Nuggets Find the Way to Lose to Hawks 98-96

The Nuggets had a tough time coming up with a way to lose to the Atlanta Hawks at home but they came up with one. The Nuggets led most of the game, and led 75-61 at the end of three quarters and 88-74 with 8:41 left. This team needs to learn how to close. With that kind of a lead you can take some chances on defense and go for some steals or, at the very least, increase the defensive pressure. Double team the guy or two who might be able to hit a bunch of 3's. On offense, chew some clock by passing the ball around alot.

Or at the very least, HOLD ON TO THE DAMN BALL WHEN YOU ARE WAY AHEAD. The Hawks had 5 steals in their 4th quarter surge! Jeesh! All the Nuggets had to do to win was take care of the ball. The Nuggets keep playing as if they are running to catch up even when they are well ahead. At least old George Karl finally called a time out with the score at 88-85, just before I was going to start waking up the neighbors by shouting.

Ok, had the Nuggets won, I would have said this is a great team effort type of team which is trying to get everything it can out of all it's players; the Nuggets did end up with six players in double digits. Trouble is, it went too far tonight. The offense got too complicated and confusing, and Melo was kept out of too many plays. Somebody has to be the go-to guy; no team has ever won a Championship without a clear leader.

Melo was called for two straight offensive fouls early in the third quarter, giving him 4 pf's and he was taken out for almost the whole quarter. That alone cost the Nuggets the game. But even when Melo came back, not enough plays were set up for him, the highest scorer of the highest scoring team in the league. Another mistake. That said, Melo was not quite at the top of his game tonight, though this was not the type of dud game he had sometimes as a rookie and in his second year (last year).

The Nuggets, who were a pitiful 16/33 from the line tonight, need to shoot a whole lot more free throws in practice. Had they simply hit their free throws, this game was theirs.

This loss is the kind of loss that costs a team home-court advantage in a key playoff series (against Houston,? Phoenix?). It is a very tough loss for Nuggets fans tonight.

Camby, JR Smith, and Miller all had 10-12 points, as did Boykins and Diawara off the bench. Diawara had two straight threes at the end of the third quarter which should have been the dagger. Reggie Evans had a tough night by being just 2/7 from the line and he had only 5 rebounds. Camby led the rebounding with 15 and he had 8 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Najera was 4/4 from the field but missed every one of his 5 free throws!

Melo was 11/27, 1/2 from downtown, 1/2 from the line, 7 rebounds and just 1 assist. The star of the team just didn't have the ball enough times tonight.

The next game is at home against Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. The tip off is at 8:30 pm Mountain time Friday night December 8.