Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets will try to remain
unbeaten on the season when they commence a six-game road trip Tuesday against
the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Denver is 3-0 so far thanks to the red-hot play of Anthony, who leads the NBA
in scoring with 37.7 points per game. Anthony compiled 42 points and seven
rebounds in Sunday's 133-123 victory versus the Memphis Grizzlies at the Pepsi
Center. It was his second straight game with 40 or more points, as he pumped
in 41 in a victory at Portland on October 29.
"My body feels good, my stamina feels great," Anthony said after beating
Memphis. "I just feel good all around. My confidence is up. I've got one thing
ahead of me, which is that gold ball [atop the NBA Championship Trophy]."
Chauncey Billups contributed 22 points and 12 assists, and Nene added 18
points, nine boards and six assists in the victory. Denver, which will also
visit the Nets, Heat, Hawks, Bulls and Bucks on the trek, is off to a 3-0
start for the first time since winning its first six contests in 1985-86. The
best start in Nuggets history is when the 1976-77 team won its first eight
games.
Meanwhile, the Pacers have been not so hot this season and fell to 0-2 on the
young campaign following a 96-83 loss to the Miami Heat at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Danny Granger scored 22 points and Troy Murphy ended with 12 points and 13
boards for Indiana, which hasn't opened a season with three consecutive
defeats since the 1996-97 campaign.
"I don't think we can put a full game together," Granger said. "Even though we
held them to 43 percent on the defensive end, which is not bad, we shot 36. We
just really couldn't put the game together."
The Nuggets and Pacers split a pair of meetings last season, with each team
winning on its home floor. Denver has won eight of the last 10 matchups with
Indiana, which is 10-4 in the past 14 games as the host in this series.
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