PHOENIX - If the basketball gods have any decent matchmaking skills, the Nuggets will travel to the desert to face the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Defense will be attempted, but mostly feigned. Fouls will occasionally be flagrant. Momentum swings will be crazy. Layups and dunks will be in abundance.

And the scoreboard operator will require a fast finger.

As things currently stand, the dream matchup is in place for the second-seeded Suns and the seventh-seeded Nuggets, and the two teams provided a tantalizing sneak peek Friday night at US Airways Arena.

The Nuggets threatened to rout the Suns for the second time in two weeks, jumping out to an 18-point lead in the first half, only to see Phoenix show why it is one of the NBA's leading title contenders.

Shawn Marion had his best game since the All-Star break, scoring 33 points, and Steve Nash turned in a typical MVP- candidate performance with 18 points and 11 assists as the Suns rallied for a 125-108 victory in front of a fired-up sellout crowd.

The comeback avenged a 24 point-loss March 17 in Denver. The Nuggets led by as many as 40 points in that game.

The Nuggets, who have lost five of six after a five-game winning streak, were set to repeat the feat before spinning out and slamming into the wall midway through the second quarter.

After building a 51-33 lead with 7:15 left before halftime, the Nuggets were outscored 92- 57 during the final 28:45.

"I know they remembered what we did to them in Denver two weeks ago," Denver center Marcus Camby said.

"We knew the game wasn't over. They came back in the second half and pretty much picked us apart and got whatever they wanted."

The Suns made 16-of-24 shots in the third quarter, many of them coming on dunks and layups, and pushed the lead to 14 early in the fourth. Denver never got within nine points the rest of the way.

"It seemed like we didn't have any energy in the third quarter," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "They came out and ran by us. Tip your hat to them."

Carmelo Anthony led the way for the Nuggets with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Allen Iverson scored 19 points and hit 7-of-9 shots in the first half but managed only five points on 1-for-7 shooting in the second.

Frustrated by the officiating throughout the game, Iverson was whistled for a technical foul with 9:14 left in the fourth quarter. The "T" was issued by Steve Javie, who ejected Iverson from a game Jan. 2.

"I don't want to get in trouble," Iverson said. "I don't want to start a whole bunch, but he's probably shorter with me than he is with any other player. That's just the way it's going be with me and him for the rest of my career. It's cool. I've got a lot of respect for him."

Iverson managed to avoid another ejection, but he and the Nuggets could not avoid dejection as the Suns methodically turned a big deficit into an easy win.

"It was a good statement game for us to go out there and show them that the game we had in Denver was a wash," Marion said.

The Nuggets got a scare when Anthony sprained his right ankle with 5:14 left in the game. Anthony left briefly after stepping on Raja Bell's foot after tipping in his own missed shot. He returned at the next whistle but went to the bench for good with Denver trailing by 13 points with 3:36 left.

"I don't want to make evaluations (on the ankle) right now," Anthony said. "(Today) we'll see how I feel."

The Nuggets (35-36) have dealt with injuries and adversity all season, and things don't figure to get any easier as they try to maintain their playoff status.

The loss Friday left Denver only a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 8 spot in the West, and the Nuggets lead ninth-place Golden State by only two games (Denver, though, does hold the tiebreaker).

"Every game's important, because we're not secure (in the fact) we're going to have a playoff position," Iverson said, "so we've got to play every game like it's our last."

After giving up 45 points in the first quarter Thursday night against Golden State, the Suns were only slightly better 24 hours later.

The Nuggets, aggressive at both ends of the floor, shot 60.9 percent from the floor and jumped out to a 36-24 in the game's first 12 minutes.

The lead grew to 18 before the Suns decided they were tired of being tossed aside like Dixie cups.

Phoenix guard Bell provided the spark by throwing Nuggets forward Linas Kleiza to the floor in an attempt to stop a breakaway layup. Bell was called for a flagrant foul, but his play seemed to rouse the fans and his teammates.

Phoenix gradually chipped away at the deficit and got within five points at halftime. A 14-2 run early in the third quarter staggered the Nuggets, and they never were able to counterpunch.

Whether the Nuggets get to take another swing at Phoenix in the playoffs remains to be seen.

ETC.: Until the game's final minutes, Karl used only a seven-man rotation, opting to leave shooting guard J.R. Smith on the bench. . . . Nuggets forward Eduardo Najera returned to the lineup after missing three games because of a bruised left knee. He scored four points and committed five fouls in 9:37. . . . Jarrin Akana, who spent more than five seasons as an assistant coach and scout with the Nuggets, recently resigned from the team.

lopezaa@RockyMountainNews.com

Back to Top