AI and 'Melo rally Nuggets past Spurs

Basketball Betting Lines

04/23/2007 - San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony combined for 61 points to lead the Denver Nuggets over the San Antonio Spurs, 95-89, in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series at the AT&T Center.

Iverson scored a game-high 31 points and Anthony had 30 points with eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who used an 11-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to build a 10-point lead. The duo also combined to hit all 16 of their free throws, draining a pair each in the final seconds as Denver held on to steal a win on the road.

Tony Parker had 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds to lead the Spurs, who will try to even this series in Game 2 on Wednesday. Michael Finley added 15 points and Tim Duncan was held to 14 points, but added 10 rebounds and seven assists, for San Antonio, which was outscored by 14 points at the free throw line.

Denver, which has not advanced out of the first round since 1994, hit 21-of-25 from the stripe, compared to 7-of-10 for the Spurs.

After a Parker jumper gave the Spurs a slim 77-76 lead with 6:26 left in the game, the Nuggets went on their game-clinching run. Steve Blake started it with a jumper at the 6:15 mark and Nene, who had four points during the run, later ended it with a layup for an 87-77 cushion with 3:27 to play.

The Spurs managed to draw within 87-83 after a Robert Horry three-pointer with 1:53 to play. However, Anthony drained two free throws on the other end, and after Parker missed a jumper and then a putback with 1:24 on the clock, Iverson hit two free throws to push the lead to eight points with 1:10 to play.

The Spurs got within three points after a Duncan dunk with 17.9 seconds to go, but Anthony hit two free throws to extend the lead to two possessions, 93-89, and after Finley missed a three-pointer with 12 seconds left, the Nuggets iced the game when Nene hit two from the line.

Nene added 13 points and 12 rebounds and Marcus Camby had eight points and 10 boards for Denver, which overcame poor play from its reserves.

The Spurs bench outscored the Nuggets' 36-6, but with Iverson and Anthony hitting a combined 21-of-40 shots from the floor there was little Denver couldn't overcome.

Horry led all Spurs reserves with 14 points.

The Nuggets scored 15 of the first 21 points of the game, as Nene's three- point play with just over six minutes to play in the first quarter gave the Nuggets a nine-point lead.

San Antonio rallied, drawing within four points, 15-11, following a Brent Barry three-pointer over a minute later and the Spurs went into the second down 21-16.

Manu Ginobili tied the game at 24 four minutes into the second, but the Nuggets went back into the lead by eight points after Camby capped the surge with just under six minutes to play for a 32-24 cushion.

The Spurs again answered with a 12-0 run to grab their first lead of the game. Finley hit a pair of three-pointers during the surge, with his final one ending the run for a 36-32 lead with under three minutes to play until the break.

After Denver tied it at 36, the game went back and forth and the Nuggets went into halftime with a 44-42 edge as Anthony hit a transition layup late in the quarter.

The Spurs went ahead 53-48 three minutes into the third following a Parker bucket, but the Nuggets responded with an 11-2 run for a 59-55 lead that allowed the club to go into the fourth with a slim 67-66 edge. Anthony and Iverson combined for nine points during that spurt.

Game Notes

Denver is now 4-12 the last four years in the postseason. The club was been eliminated in five games by the Clippers in the first round last year...The Spurs, who eliminated the Nuggets in five games in the first round in 2005, have not lost in the first round since 2000...San Antonio hit 8-of-24 three- pointers, while the Nuggets went just 4-of-13 from beyond the arc...During the regular season the Spurs went 2-1 versus the Nuggets, splitting a pair in San Antonio.