Denver Drops Game 1 in LA

Is it just me or do the Lakers look more mentally tough than the Nuggets? If our guys expect to have a chance in this series, it's clear that they meed a big lead near the end of the game. Hopefully, last night was an anomaly. The Nuggets missed 12 foul shots, which is a death sentence in the Playoffs. Carmelo scored 39 and had the kind of game that Denver is going to need for the rest of the season. He may have to check Kobe a lot more too because no one else on the team can.

Chauncey had a good game. His game was better than it seemed. But Like Carmelo, Mr. Big Shot needs to be great for Denver to beat the Lakers. There is no margin for error here. I'd like to see him be more aggressive and control the game more.

Dahntay Jones, Anthony Carter and JR Smith were flat out bad last night. They all played like shit, combining for 7 turnovers and 9 points. If you want to know why Denver lost, this is a good place to start. These are the Playoffs fellas. It's time to show up and take care of business. Too bad none of them chose to play defense last night...

Chris Andersen was one of only 4 players who showed up and played with some intensity. In 24 minutes on the floor he finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, but like usual, his game is all about the intangibles. He played great defense, set some outstanding picks and seemed to always be where he could make a positive impact on the game. The Nuggets have a lot of talent, but I wish there was a way for them to take on some of the Birdman's intensity and persistence.

We'll see how it goes Thursday.