The Nuggets Beat -- March 2010 Entries

Billups due to break out of slump
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-31-2010

Chauncey Billups goes into every season knowing there will be stretches of games when his shot just won’t fall.

Unfortunately, his accuracy has abandoned him at the worst possible time.

The Nuggets' floor leader is 32-for-109 (29.4 percent) from the field, including 10-for-45 from 3-point range, over the last eight games. Denver is 3-5 in that two-week span, dropping from second in the Western Conference to fifth.

“I haven’t been able to hit shots for a couple weeks now,” Billups said Wednesday. “Honestly, I kind of feel like when I am going through stretches like that, it’s tough for us to win because guys depend on me to score and make shots and make plays.”

Billups can deliver a back-breaking shot with the best of them, but he probably needs to be more selective as Denver tries to chase down Utah for the Northwest Division title. The Nuggets are at their best when he is attacking the basket to create an easy shot for himself or one of his big men or kicking the ball out to shooters on the perimeter.

With rookie Ty Lawson regaining his form after a shoulder injury, the Nuggets also could use Billups at shooting guard at times, particularly against smaller lineups such as the one they’ll face Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

“Even if I’m not making shots, it doesn’t affect any other part of my game,” Billups said. "I don’t hang my head and say, 'All right, it’s just a bad game.' I try to get other guys to make plays. I don’t really get too down because I know I go through that a couple times a year. It’s been a couple weeks now, so I look forward to coming out of it.”

Playoff chase could determine coaching award
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-30-2010

When discussing the race for NBA Coach of the Year, there’s no reason to look outside the Northwest Division.

George Karl in Denver. Jerry Sloan in Utah. Scott Brooks in Oklahoma City. Nate McMillan in Portland.

All others need not apply.

It will be interesting to see if NBA beat writers and broadcasters see it the same way when they start casting their ballots in a couple weeks.

Karl will be a sentimental favorite because of his bout with throat and neck cancer, but he also deserves consideration on the merits. The Nuggets are 6-6 in the games Karl has missed while going through radiation and chemotherapy treatments, compared to 42-21 when he is on the bench.

Denver (48-27) also is closing in on its third straight 50-win season despite playing large chunks of games without injured starters Kenyon Martin (20 games and counting), Carmelo Anthony (13) and Chauncey Billups (9).

Karl’s ability to succeed without key players was evidently handed down to McMillan, who played for Karl for seven seasons in Seattle.

Centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla are among 12 Portland players who have missed nearly 300 games due to injury, yet the Trail Blazers are sixth in the West, just two games off their pace of last year when they won 54 games.

Like McMillan, Brooks took notes under Karl, serving as one of his top assistants with the Nuggets from 2004-06. Under Brooks, a young Oklahoma City team is zeroing in on a playoff spot on the strength of a 21-game turnaround from last season.

Brooks, 44, is considered an elite young coach, but an old veteran might steal his thunder, so to speak.

If the Jazz can hold off the Nuggets for the division crown, Sloan might be named coach of the year for the first time in his 25 NBA seasons. Utah was 19-17 on Jan. 8, but has won 30 of 39 games to take over the Northwest lead.

Sloan, closing in on 1,200 career wins, withstood the retirement of gritty forward Matt Harpring, tuned out incessant talk of power forward Carlos Boozer’s future and simply kept his team focused during the second half of the year.

The Nuggets and Jazz figure to battle for the Northwest title and a favorable playoff seed over the final seven games. It would be fitting if the coach of the year award went to the victor.

Delivering daggers nothing new for Anthony
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-27-2010

Watching Carmelo Anthony silence the crowd at Air Canada Centre on Friday night triggered a touch of nostalgia.

I was sitting on the baseline at TD Garden in Boston when Anthony drained a mid-range jumper with 3.9 seconds left to beat the Celtics on Dec. 15, 2004. It was the second game-winner of Melo’s career and ended a seven-year drought for the Nuggets in Boston.

In the subsequent years of Anthony’s career, clutch shots have become almost expected. His buzzer-beater against Toronto marked the 13th time he has hit a winning shot in the game’s final 10 seconds.

Remarkably, 11 of the 13 daggers have been jump shots, and Anthony is 14-for-30 in potential game-winning situations (he made a jumper against Portland to force overtime with a playoff spot on the line as a rookie).

Perhaps his most significant clutch shot came against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals last spring, and Melo’s latest highlight held ramifications for Dallas again because the Nuggets and Mavericks are locked in a battle with Utah for the No. 2 seed in the West. Thanks to Anthony, Denver got a much-needed win in Toronto to snap a three-game losing streak.

Here is a closer look at Anthony’s personal Baker’s Dozen:

March 26, 2010 @ Toronto: 18-foot jumper with no time remaining. Nuggets win 97-96, snap three-game losing streak.
Feb. 18, 2010 @ Cleveland: 21-foot jumper with 1.9 seconds left. Nuggets win 118-116, snap Cleveland’s 13-game winning streak.
May 9, 2009 @ Dallas: Three-pointer with 1 second left. Nuggets win 106-105, take 3-0 lead in best-of-7 playoff series.
Feb. 4, 2009 @ Oklahoma City: Driving layup with 5.3 seconds remaining. Nuggets win 114-113; Melo breaks Thunder's heart for second time 33 days.
Jan. 2, 2009 @ Oklahoma City: Three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left. Nuggets win 122-120 as Anthony upstages Kevin Durant.
April 6, 2006 vs. L.A. Lakers: 15-foot jumper with 3.8 seconds remaining. Nuggets win 110-108 in OT; Melo gets fifth winner in three months.
March 15, 2006 @ Indiana: 18-foot jumper with 2.2 seconds left. Nuggets win 101-99; Anthony finishes with 31.
Feb. 24, 2006 @ Minnesota: Three-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining. Nuggets win 102-101 in OT; Melo calls it “the best of any big shot I’ve hit.”
Jan. 10, 2006 vs. Phoenix: 16-foot pull-up jumper with 2.9 seconds left. Nuggets win 139-137 in triple-OT; Anthony finishes with 43 points and bloody nose.
Jan. 8, 2006 @ Houston: 17-foot jumper with 1.0 second remaining. Nuggets win 92-90.
Feb. 15, 2005 @ Atlanta: Mid-range jumper with 0.9 seconds left. Nuggets win 100-96 for first victory in Atlanta since 1988.
Dec. 15, 2004 @ Boston: 19-foot jumper with 3.6 seconds remaining. Nuggets win 100-99, end Boston drought.
Dec. 17, 2003 @ Seattle: Layup with 6.0 seconds left. Nuggets win 99-98; Anthony gets first winner of pro career.

Tiebreakers could be key down the stretch
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-25-2010

Extended losing streaks have been rare for the Nuggets over the last three years, so it’s understandable why some people might overreact when a few Ls get strung together.

It would be foolish to deny that the Nuggets are in a precarious position heading into the final 10 games of the season. After all, home-court advantage and a Northwest Division title hang in the balance. But it’s equally imprudent to suggest Denver can’t pull out of its tailspin in time to secure the No. 2 or 3 seed in the West.

Since George Karl’s arrival in 2005, the Nuggets haven’t lost more than five games in a row, and they haven’t dropped four in a row since February 2007. That being said, Karl remains away from the team while battling cancer, and power forward Kenyon Martin is out with a knee injury.

Denver will try to end its three-game slide Friday night against the Toronto Raptors, a team that it has beaten 10 of 11 times since 2004-05.

Regardless of what happens in Toronto and, subsequently, in Orlando two days later, a Monday matchup against Dallas remains the most important game of the current five-game road trip. A win gives the Nuggets the tiebreaker over the Mavs in the fight for playoff seeding.

Denver already holds the tiebreaker over Utah, which pulled even in the race for the Northwest Division title. That means the Nuggets essentially still lead the Jazz by a game, since Utah has to finish ahead of them outright to claim the division crown.

If Denver can get two tiebreakers in its pocket, that should bode well while playing five of its final seven games at home.

No, it won’t be easy without Karl or K-Mart, but all things considered, the situation could be worse. Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Portland are all looking up at the Nuggets in the standings, trying to avoid an eighth-place finish and a first-round matchup with the Lakers.

Now that would be legitimate cause for concern.

Experienced Nuggets hit road undaunted
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-22-2010

With nearly 24 years of NBA experience between them, Nuggets point guards Chauncey Billups and Anthony Carter have pretty much seen it all.

A five-game road trip compressed into a seven-day span is just another busy week at the office.

“I don’t think it’s too much of a challenge,” Carter said before the Nuggets headed to New York on Monday. “Everybody just has to make sure they get their rest and try to take care of their body.

“We’ve been through this before. I think everybody just has to stay focused and know why we’re going on this trip and not worry about going shopping or doing crazy stuff. We’ve just got to stay focused and take this trip as a business trip.”

Added Billups: “It’s a tough trip for us, but that’s why we’re in the NBA. You can’t make excuses. You’ve just got to go out and play, and whoever’s in the locker room ready to play, strap it up and let’s go. That’s just how you’ve got to look at it.”

On paper, the most favorable game on the trip is Tuesday night’s opener against New York at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks (25-45) are on the verge of being mathematically eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff race, but they nearly stunned the Nuggets in Denver on Nov. 27. Expect the Nuggets to bounce back from a tough home loss to Milwaukee on Saturday.

The first of two back-to-back sets on the trip concludes Wednesday night in Boston. The aging Celtics will be looking to avenge a Feb. 21 loss in Denver, but they will be playing their fourth game in six nights, so the game is pretty much a toss-up.

After a day off, the Nuggets will face the Toronto Raptors, who entered Monday’s game at Minnesota with a 5-11 record since the All-Star break. Expect Nuggets swingman Joey Graham to be motivated to face his former team in what shapes up as a very winnable game for Denver.

The NBA schedule makers left Denver players, coaches and executives shaking their heads with this itinerary: Toronto to Orlando, a trip of about 1,050 miles.

The Nuggets managed to end a 15-game losing streak in Orlando last season, and they beat the Magic at the Pepsi Center on Jan. 13. This is another coin-flip game that probably will be decided in the fourth quarter.

The trip culminates with a showdown in Dallas as the Nuggets and Mavericks square off for the final time this season. With the series even 1-1, the winner will hold the tiebreaker for playoff seeding – no small prize considering a half-game separated the two entering play Monday.

The Nuggets will be playing for the second straight night, but they won’t get any sympathy from the Mavericks. Both of their trips to Denver this season concluded a back-to-back set.

Bottom line: Yes, the Nuggets are playing without power forward Kenyon Martin. Yes, five games in seven nights is a tall order this late in the season. But three wins would be a reasonable goal, and it would give Denver (47-23) a shot at breaking the team record of 54 wins in a single season.

Despite loss, Nuggets still in control
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-21-2010

The Nuggets’ locker room was a pretty desolate place after Saturday night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Most players dressed quickly and headed home. Forward Carmelo Anthony lingered, but he was understandably in no mood to talk after spraining his left ring finger and going 10-for-29 from the field.

Point guard Chauncey Billups was disappointed that Denver let a home game slip away in the midst of a tight playoff chase, but he pointed out that it wasn’t necessarily “do or die.”

As coach George Karl likes to say, the Nuggets are still in a “good place,” leading the Northwest Division by two games over Utah. They also remained a half-game ahead of Dallas in the race for the No. 2 seed in the West after the Mavericks dropped a home game to Boston.

“We’ve got to finish out this season strong,” guard Arron Afflalo said. “It’s not playoff time yet. This is a disappointing loss. Hopefully, we learn from it and change our strategy to where we can be successful again.”

Among the notable numbers/tidbits to come out of Saturday night’s game:

--Chris “Birdman” Andersen grabbed 12 rebounds and recorded his 500th blocked shot in a Nuggets uniform.
--By going 17-for-17 from the foul line, Billups fell one free-throw short of tying Dan Schayes’ 22-year-old team record for most attempts without a miss (April 15, 1988).
--The Nuggets have gone three straight home games without scoring 100 points. That’s the longest such streak since 2006-07.
--Denver had just 13 assists, falling to 3-9 when recording 15 assists or fewer.
--Backup point guard Ty Lawson was available to play if the game turned into a blowout, but he sat out his 11th straight game while recovering from a bruised left shoulder. He anticipates returning sometime next week.

Lawson nearing return to lineup
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-19-2010

Ty Lawson can see the light at the end of the training room.

The Nuggets rookie point guard missed his 10th straight game Thursday night but received some piece of mind when an MRI showed no structural damage in his bruised left shoulder.

He played some 1-on-1 before Denver’s game against New Orleans and plans to return sometime during the team’s five-game road trip that starts Tuesday in New York.

“I took a couple bumps (Thursday),” he said. “Now that I know there’s not structural damage, I’m going to push it a lot harder. No tears or nothing. It’s just going to be sore.”

Lawson, averaging 9.0 points and 3.3 assists on the season, injured the shoulder when he was hit by Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum, but he never thought the pain and limited range of motion would linger so long.

“I got frustrated,” he said. “First they said three days and it’s been three weeks. But it’s getting better.”

As for Nuggets power forward Kenyon Martin, there is still “unbelievable pain” when he tries to run or jump on his left knee. He is receiving platelet-rich plasma therapy to treat chronic patella tendinitis in hopes of returning in time for the playoffs.

Martin said the treatment involves drawing 100 cc of his own blood, breaking it down to 10 cc of plasma and injecting it back into his knee.

“It feels like surgery,” he said.

Fatigue, altitude don't mix for Nuggets' foes
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-17-2010

The Lakers tried it. Bombed miserably.

The Suns tried it. Couldn’t protect a 17-point lead.

Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Orlando and Utah are also among the playoff contenders who tried to steal a win after slipping into Denver in the wee hours of the morning, only to be sent home bleary-eyed and dejected.

Boasting a 29-5 record at the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets are tough to beat at home under any circumstances. Beating them after arriving at the hotel around 3 a.m. (sometimes later) has proven to be nearly impossible.

With Tuesday night’s victory over the Washington Wizards, the Nuggets improved to 13-1 at home this season when facing a team playing the second of back-to-back games. New Orleans will try to beat the odds Thursday night after playing at Golden State on Wednesday.

The Dallas Mavericks are the only team to beat the Nuggets in Denver after playing a day earlier, but their Dec. 27 win comes with an asterisk. The Mavs played an afternoon home game on Dec. 26 and arrived in Denver well before midnight.

When Dallas tried to repeat the feat on Feb. 9, fatigue caught up with them and the result was a 36-point loss.

What makes it so tough to close a back-to-back set in Denver? First and foremost, the Nuggets are an elite team. An airport that’s halfway to Kansas and the mile-high altitude also contribute to the mitigating circumstances.

A few other facts associated with the 13-1 record:

--Denver’s average margin of victory is 17.3 points. --Nine of the 13 wins have been by double-figures, including six by at least 20 points. --Nine of the wins have come against teams currently in playoff position, including five of the top six seeds in the West. --Including New Orleans, four more teams will play the night before facing the Nuggets in Denver this season: Milwaukee on Saturday, Portland on April 1 and San Antonio on April 10.

Nine bodies enough for Nuggets
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-17-2010

The Nuggets could've fielded a baseball team Tuesday night, but they would’ve had an empty bullpen and no pinch-hitters off the bench.

For the first time this season, Denver had only nine players available because of simultaneous injuries to point guard Ty Lawson (bruised left shoulder) and forwards Chris Andersen (sprained left ankle), Renaldo Balkman (strained back) and Kenyon Martin (left knee tendinitis).

Andersen, who also has a broken ring finger on his left hand, could return for Thursday’s game against the New Orleans Hornets, but Lawson likely will miss his 10th straight game and Martin remains out indefinitely.

Veteran point guard Anthony Carter has been a playmaker off the bench in Lawson’s absence. He pushes the ball as well as anyone on the team, and his experience could prove invaluable down the stretch.

Center Johan Petro started his sixth straight game in Tuesday's victory over the Washington Wizards. He had trouble guarding Wizards big man Andray Blatche at times, but grabbed nine rebounds in 22 minutes.

Karl will not join team on current trip
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-12-2010

The Nuggets will be without coach George Karl for the final three games of their road trip, starting Friday night at New Orleans.

Karl is still recovering from surgery to insert a feeding tube into his stomach earlier this week; he will also miss Saturday’s game against Memphis and Monday’s game against Houston.

Karl, diagnosed in January with neck and throat cancer, is about midway through radiation and chemotherapy treatment and plans to return to the bench Tuesday when the Nuggets face the Washington Wizards at the Pepsi Center.

He remained in Denver while the team opened its four-game trip with a 110-102 win against Minnesota on Wednesday. The Nuggets improved to 2-0 in games coached this season by assistant Adrian Dantley.

“I have tremendous trust in A.D. and my staff,” Karl said. “I think they’ll keep the team in a good place over the next few days, and hopefully I’ll be ready to rejoin them when they come home next week.”

Therapy the recovery plan for K-Mart
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-8-2010

No surgery for K-Mart.

That was the outlook after Nuggets power forward Kenyon Martin met with physicians to discuss treatment options for his ailing left knee.

Martin, bothered by chronic patella tendinitis for the past few months, began Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy Monday in an attempt to alleviate the pain in his knee. A timetable for his recovery remains indefinite, but he is expected to return this season.

Therapy was an alternative to surgery for Martin, who is Denver’s defensive captain and leading rebounder (9.6 per game).

Malik Allen, Joey Graham and Johan Petro have taken turns filling Martin’s spot in the starting lineup, while reserve Chris Andersen also has seen his minutes increase. There also remains the possibility that the Nuggets will sign a big man to add frontcourt depth heading into the final five weeks of the season.

Carter makes case for more minutes
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-8-2010

Can there be such thing as a backup-point-guard controversy?

Showing why he is Nuggets coach George Karl’s ultimate security blanket, veteran Anthony Carter has stepped into his familiar role as a catalyst off the bench while Nuggets rookie Ty Lawson recovers from a bruised left shoulder.

Lawson is regaining his range of motion and hopes to return sometime this week, but he might have to share minutes with Carter.

“The second unit seems to have a confidence when A.C.’s in the game,” Karl said. “When Ty gets back, it’s something I think we’re going to have to evaluate a little bit because A.C. has played very, very well.”

Carter had seven points and six assists in Sunday night’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. That came on the heels of a 12-point, seven-assist performance Friday and a 12-assist game on Wednesday.

“I come in every day regardless of if I’m playing or not and get my shots up and conditioning and lifting. It’s all about being ready,” he said. “They pay me to be ready whenever my number’s called. If I’m not ready, I’m not being a professional and I’m cheating the fans and the organization. I just look at this opportunity as a stepping stone and showing everybody that I still can play.”

K-Mart awaiting doctors' recommendation
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-6-2010

Whatever the doctors say about his ailing left knee, Kenyon Martin is ready to abide by their recommendation.

If they say he can’t make the injury worse by playing in pain, the Nuggets power forward is prepared to play through the pain.

If they say he needs surgery, he’ll make an appointment for the operating table.

If they say the remedy lies somewhere in between, he’s ready for that, too.

Martin, bothered by chronic patella tendinitis for much of the season, should have a better idea of his immediate future when he meets with doctors on Monday. Physicians spent the weekend reviewing MRI results.

“I ain’t thinking the worst,” Martin said Saturday. “Just trying to stay level-headed.”

Despite playing in pain this season, Martin is averaging 11.8 points and 9.6 rebounds.

“Mind over matter,” he said of his production.

There comes a point when common sense trumps a warrior’s mentality. Having already endured microfracture surgery on both knees (the left in 2005 and the right in 2006), Martin said he will not jeopardize his long-term future for short-term gains.

“Ain’t no athlete going to tell you it’s fun playing in pain,” he said. “But when it’s chronic, you’ve got to listen to your body.”

Martin will listen to his body and sit out Sunday's game against Portland. And on Monday, he will listen to the doctors.

Balanced Afflalo an upgrade over Jones
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-6-2010

Blockbuster trades and marquee free-agent signings make headlines, but it’s the subtle personnel decisions that sometimes move a team closer to a championship.

When the Nuggets parted ways with starting guard Dahntay Jones last summer, there was some question of how they would fill his role as an athletic defender who could frustrate the likes of Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul.

“In the offseason when we lost him, we was missing him,” Denver forward Carmelo Anthony said. “We didn’t really know what direction the team was going in.”

After Jones agreed to a contract with the Indiana Pacers, the Nuggets went east to find his replacement, acquiring Arron Afflalo from the Detroit Pistons for a second-round pick.

With both Jones and Afflalo on the floor Friday night at the Pepsi Center, comparisons only seemed natural.

Jones is averaging a career-high 10.7 points for the Pacers, but Afflalo has proven to be an upgrade because he is an effective defender who also happens to rank third in the NBA in three-point percentage (.454).

“I really think he’s just more balanced,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “He’s got more offensive instincts than Dahntay. We just felt we had too many guys last year that were defense or offense. Some of the changes we made were based on that.”

With reserve guard J.R. Smith struggling with his shot this season, Afflalo has helped spread the floor with his ability to knock down shots from behind the three-point arc. His accuracy creates space in the middle for Anthony and center Nene.

“I don’t think anybody expected Arron to come in and fit in as well as he did and take that role of being our defensive player and somewhat a big part of our offense, too,” Anthony said.

“You won’t get me to say he’s better than Dahntay, but as far as this team right now, he’s fitting in the way we want him to.”

Upcoming sked should put bounce in Bird's step
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-4-2010

When the pain in his right knee threatens to drag him down, Chris Andersen draws motivation from a plaque hanging on the east wall of the Nuggets’ practice court.

The plaque lists the top 10 shot-blockers in team history. Andersen sits in the ninth spot, just 14 behind Danny Schayes (498).

Based on his season average of 1.84 blocks per game, Andersen would pass Schayes in about eight games. Based on his performance Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it might be much sooner.

“I want to keep climbing the list, so I’ve got to get out there,” he said Thursday. “Even if I get a half a block, I’m trying to get it. Also knowing we’ve got a chance to get this championship, that’s motivation.”

Bothered by tendinitis for much of the season, Andersen limped through a recent stretch of four games in five days, before posting 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots against Oklahoma City.

He attributed the production to sitting out the second half of Monday night’s loss to the Phoenix Suns and getting a day off Tuesday. The Nuggets have at least one day off before each of their next four games.

“Usually when I get up, I’m in some big pain,” Andersen said. “That’s just the way it goes. It’s been a tough year so far with all the back-to-backs (16) we’ve had. It’s just a matter of fighting through it.”

To ease his mind, Andersen requested an MRI on his knee back in November, but the results showed no structural damage. Now it’s a matter of managing and minimizing the pain under the guidance of Denver’s athletic training staff.

“I’m doing everything in my power to get this thing right and get it strong because I don’t want to be limping into the playoffs,” Andersen said.

While Andersen is on the mend, rookie point guard Ty Lawson is nowhere close to returning to the lineup as he deals with a bruised left shoulder. He described the shoulder as “terrible” Thursday and said he would not play Friday against the Pacers.

Shooting guard Arron Afflalo will play through the pain of a sprained left thumb. Afflalo suffered the injury in the first quarter Wednesday night but made 2-of-5 shots while playing with the thumb in a protective wrap.

“When I did it, it hurt pretty bad,” he said. “It was kind of throbbing for a second but got it taped up and once I started running around again, I didn’t think about it too much. … I still plan on shooting.”

Lawson still unable to shoulder load
submitted by Aaron Lopez 3-4-2010

Still unable to lift his left arm much higher than his waist, Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson learned a valuable rookie lesson when he crashed into 250-pound center Andrew Bynum last Sunday.

In the future, he needs to pick on someone his own size.

“I’ve just got to pick and choose my battles,” Lawson said. “I’ll try to go over the top of him rather than through him next time.”

With the swelling in his arm limiting his range of motion, Lawson missed his second straight game Wednesday night. He is unsure when he will return to the lineup, but it probably won’t be Friday against the Indiana Pacers.

“They say it’s just a bruise,” he said. “Just waiting for the swelling to go down.”

Lawson, who is 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, is learning just how physically demanding the NBA can be. Slamming into the rookie wall has not been as hazardous as the behemoths roaming the paint.

Five days before slamming into Bynum, he sprained his left thumb when teammate Nene slapped his hand during practice.

“It’s way more physical than college,” Lawson said. “Everybody’s big and strong. They’re bullies. Everybody’s trying to show who’s the biggest.”

Anthony Carter filled Lawson’s spark-plug role Wednesday night, handing out a season-high 12 assists in an easy victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder.