Denver tries to take control of series against Spurs
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(Sports Network) - The sixth-seeded Denver Nuggets try to win the first two
games of round one on the road, as they visit the third-seeded San Antonio
Spurs tonight at the AT&T Center.
On Sunday, All-Stars Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony combined for 61 points to lead the Nuggets over the Spurs, 95-89, in the opener of the playoff series at the AT&T Center. Iverson scored a game-high 31 points and Anthony had 30 points with eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who used an 11-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to build a 10-point lead. Tony Parker had 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Spurs, while Michael Finley added 15 points and Tim Duncan netted 14, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out seven assists. This is a best-of-seven series. Game 3 is scheduled to be played on Saturday at the Pepsi Center. San Antonio has won seven of its last eight Game 2s in the postseason, while the Nuggets have dropped 13 straight Game 2s. Denver's last victory in the second game of a playoff series was on May 14, 1985 against the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. There is some playoff history between the Spurs and Nuggets. San Antonio beat the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs in 1990, 1995 and 2005 and in the conference semis in 1983, while Denver defeated the Spurs in the opening round in 1985. The Spurs are appearing in the postseason for the 10th straight year and have won three of the last eight NBA championships. Last season, San Antonio was eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals by the Dallas Mavericks in seven games. The last time the Spurs lost in the first round of the playoffs was in 2000, when they lost to the Phoenix Suns, 3-1. Denver earned its fourth straight playoff berth. The Nuggets have been eliminated three straight years in the opening round of the postseason, and are 3-12 during that span. They fell in five games in the opening round to Minnesota in 2004, San Antonio in 2005 and the Clippers in 2006. The last time the Nuggets advanced to the second round of the playoffs was during the 1994 postseason. Denver upset the SuperSonics in five games, 3-2, in the opening round that season, but was ousted in seven games by Utah in the Western semifinals. DEN SAN |