Bucks beat Nuggets despite late night
March 21, 2010
DENVER (AP)—Even with Andrew Bogut(notes) ineffective and in foul trouble, theMilwaukee Bucks secured their signature road victory, beating the Denver Nuggets102-97 on Saturday night.
Carlos Delfino(notes) had 26 points, and John Salmons(notes) added 21 to make up forBogut’s off-night as the Bucks won even though they didn’t reach their hoteluntil 3 a.m. following a double-overtime win at Sacramento.
The Nuggets fell to 14-2 at home when facing a team playing the second ofback-to-back games. They had won seven straight games overall at home and were30-5 at the Pepsi Center coming in.
Bogut, who averages 16.3 points and 10.4 rebounds, was limited to two pointsand three rebounds in 15 minutes.
Carmelo Anthony(notes) and Chauncey Billups(notes) each scored 29 points for Denver, butAnthony missed a series of shots in the final minutes when the Nuggets weredesperately trying to catch up.
Despite a late night in California, the Bucks didn’t look the least bitlethargic.
They stayed close all game and surged ahead 69-61 with 5 1/2 minutes left inthe third quarter thanks to a 7-0 spurt that was highlighted by BrandonJennings’(notes) running jumper.
The Nuggets closed the quarter on a 15-7 run to tie it up at 76, and theywould have taken the lead into the fourth quarter if not for Chris Andersen(notes)missing his second slam dunk, this one a one-handed put-back that rattled out atthe buzzer.
Salmons stepped back behind the line and swished a 3-pointer that broke atie at 78, and the Bucks didn’t trail again.
The Nuggets could have tied it at 93 with 2:40 left but J.R. Smith’s(notes)3-pointer rattled out.
After Anthony sank one of two free throws to pull Denver to 97-95 with 1:28left, Ersan Ilyasova(notes) (14 points) was left open underneath the basket for an easylayup when the Nuggets trapped Jennings on the wing.
Anthony turned it over at the other end, and Kurt Thomas(notes) hit a free throw togive Milwaukee a 100-95 lead with 36 seconds left, and Salmons sank two foulshots with 14 seconds left to ice it.
The Nuggets took a 54-53 lead into the locker room thanks to two free throwsby Billups with 1.9 seconds left after he had nailed a 3-pointer from the top ofthe key in which he scooped up an errant pass at his shoelaces and popped thenet.
Anthony appeared to hurt his left wrist in a scramble for the reboundunderneath the Bucks’ basket late in the first quarter, then took himself outwhile grimacing. But he returned after a few minutes.
This was the seventh game Nuggets coach George Karl has skipped sinceannouncing a month ago he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Acting headcoach Adrian Dantley fell to 5-2 in place of Karl.
NOTES: Andersen had his 500th career block in the first half. … The gamewas tied at 44 in the first half despite a huge disparity in free throws: 19 forDenver, one for Milwaukee.