Nuggets at Spurs - January 31, 2010

The Spurs played the Nuggets at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.The Spurs were able to utilize the home-court advantage to gain a lead in the first quarter, but by halftime the Nuggets were up 45-41. By the end of the third quarter the Nuggets extended that lead to seven points and maintained a strong performance to win their road game 103-89.

The credit the Nuggets was Chauncey Billups with an excellent 25 points, 11 assist, 6 rebounds, and 2 steal game. Though he did turn over the ball six times, compared to his 2.5 average, his overall impact on the game was solid.

Kenyon Martin also had a solid performance, chipping in with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Billups-Martin tandem was key in the Nugget win today.

Missing former NBA finals MVP Tony Parker due to injury, the Spurs relied on backup George Hill for playmaking. Ginobili and Duncan both had solid games, but the Spurs were unable to utilize that to their advantage. On a side note, Antonio McDyess is proving to be a solid center alongside Duncan and rookie Dejuan Blair is developing a solid game.

Notably missing from today's game was Nugget forward Carmelo Anthony. He will probably return on Monday against San Antonio. In his place J.R. Smith and Arron Afflalo are making effective use of their minutes. Parker is out indefinitely, giving George Hill a chance to showcase his talent as a scoring point guard.

The Nuggets have been led to a great season by Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. They have experienced playoff troubles in the past. Denver was on track to match the Timberwolves in first round exits but luckily for the Nuggets in 2009 strong performances led them to the conference finals where they were defeated by the Lakers 4-2. The Spurs have won the 2003, 2005, and 2007 championships and have always been regular season top seeds and playoff contenders until 2009 and this season. Many would say due to injuries and aging the Spurs core could use a revitalization unless there could be a new spark added by trading a player.

The Spurs are on track to make the playoffs as the 5th seed and Nuggets as the 2nd seed if the season continues in a similar fashion. Many predict San Antonio have have a strong performance in the second half of the season and for the Spurs to return to playoff prominence due to having a very experienced roster.

The Nuggets have been having a great season led by Carmelo Anthony, a contender for the NBA MVP awards. The defending Western conference 2nd place team due to their loss to the Lakers in the 2009 NBA playoffs, the Nuggets have a bright outlook for this season's NBA playoffs, though the Lakers will once again provide touch competition.