top defensive teams, allowing 91.2 points per game.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131553-Nuggets-Heat-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131553-Nuggets-Heat-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:27:24 GMT</pubDate>
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