Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson made their much-anticipated
debut as team mates and immediately made an impact, leading the
Denver Nuggets to a 115-98 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies on
Monday.
Anthony scored 28 points in his return to action after serving a
15-game suspension for fighting and Iverson added 23 as the Nuggets
rolled to a 20-point first quarter-lead and never trailed in the
duo's first game together.
The Nuggets acquired four-time scoring champion Iverson on Dec.
19 from the Philadelphia 76ers for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two
2007 first-round draft picks.
The trade came just three days after Anthony was suspended for
his part in brawl with the New York Knicks.
Questions have been raised over the duo's willingness to share
the ball -- Anthony leads the league in scoring with a 31.6 average
and Iverson is third at 29.5 -- with both players used to being the
focus of their team's offense.
But in their first game as team mates, the partnership shined,
with Iverson setting Anthony up for a series of alley-oop jams that
electrified the crowd in the fourth quarter.
Denver (21-17) went 7-8 without Anthony in the line-up but
managed to stay within five games of first place Utah in the
Midwest Division standings.
J.R. Smith was also banished 10 games for his part in the Knicks
brawl.
The Nuggets have now won four straight games and had little
difficulty scoring against the woeful Grizzlies.
Smith added 19 points for the Nuggets and Marcus Camby had 17
points and 17 rebounds.
It was another poor defensive performance for the Grizzlies, who
have now allowed 100 or more points for a franchise record 18
consecutive games.
Memphis (10-32) has the worst record in the NBA and has lost all
nine division games its played this season. The Grizzlies second
straight loss dropped their road record to a miserable 2-19.
(China Daily via Agencies January 24, 2007)