Once again, in convincing fashion, the Denver Nuggets have won yet another playoff game to start off their second round series with the visiting Dallas Mavericks.It was a close contest in the first half with the Mavs not even close to backing down the Nuggets physical play, but in the second half Carmelo Anthony and company began to take control.
Dirk Nowitzki may have had 28 points and was smoking hot shooting the basketball going 12 for 22 from the floor including four three pointers, but the Mavs just couldn't hang with the Melo and the Nuggets supporting cast. Five Denver Nuggets players scored in double figures, three of which were players off the bench.
The Nuggets have the superstars in Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony, but it has been the play of the Denver bench that have made them so hard to beat in the playoffs so far.
The consistent production of J.R. Smith, Anthony Carter and Chris "The Birdman" Anderson has been huge for the Nuggets in the postseason thus far. Birdman brings the defensive presence in the paint (six blocks in game one), Smith is a huge three point threat and Carter is the ideal backup for Billups at the point. Things just seem to be all coming together at the right time for the red hot Nuggets right now!Although the bench play was big for the Nuggets on Sunday, the Denver starters also came to play. Billups struggle in game one with only six points and six assists, but Nene and Melo picked up the slack with a combined 47 points.
The big story was the dominance of Nene inside though as the international import scored 24 points and dished out five assists which caused some match up problems for the Mavs.
The one thing the Nuggets can take away from game one was the team chemistry. Their team chemistry was awesome down the stretch and was ultimately what put them over the top in game one. Everyone was playing as a unit, the jumpshots got a little out of control in the first half, but they came together as a team in the second half and got the win 109-95.
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