[t-wizzle]

This game isn't even going to be close. The Thunder made everything they looked at Wednesday night but that won't happen in Denver. The Nuggets will feed off the home court advantage and this one will be over quickly. Expect Denver to control the pace with Lawson pushing the tempo and creating in transition. In Game 2, OKC made 10 threes; I expect that to reverse in Game 3 with Denver knocking down the long-ball. J.R. Smith will have a big-time bounce back game as he is a completely different player at home.

Looking at Game 1, what Oklahoma City was able to do was really remarkable. They put up 107 points mainly through the perimeter game. Denver really played the better all-around game but unfortunately the refs missed a call and the Nuggets were put in a tough spot in the final minute. The Thunder won't be able to hit all those outside shots like they did at home and as a result there will be a lot of long rebounds and fast-break points for Denver.

I don't really have time to do more of a write-up but I think Denver wins this game by double digits and Nuggets (-5) should be a monster play. I honestly may make it my biggest play of the year and go at least 15x on it.

[bowers1989]

lol. dont make it your biggest play of the year

[demens]

Denver is definitely going to play better then they did in game 2, but i dont understand why people think OKC just wont show up for this game. It count be close? I sincerely doubt that.

[Scorpion]

Okc +5.5

[JoMoney2785]

5.5 points seems like alot of points to give in this series.

[JOHON8]

-5 shouldn't be a big play IMO, OKC is still a threat whether you think they show up or not. If anything you should go big on the ML because this is do or die for Denver.

[t-wizzle]

Denver is definitely going to play better then they did in game 2, but i dont understand why people think OKC just wont show up for this game. It count be close? I sincerely doubt that.

It has nothing to do with "showing up." Both teams will show up.

[No coincidences]

Public hammering OKC so far, both ML and spread.

Good luck t-wizz.

[Snowball]

JR Smith is acting like a baby again, making comments which only hurt the team,
saying he wants to play elsewhere, and not taking responsibility.

http://www.examiner.com/denver-nugge...mment=32304666

[t-wizzle]

JR Smith is acting like a baby again, making comments which only hurt the team,
saying he wants to play elsewhere, and not taking responsibility.

http://www.examiner.com/denver-nugge...mment=32304666

I think this is irrelevant snowball. Nugs win big.

[h3da]

Thunder ML is the play imo..

[bornselling]

Thunder ML is the play imo..

[TGHMak]

I look forward to seeing afflalo come back

[RZ]

OKC has won the last 4 meetings and I dont think Denver lose 5 in a row. They played well lately

[nulldah]

denver 1h is stronger play for me.

[kiefynugs]

JR Smith is acting like a baby again, making comments which only hurt the team,
saying he wants to play elsewhere, and not taking responsibility.

http://www.examiner.com/denver-nugge...mment=32304666

this kind of shit really pisses me off. As a loyal nuggets fan I pray that another team in the west is stupid enough to give this joker a bloated contract. I've hated this guy for YEARS

The nuggets have a history of solid and reliable bench players but this guy is a drama queen wannabe. Let some dumber franchise pay him 10 mil to create turnovers and have an eventual mental breakdown.

[Snowball]

this kind of shit really pisses me off. As a loyal nuggets fan I pray that another team in the west is stupid enough to give this joker a bloated contract. I've hated this guy for YEARS

The nuggets have a history of solid and reliable bench players but this guy is a drama queen wannabe. Let some dumber franchise pay him 10 mil to create turnovers and have an eventual mental breakdown.

i couldn't agree more. the guy is a cancer.
what did George Karl ever do to him ?
what did his teammates do to him ?
just an egotistical prick who thinks he's never wrong.
i hope he lands on a cellar team to wind out in irrelevancy.

[beyond]

Denver should win today, hope they will over the spread

[kobstopa]

this kind of shit really pisses me off. As a loyal nuggets fan I pray that another team in the west is stupid enough to give this joker a bloated contract. I've hated this guy for YEARS

The nuggets have a history of solid and reliable bench players but this guy is a drama queen wannabe. Let some dumber franchise pay him 10 mil to create turnovers and have an eventual mental breakdown.

Like BD, send him to the Clev

[Snowball]

Denver personalities seem to be ok and focused now.

TIME: 10:00 P.M. EST
VENUE: Pepsi Center
DENVER (AP) - The Nuggets are fastening their hopes to a fickle hamstring.

Arron Afflalo to the rescue.

Pronouncing his left hamstring fit after practice Friday, the Denver guard will take the court for the first time in two weeks when Denver hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

He's been in this position three times since mid-March, only to test out the injury in a game and aggravate it.

Afflalo, the Nuggets' top defender and go-to scorer in crunch time, has no idea how many minutes he can handle or if the hamstring will even hold up.

Still, Afflalo's presence might just provide the boost the team's looking for with Denver down 2-0 in the best-of-7 series.

"We're healthy now," Afflalo said. "No more excuses."

The bickering has subsided, too.

Coach George Karl smoothed some ruffled feathers after upsetting Chris "Birdman" Andersen and J.R. Smith by keeping them on the bench for most of Game 2. Smith was especially frustrated after playing just six minutes in the Nuggets' 106-89 loss Wednesday night.

Smith was on the court when, as Karl described, the "flood gates opened" in the first half, the game quickly turning from out of hand to out of control.

The next day, Smith intimated there was a "strong possibility" he'd sign elsewhere next summer as a free agent. No longer simmering over the slight, Smith backed off that talk Friday.

"We're all the same page and we're ready to go," Smith said. "A lot of guys understood exactly where I was coming from. A few guys didn't say anything. I think it's great that we have that attitude toward one another that nobody takes anything personal and everybody just wants to win."

Karl brushed off Smith's comments, appreciating Smith's passion more than anything.

"I don't want J.R. to be happy about not playing. I want J.R. to be angry," Karl said. "I want Bird to be angry. I want them all to be angry. I would be angry. I also want them to be teammates. I think J.R., more than ever, is showing that he wants to be that guy.

"I don't think he deserves this criticism at this moment. Maybe in the past he deserved it more, not yesterday."

Reduced to a spectator the first two games, Afflalo has had to sit back and watch Oklahoma City's All-Star duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant go off against the Nuggets defense.

Now, it's his turn to try to slow down Westbrook, maybe even switch over for a crack at covering Durant as well.

"I'm not going to stop either one by myself," Afflalo said. "It's going to be a team effort. But I'll use my ability to try to take advantage of them in the ways that I can."

Afflalo had the Nuggets playing at a high level after the blockbuster deal that sent Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks in February. He won't dazzle on offense like Anthony or steal Billups' title of Mr. Big Shot, but he is the glue that binds this team together.

His bothersome hamstring cost him 13 games over the final month of the regular season, interrupting the team's chemistry.

In fact, four of the Nuggets' five losses in April have been to the Thunder - all with Afflalo sidelined.

That's why his return was viewed as vital, just to try to get the team back on track against the high-flying Thunder.

"He's one of our most tough-minded, fundamentally sound, hard-nosed, winning guys on our team," Karl said. "I mean, before he got hurt, he was playing the most minutes on the team. He played more minutes than Melo, he played more minutes than Chauncey. He's a competitive, winning kid. Skill-wise, he doesn't have greatness but he's damn good in a lot of areas."

Afflalo brings quiet confidence to the court, a demeanor that rubs off on his teammates.

Westbrook knows all about that. The two were teammates at UCLA, even rooming together.

"He's going to bring more toughness," Westbrook said. "He's going to come out and be ready to compete and will play hard."

Thunder coach Scott Brooks couldn't agree more.

"I don't know the dynamics of all the inner workings on what he does on their team. I just know from the outside looking in he's very solid," Brooks said. "He's a great position defender, he's a good playmaker, he passes. He's a team guy."

Hamstring willing, Afflalo will spend plenty of time getting reacquainted with Westbrook.

As for stopping Durant, well, there just may not be a blueprint that exists for limiting the explosiveness of one of the league's most talented - and unassuming - players. He's averaging 32 points in this series.

"It's just all about playing together as a group, no matter who scores or who rebounds as long as you do it together." Durant said.

Precisely the message that Brooks has been preaching.

"It's a businesslike approach," Brooks said. "We know we're up 2-0, but we can't be happy about that. We have to focus all our attention, effort, energy and teamwork toward Game 3.

"We understand that we did our job. Now they have to do their job."

[Snowball]

Nugs gonna win this game.

[Z-Aces]

Thunder getting 5 points is a gift. Way to many points for this team. OKC is the better team here and even though there on the road im taking the 5 points and the win tonight.

[HOT WINGS]

I really like this play as well. Good luck

[t-wizzle]

Nice articles fellas. So do we pound Denver?

[t-wizzle]

Going 25x on Denver. GL to all.

[HOT WINGS]

Going 25x on Denver. GL to all.

Damn GL man I went 4x but wanted to go more. I just have been a little cold lately so couldnt get myself to do it. Go Nuggets!

[t-wizzle]

Damn GL man I went 4x but wanted to go more. I just have been a little cold lately so couldnt get myself to do it. Go Nuggets!

I have been on a bad run myself but have been very hot and cold all year so hoping this jump starts a good run. I see this as a great opportunity and i don't want to pass it up.

[Balco10]

Denver now -4.5...public pounding the Thunder hard.
The two best players on the floor are Durant and Westbrook.
I don't see a blowout by Denver. They might win, but they might
not cover!

[djpremier36]

GL Wiz, I'm on the Thugs for 7 units myself.

[MrXYZ]

Going 25x on Denver. GL to all.

That's massive, taking a huge risk there but good luck with it. I'm on Thunder -5 x1 but it'd be f*n cool to see this play hit for you.

[JDUB07]

I'm with you here. I think they'll go on a big run to open up the third and get an 11 point lead and find away to hold on. They need Gallinari or JR Smith to heat up from downtown and start raining triples.

[sportfan]

anyone has livestream Denver game ? mama's house does not have espn lol

[h3da]

http://www.lshunter.tv/index.php?opt...pup&Itemid=207

[sportfan]

Thanks h3da

[Snowball]

i hate ESPN coverage on these games

TNT ABC NBA far better

go Nugs