Box Score

 

DENVER (82)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
C Anthony           25  3-14   2-3   2-5   3   1    8
K Martin            39  8-19  3-11  5-13   3   1   19
M Camby             41  6-10   1-1  2-14   1   2   13
G Buckner           39   3-5   5-6   1-3   3   3   13
A Miller            38  9-14   2-4   1-7   7   2   20
Nene                15   1-3   2-2   1-2   2   5    4
E Boykins           11   0-6   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
B Russell           18   0-1   0-0   0-3   0   3    0
R White             13   2-4   0-0   0-0   1   0    4
F Elson              1   0-0   1-2   0-0   0   0    1
A Johnson          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
N Tskitishvili     DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 32-76 16-29 12-47  20  18   82
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.421, FT-.552. 3-Point Goals:
2-5, .400 (C Anthony 0-1, G Buckner 2-3, B 
Russell 0-1). Team Rebounds: 10. Blocked 
Shots:1 (M Camby). Turnovers:12 (A Miller 3, 
Nene 3, G Buckner 2, K Martin 2, M Camby, C 
Anthony). Steals: 10 (M Camby 3, A Miller 2, 
R White 2, E Boykins, G Buckner, K Martin).


HOUSTON (76)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
J Jackson           45  5-18   1-1   0-6   3   3   13
M Taylor            24   2-4   0-0   1-3   0   4    4
Y Ming              28   4-9   0-0   1-6   0   1    8
T Lue               25   4-6   2-2   0-2   5   3   11
T McGrady           45  1-11 12-14   0-5   7   2   14
A Barrett            2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
D Mutombo            9   1-2   0-0   0-2   1   1    2
S Padgett           24   6-8   0-0   2-6   1   3   14
B Nachbar            6   0-2   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
B Sura              21   2-4   2-2   1-4   6   6    6
C Weatherspoon      11   2-3   0-0   0-3   0   2    4
J Howard           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 27-67 17-19  5-37  23  26   76
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.403, FT-.895. 3-Point Goals:
5-19, .263 (J Jackson 2-9, T Lue 1-3, T 
McGrady 0-3, S Padgett 2-3, B Sura 0-1). Team
Rebounds: 5. Blocked Shots:3 (T McGrady 2, D 
Mutombo). Turnovers:17 (M Taylor 4, Y Ming 4,
B Sura 2, T McGrady 2, T Lue 2, J Jackson, S 
Padgett, A Barrett). Steals: 3 (T Lue 2, T 
McGrady).

-------------------------------------------
DENVER                25  21  20  16  -   82
HOUSTON               13  21  22  20  -   76
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Houston - 1 (Defensive 
Three, 4:34 1st).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,145. T: 2:14. 
Officials: Luis Grillo, Mark Ayotte, Mike 
Callahan.

Extended Box

 

DENVER (82) AT HOUSTON (76)

DENVER

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
C ANTHONY         F    25    3-14     2-3      2   3   5    3   1   0   1    8
K MARTIN          F    39    8-19     3-11     5   8  13    3   1   1   2   19
M CAMBY           C    41    6-10     1-1      2  12  14    1   2   3   1   13
G BUCKNER         G    39    3-5      5-6      1   2   3    3   3   1   2   13
A MILLER          G    38    9-14     2-4      1   6   7    7   2   2   3   20
NENE                   15    1-3      2-2      1   1   2    2   5   0   3    4
E BOYKINS              11    0-6      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   1   0    0
B RUSSELL              18    0-1      0-0      0   3   3    0   3   0   0    0
R WHITE                13    2-4      0-0      0   0   0    1   0   2   0    4
F ELSON                 1    0-0      1-2      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    1
A JOHNSON             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
N TSKITISHVILI        DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   32-76    16-29    12  35  47   20  18  10  12   82
                            (.421)  (.552)  TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 12 (14 PTS)    

HOUSTON

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
J JACKSON         F    45    5-18     1-1      0   6   6    3   3   0   1   13
M TAYLOR          F    24    2-4      0-0      1   2   3    0   4   0   4    4
Y MING            C    28    4-9      0-0      1   5   6    0   1   0   4    8
T LUE             G    25    4-6      2-2      0   2   2    5   3   2   2   11
T MCGRADY         G    45    1-11    12-14     0   5   5    7   2   1   2   14
A BARRETT               2    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   1    0
D MUTOMBO               9    1-2      0-0      0   2   2    1   1   0   0    2
S PADGETT              24    6-8      0-0      2   4   6    1   3   0   1   14
B NACHBAR               6    0-2      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
B SURA                 21    2-4      2-2      1   3   4    6   6   0   2    6
C WEATHERSPOON         11    2-3      0-0      0   3   3    0   2   0   0    4
J HOWARD              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   27-67    17-19     5  32  37   23  26   3  17   76
                            (.403)  (.895)  TEAM REBS:  5 TOTAL TO: 17 (15 PTS)    
  
   DENVER             25   21   20   16   -   82
   HOUSTON            13   21   22   20   -   76
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: DENVER - M CAMBY.  HOUSTON - T MCGRADY 2, D MUTOMBO.

3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DENVER 2-5 (.400), C ANTHONY 0-1, G BUCKNER 2-3,
B RUSSELL 0-1. HOUSTON 5-19 (.263), J JACKSON 2-9, T LUE 1-3, T MCGRADY 0-
3, S PADGETT 2-3, B SURA 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: HOUSTON - DEFENSIVE THREE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: LUIS GRILLO, MARK AYOTTE, MIKE CALLAHAN.
A - 18,145. T - 2:14.

Game Story

HOUSTON (Ticker) - Back-to-back games can be beneficial when
you're trying to put a bad one behind you.  The Denver Nuggets
did exactly that when they outran and outrebounded the Houston
Rockets for an 82-76 victory.

"We played a horrible game last night (an 89-75 home loss to San
Antonio) and came back with a lot of energy," said guard Andre
Miller, who led the Nuggets with 20 points and seven assists.

Kenyon Martin had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Marcus Camby
added 13 and 14 as they outplayed Rockets All-Star center Yao
Ming, who managed just eight points and six rebounds.

"We wanted to try to run him, tire him out," Camby said.  "His
stamina is not the best.  He's a big guy carrying a lot of
weight.  Once his stamina gets up to speed, he's going to be
dominant."

"I think I did a bad job," Yao said.  "I was waiting for the
rebounds to come to me. I hope this is the most frustrating I've
been in my life.  I hope there's no more frustration."

The Nuggets have won five of their last six games and play their
next four at home, where they recently went 4-1 in a five-game
stretch.

The Nuggets used an 11-0 run in the first quarter, sparked by
Miller and Carmelo Anthony, to take a 19-7 lead they never
relinquished.

"We were disappointed in our effort (Friday night), our
inability to play well," Denver coach Jeff Bzdelik said.  "We
made sure we went out early (tonight) to warm up, so we had a
good sweat going.  Our starts have not been good."

Camby knew the running game was the key to beating the plodding
Rockets as well as wearing down Yao.

"This team doesn't like to go up and down," Camby said.  "I
played for Jeff (Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy in New York).  I
know how good his defense can be once they get set up."

The Nuggets didn't give them a chance, even though they lost
Anthony to a sprained right ankle with 2:21 left in the third
quarter while leading, 62-48.  He was helped to the locker room,
where X-rays were negative.  He is listed as day-to-day.

Rockets guard Bob Sura wrapped up Anthony to prevent an easy
layup and the two fell to the ground.

"It looked like the hard foul carried into Sura trying to
prevent (Anthony) from getting hurt and they got tangled up,"
Bzdelik said.  "I don't think it was a flagrant act on anyone's
part."

"It should have been more than just a personal," Martin said.
"Who am I to say?"

Martin said plenty with the way he played, particularly for
someone who had been bothered by a chest cold.  He played only
six minutes and failed to score in the loss to San Antonio.

"I feel better today," he said.  "I got some rest, got some
medicine in me, some fluids."

"I ran into Kenyon's mom at lunch and told her to go get some
chicken soup and deliver it to Kenyon," Bzdelik said with a
laugh.

Martin's mother, Lydia Moore, saw the former New Jersey Net play
for the first time in person as a Nugget.

"Mom brought me a little love from Dallas," Martin said. "She
(has) been a little under the weather."

The Nuggets outrebounded Houston 19-5 in the first quarter,
including 7-0 on the offensive board, and led 25-13 after one
period.

The Rockets lost their third in a row and scored a season-low 76
points, despite getting a lift from Sura and Scott Padgett, who
scored a season-high 14, half of them in the fourth quarter.

Sura, activated before the game, played his first contest of the
season after being sidelined with a herniated disk that
required lower back surgery September 21.  He played 21 minutes
and had six points and six assists.

"I haven't played in six or seven months," Sura said  "But
considering that, I feel like it went all right.  I feel like I
brought some energy, some toughness and made some plays for some
other guys."