(Boulder-CO) According to http://www.espn.com/’s preview for tonight’s game it has been ten years and 19 straight match-ups since the Nuggets have traveled to Arco Arena and left with a W. Such a dominating past is the longest of its kind in the current NBA and tonight may very well be the night that the Nuggets break that streak. They may have to do it without the Answer, as he is still questionable, but if guys like Nene and Steve Blake can come up with big performances like last night I like our chances.
The Kings have been nothing short of cardiac all season long as they have lost seven of their 26 losses by four points or less and have lost all four of their games that have gone OT this season. However, the low team in the Pacific should not be taken lightly because the Kings still have some nice weapons. For instance, Kevin Martin may be the most improved player in the league. Last year he averaged a modest 10.8 points per game in his second year in the league, but this year he has really come into his own averaging better than 20 a night. The Kings also still have Ron Artest, who is always a tough match-up on both ends of the floor. He is a tenacious defender and is also capable of scoring big numbers with his efficient post game.
The other twosome that has to be watched is Mike Bibby and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Bibby is averaging a very solid stat line that includes 17.4 points and better than five assists. He is also a much underrated three-point shooter because his long range bomb hasn’t been dropping this year like in past, but should still not be left alone around the arch. Shareef on the other hand is a guy that can still go for 25 on any night. His numbers are down from years past, but this is also his twelfth year in the league. He is a seasoned vet and that still counts for something. Abdur-Rahim didn’t play in the Kings last game against the T-Wolves, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays tonight. The Kings won that game against Minnesota and he did play the game before. Old knees need breaks, but after a victory it always seems like guys rest up a little bit quicker.
The tip is set for 8 o’clock MST. It would be nice to see the Nuggets carry over the momentum and emotion from last night’s overtime win, but that is easier said than done on back-to-back games in the NBA. A win would be optimal, but more than that I am just looking for continued progression on the defensive end. I hate having to wait for late starts on the west coast, but for a chance to see the Nuggets end a ten-year losing streak at Arco Arena. The Nuggets can play at three in the morning for all I care. Go Nuggets, beat the Kings!
2 comments:
Hey I think tonight is a big opportunity for Nêne to prove himself. He's done a solid job the last couple of games, now he has a chance to show his efforts against a team with a somewhat deeper roster on the back end of back-to-back-games. If he can step it up again tonight, he'll have a chance to fill the void left at PF since we're not havin Kenyon out there.
Cheers to that, geerten. Nene has looked awful nice the last couple of games and it sure would be a relief if we had a solid powerful. He is such a quick dunker for a man his size and knowing that he is going to try and stuff it regardless of who is in his way always brings some exciting plays.
Thanks for reading,
The Nugg Doctor
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