By Caleb Hersch
Posted at 10:25 pm, February 3

A wild game at the Rose Garden finished in dramatic fashion as the Trail Blazers were knocked off in overtime by the Denver Nuggets.

Allen Iverson hit a fade-away jumper with 0.9 seconds remaining in the extra period as the Trail Blazers came back from a 17-point deficit and fell just short of a victory.

Brandon Roy led the Trail Blazers with 26 points and added seven rebounds and eight points, nearly matching his first-career triple-double from Friday night.

Jarrett Jack was even closer to a triple-double as he spurred the Trail Blazers on during the fourth quarter. Jack finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and also had three steals.

Carmelo Anthony led all players with 28 points and 15 rebounds. He also added five assists. Iverson finished with 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

Roy was frustrated with the loss, particularly another last-second defeat.

"It's tough when you lose on a buzzer-killer," Roy said. "That's what makes them (the Nuggets) tough. That Cleveland one still stings too (LeBron Jame's buzzer-beater last Wednesday). We had a chance to win the game. We played extremely hard but we just lost."

The Trail Blazers started the game with 11 missed shots, falling behind 12-4 before Channing Frye hit a jump-shot over seven minutes into the game. The Trail Blazers would finish the first quarter with just 14 points on 20% shooting, but the Nuggets failed to take advantage and scored only 20 points themselves.

The Nuggets opened the second quarter with a 13-3 run and would lead by as many as 17 points. The Trail Blazers responded with a 14-2 run and the first half ended with the Nuggets leading by six.

The third quarter saw Martell Webster take over the game. Webster scored 15 points in the third and sparked another 14-2 run that opened the quarter. The Trail Blazers would lead by as many as seven points during the third, but finished the quarter in a tie after an incredible sequence.

The Nuggets scored six points in under 23 seconds at the end of the quarter. Anthony converted a three-point play and Iverson stole the ball with 0.9 seconds and hit a half-court shot to tie the game as time expired.

The fourth quarter was more even, but no less exciting. The Nuggets came out hot and took a six-point lead, but the Trail Blazers stormed back to take a six-point lead of their own. The Trail Blazers led by four with 1:39 to play, but a Linas Kleiza dunk and Iverson three-pointer gave the Nuggets a one-point edge with less than 40 seconds remaining in regulation.

Travis Outlaw was then fouled on a jump-shot attempt with 2.9 seconds to play, giving the Trail Blazers a chance to win. Outlaw missed the first free throw, but made the second to tie the game. Iverson's last-second attempt wasn't close and the game went into overtime.

Overtime was light on the scoring, but shooting accuracy was all to important. Webster was fouled on a three-point attempt, but missed two of his three free throws and was unable to give the Trail Blazers a lead. Roy's jump shot gave Portland an edge, but Anthony immediately tied the game with a lay-up.

The next 1:55 was scoreless until Iverson hit his fade-away to win the game.

The Trail Blazers shot 41% for the game, but made just 1-of-7 shots during overtime. The Nuggets fared no better from the field, but Iverson and Anthony came through in the clutch.

The Nuggets victory can be attributed to their play inside. The Nuggets outscored the Trail Blazers 60-20 inside the painted area.

Steve Blake came up big alongside Martell Webster in the third quarter and finished with 11 points and nine assists. Outlaw finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.

LaMarcus Aldridge struggled offensively, but found other ways to contribute. Aldridge grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots while scoring just four points on 2-of-9 shooting. His energy on the boards was a big part of the Trail Blazers success in the second half.

The Trail Blazers shared the ball incredibly well tonight during their comeback. The Trail Blazers made 38 shots and picked up 31 assists.

Without James Jones in the lineup, the Trail Blazers managed to continue their success beyond the arc. The Trail Blazers made 9-of-22 from deep, as Webster, Blake and Jack each made three.

Roy recognizes that teams have adjusted their attitudes before playing this Trail Blazers team.

"Teams are going to play us good like that rest of the season," Roy said. "I told the guys to keep their heads up and keep playing hard."

The Trail Blazers host the Chicago Bulls at the Rose Garden on Wednesday night. The Bulls have not lived up to preseason expectations, but the Trail Blazers will not take their visit lightly.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

The game is at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on Comcast Sports Network. As always, the game can be heard on 750am KXL.

Boxscore | Video Highlights