Denver Nuggets - The Next Level [Game 3 + 4]

[Warlock95]

GRIZZLIES PERKO: Aww, we lost! What name should I choose? Boris? Slav? Whatever...
NUGGETS PERKO: Why not call yourself "Loser"?
GRIZZLIES PERKO: Shut up.

[Kenny]

No fading away for Smith in this postseason, that first game aside. On to the next round!

Indeed, he has been big so far... hopefully he can continue it on and truly make Denver his team

:applaud:

Hopefully its Nuggets-Rockets in the next round!

You'll find out very shortly whether that's the case

Lets go JR!

I just got a picture in my head of Clipper Darrell chanting that... he's awesome.

GRIZZLIES PERKO: Aww, we lost! What name should I choose? Boris? Slav? Whatever...
NUGGETS PERKO: Why not call yourself "Loser"?
GRIZZLIES PERKO: Shut up.

Haha nice. See, I can keep a rather clinical layout when people are writing the scripts for me

[Kenny]

The Playoff Picture: Conference Semi Finals



Previous Round Results

EAST

(1) Washington 4 - 0 Orlando (8)
(4) Boston 4 - 1 Chicago (5)
(6) Detroit 4 - 2 Charlotte (3)
(7) Miami 4 - 3 Cleveland (2)

Notes:

-Washington had little trouble dispatching the 8th seed Orlando.
-Miami caused the biggest boilover of the round, winning as a 7th seed. Last playoffs, they lost as the top seed to New York.

WEST

(1) Denver 4 - 1 Memphis (8)
(4) Houston 4 - 3 Oklahoma City (5)
(3) San Antonio 4 - 3 New Orleans (6)
(7) Dallas 4 - 1 LA Clippers (2)

Notes:

-Denver are now the only team outside of Texas left in the West
-Houston almost blew a 3-0 lead in the series after Armando Ferrer went down to injury. Lucky they were able to grab the last game at home.
-The Clippers curse continues as they were knocked out by 7th seed Dallas. Not a good year if you're a second seed.

[Kenny]

Playoffs Preview: Nuggets Vs Rockets



The upcoming Denver-Houston takes place over 9 years since the last time they met in the post-season. That series would also be the first in The Next Level. The first round in 2010 was a war of attrition as both sides traded blow-for-blow like a pair of prize fighters. It was also the series that spawned possibly the greatest photo of this dynasty so far; Yao's "Kick Ball Violation" against Malik Allen. Denver took the series in the 7th game and to their delight, wouldn't play the Rockets in another series until now.

The Rockets are looking for redemption and strive for relevance in this league, while the Nuggets want to continue on a legacy of dominance. Whichever way this series goes, both teams are going to take everything with them on the court.

The Teams

Denver Nuggets

The Starters

| Robin Lopez | Borislav Perko | Kevin Durant | J.R. Smith | Brandon Jennings

The Bench


| Taylor MacKenzie | Andrew Bogut | Patrick Mills | Ed Reed | George Power | Chris Andersen | Dennis Da Conceicao |

IR

| Jrue Holiday | Crispin Erwin | Basil Richter |

Houston Rockets

The Starters

| Fred Carroll | Armando Ferrer | Carl Ellis | Nathan Bing | Liam Koch |

The Bench

| Brice Alan | Stanley Garner | Joe Alexander | Luol Deng | Dennis Schmitz | Zlatan Silva | William Coles |

IR

| William Johns | Jamey Myers | Ricky Klein |

DNA


Denver Nuggets | Houston Rockets

Keys

Denver Nuggets

So far this post-season, it's been all about Borislav Perko and J.R. Smith. If Denver can get a third guy firing, say Kevin Durant or Brandon Jennings, they could run away with this series. While Earl must continue to pour on the points, they also need someone to keep Armando Ferrer off the boards as he's one of the best rebounders in the game.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets are possibly the best shooting team in the league. They have guys who can shoot from deep all over the floor... even their centre Fred Carroll can drop threes. Carl Ellis and Nathan Bing are arguably the most dangerous wing combination in the league right now as well. Both have the ability to get to the line and dictate terms. For Houston to take this series they need to shoot well and defend the perimeter themselves. They'll also have to do without Armando Ferrer in the first game, as he's still carrying an injury.

[Andrew]

That was a great photo.

Hope Durant can get going in the series and that Perko and Smith keep up their strong play.

[megarover]

This series looks interesting because almost a decade has passed since you guys played and Birdman is the only one still on the roster. The Rocket's roster is also pretty unique in the way that none of the starters are guys from our period or notorious generated players like Ollie Rose.

[Axel The Great]

That Armando Ferrer guy looks promising. Is Nathan Bing the creator of Bing.com?

Really looking forward to seeing how the series will turn out.

[Houndy]

4-1 for the Nuggets

[Andrew]

Is Nathan Bing the creator of Bing.com?

Or possibly a relative of Chandler Bing. Or perhaps Dave Bing, for a connection to a real person and not a fictional character.

[Murat]

Sorry man, I'm saying it again and again: Another young team. Something like OKC Thunder I guess. Anyway, looking forward to finals again!

[kibaxx7]

Both 2nd and 3rd seeds losing in the East. How does the Wiz roster look like?

[Kenny]

That was a great photo.

Hope Durant can get going in the series and that Perko and Smith keep up their strong play.

It's definitely my favourite so far. I think even the look on Malik's face is appropriate.

This series looks interesting because almost a decade has passed since you guys played and Birdman is the only one still on the roster. The Rocket's roster is also pretty unique in the way that none of the starters are guys from our period or notorious generated players like Ollie Rose.

Well, so is J.R. Smih, but he made that move to Memphis, so he hasn't been on the team the whole time. Houston have great players all around the court who all can spread the defense.

That Armando Ferrer guy looks promising. Is Nathan Bing the creator of Bing.com?

Really looking forward to seeing how the series will turn out.

Is Nathan Bing the creator of Bing.com?

Or possibly a relative of Chandler Bing. Or perhaps Dave Bing, for a connection to a real person and not a fictional character.

Oh, and his moustache is fantastic as well

All I know about Nathan Bing is that he wears 34, so I don't like him

4-1 for the Nuggets

We'll see what happens

Sorry man, I'm saying it again and again: Another young team. Something like OKC Thunder I guess. Anyway, looking forward to finals again!

Another series of youth vs experience... who will prevail?

Both 2nd and 3rd seeds losing in the East. How does the Wiz roster look like?

The Wizards have a massive front court. Their centre is 7'6 and I think their power forward is a 7 footer as well. Good backup with Taj Gibson on the bench as well.

[Kenny]

NBA Playoffs: Denver Vs Houston
First Four Games

Game 1: First Game Curse Continues for Nuggets



The Denver Nuggets have once again suffered a first game loss, going down to the Houston Rockets in a close game by 89-86. Despite a huge 40 point effort from J.R. Smith, it was the Rockets well-rounded offense that got the job done. Carl Ellis (25) and Liam Koch (20) both scored 20 or more, while versatile big Fred Carroll scored 19, including what would be the game winning three. Breakout star Nathan Bing had 13.

Earl played a lone hand for Denver. While Ed Reed contributed 17 off the bench, Kevin Durant struggled once again with 11 to be the only other double-digit scorer. The Nuggets had the opportunity to tie the game with Brandon Jennings launching for three, but his shot was blocked by All-Defensive player Carl Ellis.

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HOU@DEN

HOU: 89 (Ellis 25, Koch 20, Carroll 19)
DEN: 86 (Smith 40, Reed 17, Durant 11)

Sprite Performer of the Game: J.R. Smith 40 points 4 rebounds 2 assists 2 steals

Rebounds

HOU: Garner 16
DEN: Lopez 10

Assists

HOU: Koch 7
DEN: Lopez 5

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Game 2: Rockets claim Denver double in OT



In another tight finish, the Houston Rockets have outlasted the Nuggets in OT to a tune of 113-109. Towards the end of regulation, Nathan Bing hit the game tying 2 pointer to level it at 90. With the opportunity to win it, Ed Reed missed the shot. Reed would lead a field of 6 double figure scorers for Denver with 25 points. J.R. Smith at times struggled but ended up with 19. Jennings made the scorers sheet with 14 points to go with his 6 assists, while Kevin Durant was underwhelming once again, tallying another game of 11. Borislav Perko registered another double-double with 10 points and 10 assists, while Dennis Da Conceicao took advantage of his first minutes this playoffs with 10 points of his own.

Even though Denver had a team effort with scoring, Houston had more meaningful scorers, three of which went 25 or more. Fred Carroll led them all and got the performer of the game with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Nathan Bing and Liam Koch both scored 25 each, while Carl Ellis also had a great night with 21. Houston welcomed Armando Ferrer to the starting lineup and he repayed them with 10 points and a massive 21 rebounds.

In the end, a big story of the game was the rebounding advantage the Rockets had. The Nuggets leading rebounder was Borislav Perko with 10 boards... both Armando Ferrer and Fred Carroll surpassed him easily.

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HOU@DEN

(OT)
HOU: 113 (Carroll 28, Bing 25, Koch 25)
DEN: 109 (Reed 25, Smith 19, Jennings 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Fred Carroll 28 points 15 rebounds 1 block 1 steal

Rebounds

HOU: Ferrer 21
DEN: Perko 10

Assists

HOU: Bing, Koch 7
DEN: Jennings 6

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Game 3: Denver Fail to Launch in Houston: Sweep Imminent?



The Nuggets face an unforeseen sweep after going down by 108-101 to the Houston Rockets in game 3. The Rockets team was full of stars in this one, with Nathan Bing leading the way with 33 points. Three players registered double-doubles, with Armando Ferrer (20 points, 12 rebounds) and Fred Carroll (18 points, 10 rebounds) hitting the boards hard once again. Liam Koch was the other one, but he did it with 17 points and 14 assists. He was named player of the game with his performance. Carl Ellis also put in a productive performance with 18 points.

For Denver, it was J.R. Smith stepping up once again with 34 points, but he had help from Kevin Durant this time as he scored 24 of his own. Apart from that, Ed Reed was the only other meaningful scorer with 11.

They were once again simply out-hustled in this game. If they don't rise up out of this slump soon, they could find themselves going on vacation early.

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DEN@HOU

HOU: 108 (Bing 33, Ferrer 20, Carroll 18)
DEN: 101 (Smith 34, Durant 24, Reed 11)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Liam Koch 17 points 4 rebounds 14 assists 1 block 2 steals

Rebounds

HOU: Ferrer 12
DEN: Perko 10

Assists

HOU: Koch 14
DEN: Reed 4

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Game 4: Nuggets hold on



Denver avoided a series sweep by picking up game 4 in Houston by 91-88. J.R. Smith was once again the catalyst for their victory with 39 points and the performer of the game award. Perko and Jennings both had double-digits with 16 and 14 respectively, but the big story to come out of this game was that Bogut started in the place of an under-performing Robin Lopez. Andrew's interior defense and rebounding presense added something that Denver were missing in the first three games and he could very well be the starter until Denver get eliminated.

Houston once again had a well-rounded performance, with all 5 starters scoring in double figures. Liam Koch led them all with 30 points. Fred Carroll continued on his impressive form with 22, while Armando Ferrer once again provided Houston with their inside presense with 12 ponts, 11 rebounds and 8 blocked shots. Wing superstars Carl Ellis and Nathan Bing both had below par games with 11 and 10 respectively.

After being out-muscled in the first three games, Denver made the adjustment for this game and Bogut could very well hold the key for them to get back into this series. It's a steep mountain for the Mile High franchise to climb though.

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DEN@HOU

DEN: 91 (Smith 39, Perko 16, Jennings 14)
HOU: 88 (Koch 30, Carroll 22, Ferrer 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: J.R. Smith 39 points 2 rebounds 4 assists 2 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Bogut 11
HOU: Ferrer 11

Assists

DEN: Jennings 5
HOU: Ellis, Koch 4

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At the top of the game 4 telecast, Steve Kerr said that Denver needed to "Get out their golf clubs, because this one is over."

Can the defending champs pull off a miracle and prove the former Suns GM wrong? Or will they be heading for an early off-season? Either way, the conclusion is not one to be missed. It will be up soon.

[Murat]

Make a comeback that never seen man!

[Bucket]

Hakeem Olajuwon?
Make a comeback and beat Rockets

[megarover]

Wow I was expecting a tough 6 or 7 game series but it looks like they caught both of us off guard.

[Axel The Great]

Man, that must be one hell of a frontcourt, might say it's comparable to the early 90's Olajuwon-Thorpe duo. Tough losses there, though, didn't expect my Rockets to be that tough to beat, despite J.R. finally lighting it up.

I'm fine with you coming back to win this thing, or the Rockets advancing, but do me a favor, hold Nathan Bing down for the rest of the series for taking Hakeem's number.

[Andrew]

Perhaps Bing deserves to wear #34 after all...alright, maybe not.

That was certainly unexpected, hope you can bounce back and make history by winning four straight.

[Houndy]

A struggle, I expect a hard fought game 7- if you get there

[kibaxx7]

Go for it man, you can do it

[Kenny]

Make a comeback that never seen man!

Go for it man, you can do it

Thanks for the support guys, whether I make it or not will be determined very soon

Hakeem Olajuwon?
Make a comeback and beat Rockets

It's his number on a retro jersey, but unfortunately it's Nathan Bing

Wow I was expecting a tough 6 or 7 game series but it looks like they caught both of us off guard.

Yeah, they've just been hitting every shot and smashing me off the boards. A very hard team to defend against.

Man, that must be one hell of a frontcourt, might say it's comparable to the early 90's Olajuwon-Thorpe duo. Tough losses there, though, didn't expect my Rockets to be that tough to beat, despite J.R. finally lighting it up.

I'm fine with you coming back to win this thing, or the Rockets advancing, but do me a favor, hold Nathan Bing down for the rest of the series for taking Hakeem's number.

It's not a huge front court, but both Carroll and Ferrer have mad heart like Chuck Hayes

Good to know you'll be happy either way... thought you might be going against me on this one

Perhaps Bing deserves to wear #34 after all...alright, maybe not.

That was certainly unexpected, hope you can bounce back and make history by winning four straight.

He's a very good player, but the Dream is definitely the man of Rockets. For me it's on about par with Igor Martin wearing 23 with the Bulls.

It'd be a great thing to happen in this season, since I've basically been hyping up everything more. Either way, I think it'll be an exciting finish

A struggle, I expect a hard fought game 7- if you get there

We'll see how things go, but it's definitely an uphill battle from here.

[Kenny]

NBA Playoffs: Denver Vs Houston
The Conclusion

Game 5: Nuggets Launch Rockets in Denver



The Denver Nuggets clawed themselves back to 2-3 with a win over the Rockets in game 5 by 94-81. J.R. Smith led the way with 30 points, but it was the bench effort from Ed Reed that would receive the Sprite Performer of the Game. He once again provided instant offense off the bench with 25 points and could very well have the new nickname "Ed Threed" after a hot display from beyond the arc. Despite winning the award, the real story of Denver's resurgence has been Andrew Bogut. After Robin Lopez and Borislav Perko struggled to keep the Rockets' front court off the boards, Bogut has provided much needed muscle near the basket, this game he had his double-double of this series with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Durant was the last of the double-digit scorers for the Nuggets with 11 points.

While the Rockets had solid contributions from Liam Koch (20 points) and Armando Ferrer (19 points 9 rebounds), their major disadvantage in this game was the lack-luster performance from Nathan Bing, who was held to 12 points for the game. The Rockets dominance off the glass would also be stemmed, with their highest contributor not even grabbing double figures.

Houston still have two games to close out this series, but you have to feel that Denver has the momentum. The Nuggets now have to travel to Houston in an attempt to tie the series.

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HOU@DEN

DEN: 94 (Smith 30, Reed 25, Bogut 14)
HOU: 81 (Koch 20, Ferrer 19, Bing 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Ed Reed 25 points 1 rebound 2 assists

Rebounds

DEN: Bogut 10
HOU: Ferrer 9

Assists

DEN: Jennings 5
HOU: Ellis 4

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Game 6: Nuggets Level in Emphatic Win



After being down 3-0 in the series, the Nuggets tied it up in Houston, thrashing the Rockets by 96-77. While no one for Denver scored over 20, the Nuggets had solid contributions from equal top scorers J.R. Smith and Kevin Durant (19 points). Andrew Bogut's impact on the game was finally recognised as he received the Performer of the Game. Not only was he dominant off the boards with 15, but he dictated terms on the block with 18 points as well. Super-sub Ed Reed was also in on the action once again with 13 points from the bench.

For the Rockets, both Fred Carroll and Carl Ellis led the team with 17 points. Liam Koch had another solid game with 14 points and 7 assists, while Rockets star Nathan Bing was once again contained with 13 points.

With the series now tied at 3-3, there's a great feeling that Denver will make history on their home court in game 7. Can this dynasty franchise make their way in the history books once again?

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DEN@HOU

DEN: 96 (Durant 19, Smith 19, Bogut 18)
HOU: 77 (Carroll 17, Ellis 17, Koch 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Andrew Bogut 18 points 15 rebounds 3 assists 1 block

Rebounds

DEN: Bogut 15
HOU: Ferrer 14

Assists

DEN: Jennings 5
HOU: Koch 7

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Game 7: History Made; Denver in the WCF



After leading 3-0, Houston were annihilated in game 7 by Denver. The final score ended up being 117-85. With the series on the line, it took two top shelve performances from J.R. Smith and Kevin Durant to take Denver to another Western Conference Final. J.R. Smith ended up with 48, which is impressive in itself... when you consider that 41 of those points were in the first half, Houston were on the back foot from the get-go. In the second half it was the Durantula's turn to pour it on, as he ended up with his tally of 34 points. Possibly overshadowed by the performances of the wing superstars, Andrew Bogut once again had another excellent all-round performance. He flirted with a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Borislav Perko was close to a double-double of his own with 8 points and 17 rebounds.

Liam Koch and Nathan Bing had improved performances with 24 and 20 respectively, while Carl Ellis made it to double-digits with 17. Unfortunately for Houston, nobody was able to stop the tandem of Smith and Durant. Even though it's a combination that doesn't live up to the hype as much as it should, it did in the most important game of this dynasty to date.

After an epic series, Denver now face the winner of the Spurs-Mavericks series which is currently tied at 3-3.

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HOU@DEN

DEN: 117 (Smith 48, Durant 34, Bogut 12)
HOU: 85 (Koch 24, Bing 20, Ellis 17)

Sprite Performer of the Game: J.R. Smith 48 points 2 rebounds 2 assists 1 block 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 17
HOU: Ferrer 13

Assists

DEN: Bogut 7
HOU: Alan 7

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Click here to view the slideshow of the series

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What a series to be involved in! At 3-0 down, I was admittedly looking to the off-season and wondering what I needed to do to shake my team up. Turns out that I just needed to make an adjustment to my starting lineup. Can't go on enough about the impact Andrew Bogut had in this one... completely changed the complexion of the series. Next up will be the results of the other fixtures.

[Andrew]

Phew! Congrats on completing the historic comeback, that's definitely something special for the tenth year of the Dynasty (of course reaching year ten is special in itself). Very glad to see you moving on to the next round, hope you can take control of that one early and gear up for another title.

[Murat]

Woohoo! Congratulations

[Bucket]

Wow man, it's awesome. Another title for Nuggets?