Nuggets-Kings Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Jan 25 2012 4:17PM

Despite lacking a true superstar, the Denver Nuggets own one of the NBA's best records.

The team without a go-to scorer is also in position to accomplish something that's never been done in the franchise's 36-year history in the league.

The Nuggets look to complete a perfect five-game road trip for the first time Wednesday night when they meet the Sacramento Kings, who are coming off a pair of lopsided defeats and will be without leading scorer Marcus Thornton.

Denver (12-5) is in second place in the Western Conference and has won six of seven, with the last four victories coming on the trip that started with last Tuesday's 105-95 win over Milwaukee.

The Nuggets have since picked up victories in Philadelphia, Washington and New York, and they have the opportunity to finish undefeated on a trip of at least five games for the first time since joining the NBA in 1976-77.

The last three wins haven't come easy, though. Denver went to overtime against the 76ers, beat the NBA-worst Wizards by four points and needed two overtimes to outlast the Knicks.

Danilo Gallinari had a career-high 37 points against his former team in Saturday's 119-114 win at Madison Square Garden, and Al Harrington scored 22 of his 24 points after halftime.

"The New York game was just a mental toughness fight of trying to figure out how to win that game," coach George Karl told the Nuggets' official website. "I still don't know exactly how we did it. Our fortitude to stay involved in the game was pretty incredible stuff.

"There's a good feel right now. The big thing is not to get too happy and give something back like a game in Sacramento, where if we play the right way, we have a good chance of winning."

The Nuggets have won five of six over the Kings, but only one of those victories came in Sacramento. They've lost four of five at Power Balance Pavilion.

Denver had no trouble with the Kings at home Jan. 4, winning 110-83. The Nuggets showed off their great depth, finishing with a season-high 62 bench points as each of their 12 players scored at least six.

Denver is one of the league's highest-scoring teams at 105.5 points per game and has six players averaging in double digits. Gallinari is averaging a team-best 17.4 points but has been the Nuggets' leading scorer only eight times.

"Hopefully people are realizing we've got a lot of skill and a lot of talent," Karl said. "Everybody wants to say we don't have a star. You don't know who our star's going to be on that night. It can be one of four or five guys."

The Kings (6-12) similarly don't have a proven star, but they also don't have the same depth. Thornton, averaging 16.4 points, has missed four games with a deep thigh bruise and will be sidelined one to two weeks because of the injury.

Rookie guard Jimmer Fredette is expected to see his minutes increase in Thornton's absence.

Tyreke Evans, second on the team with 16.1 points per game, shot 2 for 10 and scored nine points in a 101-89 loss to Portland on Monday.

The Kings, who suffered a 33-point loss in Memphis on Saturday, trailed 33-31 midway through the second quarter Monday before the Trail Blazers went on a 13-0 run to put the game out of reach.

"The second quarter got away from us toward the end," said coach Keith Smart, who is 4-7 since taking over for Paul Westphal. "It only takes a couple of moments."

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds Monday, scored a season-best 26 in Denver earlier this month. He helped carry the offense after Evans left midway through the game with an illness.

Gallinari helps Nuggets rout Kings

Posted Jan 26 2012 12:45AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Danilo Gallinari celebrated a contract extension by scoring 21 of his 23 points in the first half and the Denver Nuggets routed the Sacramento Kings 122-93 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory and fifth in a row on the road.

Denver led by 23 points at the half and scored the first eight points of the third quarter. They have won five consecutive road wins for the first time since joining the NBA in 1976-77.

The Nuggets, who have the second-best record in the Western Conference at 13-5, signed Gallinari to a four-year, $42 million contract extension earlier in the day.

Nene had 16 points for Denver, 7-3 on the road. Andre Miller added 15 points and 10 assists, Corey Brewer also had 15 points, Ty Lawson 11, and Al Harrington 10.

Rookie Jimmer Fredette scored 19 points for the Kings, who never got the lead under 20 points in the second half. DeMarcus Cousins had 17 points and 15 rebounds, Isaiah Thomas scored 16 points, and Tyreke Evans had 12 and seven assists.

They had an NBA-high 92 points in the paint and only three of their first 41 baskets were outside that area. The Kings also allowed the previous points-in-the-paint high this season, giving up 72 in a Jan. 3 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

With Carmelo Anthony now playing with the New York Knicks, the Nuggets envision the 23-year-old Gallinari becoming the face of the franchise. And Gallinari responded by playing like an All-Star in the opening half.

He made 7 of 10 shots, hit all seven free throws, and blocked two shots in 21 minutes.

Denver shot nearly 60 percent and had its running game on display in assuming a 66-43 halftime lead. The Nuggets scored off the break and got numerous easy opportunities inside, their 46 points in the paint more than the Kings had overall.

Ahead by six points after one quarter, the Nuggets outscored Sacramento 34-17 in the second. Denver bothered the youthful Kings at the defensive end and capitalized at the other end. Gallinari scored 14 points and Harrington had eight in the quarter.

Despite the big halftime lead, the Nuggets experienced no letdown in the third quarter. The lead reached in the third when Denver continued its torrid shooting and outscored sluggish Sacramento 28-22.

Earlier in the day, the Kings announced that leading scorer Marcus Thornton is expected to miss one or two weeks with a deep bruise in his left thigh. Thornton, who is averaging 16.4 points, was replaced in the starting lineup by Fredette.

The struggling Kings, who are the NBA's youngest team, were coming off a pair of road losses, including a humbling 128-95 loss on Saturday to Memphis. The Kings are 4-8 under Keith Smart, who replaced fired Paul Westphal seven games into the season.

NOTES: The Nuggets also signed backup center Kosta Koufos to a three-year, $9 million contract extension. Kings forward Chuck Hayes, who has missed 11 straight games with a dislocated left shoulder, might return to the active roster Saturday against Utah. Denver played its second straight game without starting guard Arron Afflalo, who is out with a right groin injury. ... Mild-mannered and sitting on the bench for much of the first half, Nuggets coach George Karl still managed to pick up a technical foul late in the second quarter with his team ahead by 21 points.

Notebook: Nuggets 122, Kings 93

By James Ham, for NBA.com
Posted Thursday January 26, 2012 1:14AM

THE FACTS: The Denver Nuggets walked into Power Balance Pavilion and pummeled the Sacramento Kings by a score of 122-93.

Danilo Gallinari led the attack for the Nuggets, who finished with seven players in double figures. Ty Lawson played only 15 minutes before rolling his left ankle in the second quarter, but still finished with 11 points and three assists.

DeMarcus Cousins tallied yet another double-double for the Kings, scoring 17 points and 15 rebounds. Starting in place of the injured Marcus Thornton, rookie Jimmer Fredette added 19 points on 6-for-13 shooting in the losing effort for the Kings.

QUOTABLE: "You can't escape and go hide on the bench and let someone else play and say that's not me."
-- Warriors coach Keith Smart on leaving his starters in the game during fourth quarter in a blowout loss

THE STAT: The Nuggets outscored the Kings in the paint 92-40 on the evening. To put that number in perspective, the Kings only scored 93 total points. The 92 points in the paint is the most since they started being tracked in 2000-01.

TURNING POINT: The Nuggets came out in the second quarter and kicked the Kings in the teeth. Leading 32-26 after one, the Nuggets outscored the Kings 34-17 in the second and took a 66-43 lead into halftime.

QUOTABLE II: "That's not what I expected and I'm sure our fans didn't expect that either. Kind of an embarrassing moment for our fans to watch us play that way."
-- Keith Smart on the 29-point home loss to the Nuggets

HOT: The Kings had no answer for Gallinari in the first half. He scored 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting and added another six points from the line.

NOT: John Salmons continued his downward spiral in Sacramento. The veteran wing scored five points in 24 minutes and was on the receiving end of the Gallinari show for most of the first half.

GOOD MOVE: Nuggets coach George Karl could do no wrong. It didn't matter who he put on the floor, his entire team knew the game plan and executed it perfectly.

BAD MOVE: Coach Smart should have given the 6-foot-10 Donté Greene a chance to defend Gallinari in the first half, while the game was still in question. He also could have tried a zone defense earlier int he game to try and force the Nuggets out of the paint.

NOTABLE: Fredette continued his recent surge, scoring 19 points on the night. Over his last three games, the BYU product is averaging 17.3 points.

UP NEXT: For the Nuggets, Friday vs. Toronto, Sunday vs. Clippers, Tuesday @ Memphis. For the Kings, Saturday @ Utah, Tuesday @ Golden State, Thursday vs. Portland.

• Nuggets: Carroll, Mozgov
• Kings: Whiteside

• Nuggets: Karl
• Kings: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, CA
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #11 Derrick Collins, #50 Olandis Poole
• Attendance: 12097
• Duration: 2:08