"Let's give credit to Denver, but the season's not over."Īndrei Kirilenko, who was held to two points, has had his name surface in rumors as part of a deal that would land him in Denver and Anthony with the New Jersey Nets. "Our cuts to the basket looked like we were dead tired," Sloan said. The Jazz return home Thursday to play Phoenix. Sloan wasn't particularly pleased with his team's energy level, especially for this being the opener. "Made it more difficult for him to get what he wanted," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. The Nuggets made sure Jefferson didn't go off in Boozer or Malone fashion, frequently putting two bodies on him. Jefferson said before the game that Utah's pick-and-roll system fits him "perfect" and that he hopes to thrive like Carlos Boozer and Karl Malone once did. "We've got guys playing really well right now."ĭeron Williams had 17 points for Utah, Paul Millsap added 15 and Al Jefferson, acquired in a trade with Minnesota over the summer, finished with six. "We've been looking forward to this game for a while," said Chauncey Billups, who needed stitches after biting his lip early in the game. Then again, the Nuggets had a chip on their shoulder. The Nuggets led by as many as 27 points in the third quarter and easily cruised home from there. There was hardly any drama in this contest. "The fans, they want to see basketball," Anthony said. Like Karl, Anthony received a warm reception for the crowd, something he appreciated. Let me play," Anthony said when told of Karl's comments. He was in his white jersey with powder blue and gold trim Wednesday, but this possibly could be his final opener with the team. He just doesn't know it yet," Karl said.Īnthony has been mentioned in trade speculation since he brushed off a three-year, $65 million extension with the Nuggets in June. "Try to convince Melo the place he wants to be is really Denver. ![]() Now that he's back, Karl's next assignment is coaxing Anthony to stick around. "I hope Utah fired them up a little bit more than me," Karl said. ![]() In his absence, the Nuggets stumbled and were eliminated by Utah in the first round of the playoffs. Karl missed the final two months of last season after being diagnosed with throat and neck cancer. His team turned it into a stress-free evening.Ĭarmelo Anthony scored 23 points, Arron Afflalo added 22 and the Nuggets opened the season with a 110-88 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. Carmelo Anthony scores 23 points as Nuggets cruise to winĭENVER - Antsy and anxious, Nuggets coach George Karl returned to the bench after battling cancer.
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