(Boulder-CO) Tonight, the Nuggets host the Sacramento Kings who have not won a game on the road so far this season. I’m expecting a big game out of the Nuggets dynamic duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony because ‘Melo comes into this game averaging 29.7 points lifetime against the Kings and AI has averaged 28.8 against Sacramento over the last twelve years. In addition to the lifetime averages, in the two victories over Sacramento the Nuggets managed last year the dynamic duo averaged an even 50 points. And with ‘Melo coming off of a bad night shooting and AI playing arguably his best basketball since joining the Nuggets, I’m using this background knowledge to predict a big offensive night for the Mile High crew. Plus, Sacramento blew an eleven-point halftime lead over the Clippers last night to wind up losing and then had to travel to a snowy Denver, Colorado afterwards.
To make matters even worse for the Kings, their leading scorer Kevin Martin is not going to be available to them for the next four to six weeks because of a pulled groin. Kevin was accounting for more than 24 points of the Kings 100 nightly average. Sacramento will also be without big man Shareef Abdur-Rahim for the rest of the season after he underwent surgery on his right knee Friday.
On the Nuggets side of the tape, Allen Iverson continues to be the lightning rod that makes this team play with energy with his passing serving as the catalyst. The Nuggets have now won 15 straight games when the Answer records a double-double of points and dimes, and it was right about this time of year that Denver started to enjoy having the future Hall of Fame guard on their team. In fact, it was a snowy December match-up with the Kings last year that we all saw the debut of AI, but unfortunately that game ended up in a loss for the Nuggets.
This game is a game that the Nuggets have to win to make me a devout believer. The Kings are going to be weary after the late arrival to Denver last night, are bitten by the injury bug, and have not had any success away from noisy Arco arena. And all of those reasons are what make me wince as I predict a nine point victory, at home, tonight. Denver is known for fumbling opportunities like tonight’s game and it is missed opportunities against struggling teams like the Kings that have the Nuggets looking so mediocre thus far.
Be sure to head over to www.sactownroyalty.com for the best Kings blog in the business. The boss over there sure runs a great site!
Go Nuggets!
1 comment:
Doc you're so right. This is one of those games you simply have to win. Great teams beat bad teams. We need full effort and it has to be said, Melo needs to show up tonight.
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