Anthony scores 30 as Nuggets beat Jazz, 114-105

By PAT GRAHAM, AP Sports Writer Oct 29, 2:20 am EDT

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DENVER (AP)—Ty Lawson(notes) may be dusting off an old nickname.

Back before his days at North Carolina, the rookie was called “Sparkplug” for his ability to come into a game and provide instant energy.

Lawson did just that Wednesday night, scoring seven of his 17 points in a pivotal fourth-quarter run to help the Denver Nuggets to a season-opening 114-105 win over the Utah Jazz.

“Play fast and get people involved,” Lawson said. “I’ve been doing that since I was younger.”

Although Anthony Carter(notes) got the start, it was Lawson in the game at crunch time. He was playing too well to take out.

Lawson ignited a 9-0 run to open the fourth quarter, scoring on driving layups and quick jumpers to help the Nuggets pull away in what had been a close contest.

“There’s such a speed to the game when Ty’s on the court,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “Right now, I’m just going to ride guys that are going.”

That would definitely include Carmelo Anthony(notes), who scored a game-high 30 points. He’s simply starting where he left off in the preseason, when he led the league with a 23.6 scoring clip.

“It was a statement game for me,” Anthony said.

The Jazz certainly got the message.

“He’s a terrific player,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. “He’s one of those players who knows when to start. He knows when the season is ready to start. He’s very hard to guard.”

Chauncey Billups(notes) finished with 25 while Kenyon Martin(notes) added 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Deron Williams(notes) led Utah with 28 points and 13 assists. Andrei Kirilenko(notes) and Ronnie Brewer(notes) each contributed 16 on a night when two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer(notes) struggled, finishing 3 of 14 and scoring 12 points—most coming late. He also had 11 rebounds.

“They really jumped us in the fourth quarter,” Williams said. “They gained some momentum with that start and we never regained it.”

It all started with Lawson, who lived up to his childhood nickname.

“That might come back now,” he said, grinning.

Denver took the lead for good with time winding down in the third quarter when Billups was fouled by Williams on a 3-point attempt with four-tenths of a second left. Billups made all three free throws to stake the Nuggets to an 82-80 lead.

Anthony put the exclamation on the win with a slam dunk over Paul Millsap(notes) with just over 6 minutes remaining, giving the Nuggets a double-digit lead.

Before the opening tip, Anthony grabbed the microphone and thanked the capacity crowd for braving the weather to attend the game. The Mile High City was blanketed with nearly a foot of blowing snow throughout the day.

With the Jazz already in town, though, there was no thought given to canceling the contest.

The Nuggets, who are coming off a trip to the Western Conference finals, unveiled their Northwest Division banner before the game. Denver and Utah have won the last four division crowns, capturing two apiece.

That’s why, although early, this was a crucial divisional game for the two squads, at least as far as tiebreakers are concerned. Karl said the schedule makers did them no favors by having this contest so early.

Denver plays in Portland on Thursday night, another top contender in the division. The team was hopping on a plane later in the night, hoping the snow tails off enough to depart.

The Nuggets were missing the long-range touch of J.R. Smith(notes) as he served the first of a league-mandated seven-game suspension for pleading guilty to reckless driving over the summer.

The Jazz were short-handed as well, playing without Matt Harpring(notes) (ankle, knee), C.J. Miles(notes) (left thumb) and Kyle Korver(notes) (left knee). Korver had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in New York on Wednesday. He will return to Salt Lake City for rehab and will be re-evaluated on Nov. 9.

Utah received a scare 24 seconds into the game when center Mehmet Okur(notes) hobbled to the locker room after trying to draw a charge on Nene.

But he returned late in the first quarter wearing a flexible brace on his left knee.

“It could have been worse,” said Okur, who had 13 points. “I’ll be OK.”

NOTES: This is just the second time the Nuggets have hosted the Jazz in the season opener. Denver beat Utah, 139-125, on Oct. 28, 1983, at the defunct McNichols Sports Arena. … Official Leroy Richardson was briefly examined by the Nuggets training staff after tumbling coming up the court in the fourth quarter.

Updated Oct 29, 2:20 am EDT
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32 Comments

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  1. Ben
    32. Posted by Ben Thu Oct 29 6:23pm EDT

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    Go Jazz!
  2. Straight Out The Burbs
    31. Posted by Straight Out The Burbs Thu Oct 29 5:58pm EDT

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    Once again... love how our Pacers got the Tim Tebow of basketball instead of Ty Lawson. Knew this kid would be good but don't see him dropping off even after preseason. Oh well at least we have TJ Ford and..............
  3. Robert L
    30. Posted by Robert L Thu Oct 29 5:27pm EDT

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    Great job Nuggies! Good Luck tonight and whip Portland!
  4. Lind
    29. Posted by Lind Thu Oct 29 4:11pm EDT

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    Ty Lawson is a great player and no way is he 5'11 he looks like a midget.
  5. Walter
    28. Posted by Walter Thu Oct 29 3:28pm EDT

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    The Bulls will show everyone this year that there for real !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  6. Walter
    27. Posted by Walter Thu Oct 29 3:27pm EDT

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    Hi
  7. Marquis
    26. Posted by Marquis Thu Oct 29 1:59pm EDT

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    Man, watching Ty Lawson run up and down the court was like watching Speedy Gonzales or something. That guy has blazing speed off the dribble so I don't know how some of these guards are going to contain him. You guys seen his resume at UNC, and he's doing it here too, that's just dangerous
  8. chris z
    25. Posted by chris z Thu Oct 29 1:40pm EDT

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    i wonder why the LAKERS only hang championship banners? oh cause theres only so much room up in the staples rafters.
  9. STEWART
    24. Posted by STEWART Thu Oct 29 1:24pm EDT

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    Good job by the Nuggets. Lawson looked great and Afflalo played great D in the 4th. They still need some work on defense. The article said JR was suspended for wreckless driving that occured earlier this summer. The incident was in '07, his best friend died and he spent time in jail this summer. I think he's trying hard to shape up and after his current suspension, I think he'll stay clear of trouble. I can't wait to see him contribute. Nuggets in '10.
  10. charlesj
    23. Posted by charlesj Thu Oct 29 1:14pm EDT

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    Wow, the Nugget were able hold the lead in the 4th quarter.
  11. Shady Benally
    22. Posted by Shady Benally Thu Oct 29 12:51pm EDT

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    ty lawson had a huge impact on the nuggets team. george karl is finally doing something right. nuggets will make the playoffs but they need a big 5 scoring team. carmelo needs to stay out of trouble, kenyon needs to keep playing his game and chancey needs to remain as the leader. birdman just become a support cast.
  12. <i>southstander132</i>
    21. Posted by southstander132 Thu Oct 29 12:14pm EDT

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    Ty Lawson looks like the real deal...
  13. garthvader
    20. Posted by garthvader Thu Oct 29 11:31am EDT

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    wow boozer really came through last night..........idiot.
  14. Jess
    18. Posted by Jess Thu Oct 29 5:16am EDT

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    Denver looks good enough to give some NBA teams a beating including the favorite powerhouse teams.
    Still, I believe they will still fall short compared to, say, the Orlando magic come crunchtime. The way I look
    at it, there are still some missing pieces for the Denver puzzle. It's a long conference though, and there's
    always room for improvement
  15. JamesA
    17. Posted by JamesA Thu Oct 29 5:13am EDT

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    Nuggets rolling good so far!! Thought Lawson would have been at least a top 10 pick! Well all the teams that past him up didnt need a PG of his caliber or just flat out made a bad decision! George Karl played PG at Carolina and so did Ty; they understand the fundamentals of the game. Good job Nuggets!
  16. Kipruto
    16. Posted by Kipruto Thu Oct 29 4:51am EDT

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    im confused on what to say
  17. Kipruto
    15. Posted by Kipruto Thu Oct 29 4:51am EDT

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    im confused on what to say
  18. RockPile
    14. Posted by RockPile Thu Oct 29 4:41am EDT

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    Lawson wore out both teams in that 4th quarter. They were all standing around at the end. Looks like he is going to be a heck of a player. Doug Moe must be proud. Melo still playing mature like he did in the playoffs. Denver should still be favored to win the division. Go Nuggets!!
  19. Chambers
    13. Posted by Chambers Thu Oct 29 4:17am EDT

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    Should be a great season for both teams, but from what I've seen tonight, the Lakers better watch out. The Denver Nuggets are a scary good team.
  20. Kenny
    12. Posted by Kenny Thu Oct 29 3:04am EDT

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    Im predicting 3 more games til Lawson becomes a starter and AC goes to the bench. This dude is coming in Kobe-style. When you recognize an immense talent, how long can you keep him on the bench? Carter doesnt produce much. He distributes, but Lawson is a much better Guard already.
  21. GoodOleBoyCo
    11. Posted by GoodOleBoyCo Thu Oct 29 2:45am EDT

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    Rookie done good...he should blossom under Chauncey's tutoring and a winning environment. Nice start Nuggies!
  22. alecp
    10. Posted by alecp Thu Oct 29 2:18am EDT

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    Good win and great game for Ty Lawson. I hope he play as well on the last game of the season. See how his speed holds up. Can not wait to see how he does in the playoffs. Denver is going to need a solid post presence for the season and in the playoffs to make to the finals. The Lakers and Spurs will be in the way of course. Nice start for the Nugs. Good luck.
  23. Alvin R
    9. Posted by Alvin R Thu Oct 29 2:08am EDT

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    Denver still needs NENE 2 be their offensive threat at d post.....
  24. Borat Obama
    8. Posted by Borat Obama Thu Oct 29 1:53am EDT

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    Nuggets will win it all this year. They got everything. Carmelo is at his prime. Chaucey has great wisdom. Karl can coach. GO NUGGETS
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Top Performers

 Top Performers
 Utah
D. Williams Deron Williams
9-15,  28 Pts
3 Rebs, 13 Assists
 Denver
C. Anthony Carmelo Anthony
11-22,  30 Pts
8 Rebs, 5 Assists

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