SuperSonics 108, Nuggets 88
Seattle SuperSonics forward Rashard Lewis, left, works the ball inside for a shot against Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony int he third quarter of the Sonics' 106-88 victory in Denver on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
DENVER (AP) — A promising, young team came out and played great. Once again, that team was not the Denver Nuggets.
Ray Allen scored 30 points and Rashard Lewis had 27 to help the Seattle SuperSonics prolong Denver's early-season misery with a 108-88 victory Tuesday.
”It's getting ugly, man. Getting ugly,” Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony said.
The Nuggets, considered one of the top, up-and-coming teams this season, fell to 1-4 with the NBA champion Detroit Pistons coming to town next.
All four losses have been by double digits. And while poor shooting has been the culprit in most of them, this time it was bad rebounding that did in Denver.
Led by 14 rebounds from Reggie Evans, Seattle pulled 16 more boards than the Nuggets.
”I don't think you can practice rebounding,” said Anthony, who finished with 20 points and just four boards. ”It's about attitude and effort.”
Seattle more than won that battle, and dominated in other areas, too. Luke Ridnour had 11 assists as the Sonics — not viewed by many as a playoff team this year — moved the ball around well and improved to a surprising 3-1.
”We took control of the game,” Sonics coach Nate McMillan said. ”We controlled the boards and had good movement.”
Andre Miller had 18 points for Denver before he and Antonio Daniels were ejected for a very minor scuffle late in the fourth quarter.
Before the game, Denver coach Jeff Bzdelik conceded the team's effort had been lacking during this early slump, which included a 24-point home loss to Utah last weekend in which the Nuggets were booed off their home court.
Bzdelik held a team meeting before the game and the Nuggets played with a bit more energy against the Sonics, but still got outhustled and outplayed from beginning to end.
Bzdelik came into the season with only one year remaining on his contract. He and general manager Kiki Vandeweghe aren't best friends. A few more losses like this and the Bzdelik watch will certainly begin around Denver.
Anthony surely didn't have his coach's back after this latest setback.
”I think the game plan was … I don't know what the game plan was, to be honest with you,” he said.
The Sonics, meanwhile, had no such confusion.
Their success started with Allen, who scored 16 of his points in the first quarter to help the Sonics to an early 11-point lead, then hit three 3s during a five-minute stretch of the third in which Seattle upped its lead from five to 14.
The lead never got below 10 in the fourth quarter, and the booing started in earnest at about the 6-minute mark, when Evans moved under the basket uncontested for a rebound and layup that made it 96-79.
”To lose the way we did was embarrassing,” Anthony said. ”And to get booed like that again. We might as well play up on the practice court so we won't get booed anymore.”
The Sonics, who made 122 more 3-pointers than the next-best team last season, went 10-for-23 from behind the line as part of a 49 percent shooting night. Lewis finished 10-for-16 and Allen was 12-for-18, as the Sonics persistently worked the ball around for open shots.
”I thought it was a good win for us tonight,” Lewis said. ”Denver is still trying to find their identity, and we knew that they were going to come out tonight and try to get a win off of us. We are trying to find our identity also, and we didn't want to give anything up.”
Anthony, who still takes too many outside shots for a 6-foot-8 forward, was more aggressive than he had been over the last few games. He finished 8-for-15 from the floor but — in maybe a more telling stat — only made it to the free-throw line three times.
Also telling: Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin combined for 14 boards, the same number Evans grabbed on his own for the Sonics.
Notes: Earl Boykins started at point guard for Denver, and Miller became the fifth player to start at shooting guard in five games. … McMillan said he wouldn't limit his players' minutes even though his team plays again Wednesday against Sacramento. True to his word, Allen played 40 minutes, Lewis played 38 and two other starters logged more than 30.
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