Martin leads ‘Melo-less Nuggets by Spurs
January 31, 2010
SAN ANTONIO (AP)—Kenyon Martin(notes) scored 27 points and the Denver Nuggets wonagain without Carmelo Anthony(notes), beating the San Antonio Spurs 103-89 on Sunday.
The NBA’s leading scorer missed his fourth consecutive game with a sprainedankle but the Nuggets still bounced back after Oklahoma City pummeled themFriday, ending Denver’s eight-game win streak. Anthony could return Monday.
Chauncey Billups(notes) scored 25 and J.R Smith had 18 for the Nuggets, who’vebreezed through the new year so far. Denver went 12-3 in January.
George Hill(notes) scored 17 points in place of San Antonio’s own injured star,Tony Parker(notes). The point guard sat out for the second game with a left anklesprain.
Parker’s timetable for a return is unknown, but San Antonio will want himback for what comes next: An eight-game, 3 1/2 -week road trip that figures to weighheavily for the underachieving Spurs.
The Spurs will embark for their annual Rodeo Road Trip having squandered asix-game homestand, going 2-4. San Antonio went 8-8 in January and seemed toshow that its problems run deeper than just breaking in a slew of new faces.
Defense did the Spurs in again. The Nuggets shot 54 percent from the fieldand made 9 of 12 from behind the 3-point arc.
Nuggets coach George Karl said he expected Anthony to try to play Mondayagainst Sacramento, when Denver returns home following a three-game road trip.The Nuggets have gone 3-1 without Anthony.
Before the game, Karl said the expected fast pace of the game held Anthonyout much as anything. He said Anthony still wasn’t comfortable making sharpmoves.
Karl was right: The Spurs did push the ball, but the Nuggets ran away by theend. Antonio McDyess(notes) hit a 19-foot jumper with 3:24 left to get the Spurs within87-85, but the Nuggets scored on their last seven possessions.
Tim Duncan(notes) had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs. Manu Ginobili(notes) added14 points.
NOTES: Spurs F Michael Finley(notes) played for the first time since Dec. 5, whenhe injured his left ankle in a loss to Denver the last time the Nuggets were intown. He missed two shots in 6 minutes. …The Spurs used their 15th differentstarting lineup, with Hill and Roger Mason(notes) Jr. starting in the backcourttogether for the first time.