Hawks-Nuggets Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Mar 13 2012 1:07PM

Last year, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Atlanta Hawks twice as part of their surge to earn a playoff spot after dealing away Carmelo Anthony.

Back then, however, Josh Smith wasn't playing like this.

A red-hot Smith leads the Hawks into Denver as the two teams meet for the lone time this season Tuesday night.

Denver (23-19) went 18-7 after sending Anthony to New York to gain an eighth straight postseason berth a season ago. Included in that stretch were victories by an average of 12.5 points over Atlanta (24-17).

In those two games, however, Smith totaled just 23 points combined. In six March games this season, he is averaging 25.5 points - seventh in the league over that span - on 50.0 percent shooting while adding 9.8 rebounds per game.

While the Nuggets were able to pull together after Anthony departed, the Hawks will soon have to figure out how Smith fits into their long-term plans. The eighth-year forward is turning in perhaps his best season, with career-high averages of 17.4 points and 9.6 rebounds. Yet rumors of his unhappiness in Atlanta have swirled, the NBA trade deadline is Thursday and the Hawks suddenly find themselves with quite a valuable commodity.

Smith scored 28 in Sunday's 106-99 win at Sacramento, and addressed his situation afterward.

"I'm here. I have one more year on my contract. We'll see what happens," Smith said, refusing to elaborate. "I'll just keep doing what I'm doing."

His coach, Larry Drew, hopes he'll continue to do it in a Hawks uniform.

"Josh has really been Superman for us," Drew said. "He's been playing a lot of minutes and doing it at both ends of the floor. He's playing absolutely super."

While Smith wasn't at his best last season against the Nuggets - shooting 34.8 percent to go with 7.0 boards and suffering a knee injury in Denver - the first of his three career triple-doubles came there Jan. 23, 2008, with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

These teams are both in sixth place in their respective conferences. Both have lost two of three although Denver has won five of seven and Atlanta four of six.

Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari made his first start since Feb. 6 on Sunday in his fourth game back after missing 13 with a severely sprained left ankle. Gallinari was held scoreless for the first time since Jan. 11, 2010, and is averaging 4.5 points on 5-of-25 shooting since returning.

The 6-foot-10 Italian averaged 17.0 points on 44.7 percent shooting before getting hurt.

"I'm sure he's frustrated," coach George Karl told the Nuggets' official website. "I was going to play him a little bit more down the stretch (Sunday), but I just thought Corey (Brewer) was playing at a much higher level."

Brewer was one of three Nuggets to tie for the team lead with 15 points in Sunday's 94-91 home loss to Memphis. Andre Miller scored 14 but also matched a season high with six turnovers, the same number as Ty Lawson as Denver had 24 giveaways.

Atlanta has dropped its last four visits to Denver, which was 9-0 against East foes before Wednesday's 100-99 home loss to Cleveland.

Nene's 22 points lifts Nuggets past Hawks in OT

Posted Mar 14 2012 2:19AM

DENVER (AP) Danilo Gallinari picked a good time to have a breakout game.

Gallinari had 19 points, including a key 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and then made a big defensive play in the final seconds of overtime as the Denver Nuggets beat the Atlanta Hawks 118-117 on Tuesday night.

It was Gallinari's best game since returning from a monthlong absence due to a severely sprained left ankle.

"I'm feeling better with my ankle and my legs," he said. "You sit out more than a month you're legs are not the same. It's going to take a while but I'm feeling better."

Nene scored 22 points, Ty Lawson had 21 points and seven assists for the Nuggets, who have escaped with overtime wins twice in the first five games of their nine-game homestand.

"Atlanta had their moments, we had our moments. There were so many twists to that game," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We won it, they won it, we won it, they won it, we won it. Ping pong back and forth. Way too offensive minded for me."

Joe Johnson scored a season-high 34 points and Josh Smith also had a season-high with 33 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who had a chance to win it at the buzzer.

Trailing by one with 3.5 seconds left, Atlanta got the ball to Zaza Pachulia at the foul line. He drove the open lane before Gallinari rotated over to disrupt the play, and Pachulia missed a layup off the glass with 2.2 seconds left and Denver grabbed the rebound.

"There wasn't anything wrong with our execution. We ran it just like it was designed," Atlanta coach Larry Drew said. "It was the best executed play we ran all night."

Johnson took control in overtime after Smith fouled out, scoring seven straight points to give Atlanta a 117-112 lead. However, Denver came back and took a one-point lead on two free throws by Nene with 26 seconds left.

"I looked like Ray Allen right there," he said.

Without Smith in the game the Nuggets blanketed Johnson on the final play. He found Pachulia open and fed him.

"I just missed it," Pachulia said.

Before the game Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson tried to dispel trade rumors surrounding Smith, saying "the likelihood of us trading Josh at the trade deadline is as close to zero as you can get."

Smith shrugged off the rumors after the game.

"The talk was talk. Nothing but rumors. All rumors," he said. "Unless you heard it coming from my mouth, you knew it was a rumor. I was always going to be a part of this program."

Smith's play wasn't impacted by the rumors or Thursday's trade deadline, especially in the fourth when he scored 15 points and put the Hawks ahead 104-102 with 29 seconds left.

Lawson drove the lane but his layup went off the side of the rim with 15 seconds left. An Atlanta turnover with 9 seconds left gave Denver another chance, and Gallinari made a 3-pointer as he fell out of bounds to give Denver a 105-104 lead with 3.9 seconds left.

"I was feeling pretty good," Gallinari said. "When I went up my lift felt pretty good, it was a tough shot and I made it."

Hinrich was fouled and hit 1 of 2 free throws with 1.1 seconds left to send it to overtime. Hinrich finished with a season-high 22 points.

"That was disturbing," he said. "I made the harder one, the first one, and I couldn't make the last one at the end of the game."

Atlanta's outside shooting kept the game close for most of the first half. The Johnson had 15 points and Smith scored 13 for the Hawks, who hit 8 of 14 from behind the 3-point line before intermission.

The Nuggets countered with a balanced scoring attack that had four players in double digits at the break.

Lawson led the way with 12, including two 3s in the final 62 seconds of the first half to help the Nuggets extend the lead to 64-55.

NOTES: Smith's career high is 38 set Nov. 17, 2007, vs. Milwaukee. ... Al Harrington scored 19 points off the bench for Denver. ... Hawks G Willie Green (back spasms/right hamstring) did not play and F Ivan Johnson was not with the team due to personal reasons. ... Nuggets F Kosta Koufas was dressed but did not play. He has missed six games with a strained left knee.

Notebook: Nuggets 118, Hawks 117

Posted Wednesday March 14, 2012 1:04AM

By Michael Kelly, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Danilo Gallinari hit a key 3-pointer at the end of regulation and then successfully defended Zaza Pachulia's last-second layup to help lift the Denver Nuggets over the Atlanta Hawks in overtime, 118-117 on Tuesday.

Gallinari finished with 19 points, Nene had 22 and Ty Lawson 21 for the Nuggets, who won for the second time in overtime on their current nine-game homestand.

Joe Johnson scored a season-high 34 points and Josh Smith also had a season-high 33 to go along with 13 rebounds for the Hawks.

Pachulia also had 13 rebounds before missing the potential game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds left.

QUOTABLE: "There wasn't anything wrong with our execution. We ran it just like it was designed. It was the best executed play we ran all night."
-- Atlanta coach Larry Drew, on the missed layup by Pachulia.

THE STAT: Nene came into the game shooting 66 percent from the free-throw line but was 6-for-6 from there Tuesday. His biggest free throws came with 26 seconds left in overtime that gave Denver the lead for good.

TURNING POINT: The Hawks seemed in control when they led by two and had the ball with nine seconds left in overtime. But a turnover led to Gallinari's corner 3-pointer that put Denver ahead 105-104. Then, with 1.1 seconds left, Kirk Hinrich stepped to the line with a chance to win it and hit just 1-for-2 free throws, forcing overtime.

QUOTABLE II: "That was disturbing. I made the harder one, the first one. And I couldn't make the last one at the end of the game."
-- Kirk Hinrich, on his two free throws.

HOT: Smith's fourth quarter. He scored 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting and his layup with 29 seconds left put the Hawks ahead 104-102. After he fouled out in overtime, Johnson took over with seven straight points that gave Atlanta a 117-112 lead.

NOT: Atlanta's defense in the first 24 minutes. Denver shot 60 percent in the first half and scored 64 points. The Hawks tightened things up in the second half and overtime.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson said before the game there was "close to a zero chance" of the team trading Smith before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trading deadline. Levenson said he wanted to dispel the rumors that reported Smith wanted out of Atlanta.

GOOD MOVE: Gallinari had his best game since returning from a severely sprained left ankle. The forward was assertive and active on both ends of the floor throughout the game, showing that he is finally finding his rhythm after struggling for three games.

QUOTABLE III: "I'm feeling better with my ankle and my legs. You sit out more than a month you're legs are not the same. It's going to take a while but I'm feeling better."
-- Danilo Gallinari.

BAD MOVE: Corey Brewer gave the Nuggets a chance by forcing a turnover with nine seconds left in regulation. But his aggressive defense on Hinrich gave the guard two free throws that nearly cost them the game.

NOTABLE: Hawks forward Marvin Williams was injured and wasn't available at the end of regulation and in overtime except to inbounds the ball. ... Smith has scored 30 or more points four times this season.

UP NEXT: For the Hawks, Wednesday @ L.A. Clippers, Friday vs. Washington, Sunday @ Cleveland. For the Nuggets, Thursday vs. Oklahoma City, Saturday vs. Boston, Monday vs. Dallas.

• Hawks: Collins, Horford
• Nuggets: Stone

• Hawks: Drew
• Nuggets: --

• Lead Changes: 19
• Times Tied: 13

• Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
• Officials: #7 Kevin Fehr, #20 Leroy Richardson, #57 Greg Willard
• Attendance: 15594
• Duration: 2:38