DENVER (AP) -The Denver Nuggets’ slide has lasted longer than they anticipated because Kenyon Martin’s bad back and Anthony Carter’s sore hip aren’t healing as fast as hoped.
The Nuggets, who were the No. 2 seed in the West at the All-Star break, have slipped all the way to seventh and have lost eight of 11.
Martin missed three games before returning Monday night against Houston, but his back tightened up on him again and he took a seat late in the third quarter next to Carter, whom coach George Karl was hoping would play against the Rockets but missed his fourth straight game instead.
With Martin and Carter hurting, the Nuggets have been exposed on defense and ineffective on offense.
t versatility kind of went out the window.
“With A.C. (too). A.C.’s kind of our backcourt dude and Kenyon’s our frontcourt dude. It seems like now we’re trying to plug holes too much.”
Martin’s back injury has sapped Denver of its high-low game with center Nene.
“We’ve lost that with whoever, Renaldo (Balkman) or Chris (Andersen) or whoever’s in the game. We don’t get as much confidence in that high-low game,” Karl said.
Even with Martin logging 24 minutes in the high post Monday night, Nene missed 11 of 15 shots, falling behind Shaquille O’Neal for the league lead in shooting percentage.
Martin got treatment Tuesday in hopes he’ll feel loose enough to play Wednesday night against Oklahoma City.
But bad backs are tricky.
“It seems like when he plays and comes out and tries to go back in, it’s harder to get it loose,” Karl said. “The back is … I was a bad back guy. It’s not fun. You can be in spasms and the doctors can’t tell you why. Then the next day you wake up and the chiropractor cracks you and you’re fine. The back is not a good injury.”
Carter also hopes to return to action this week, although he was still hurting Monday night.
a playoff series for the first time since 1988.
“I think we have a hell of a chance to have the best record in franchise history,” Karl said before the Nuggets’ 97-95 loss to Houston made that all the harder.
The Nuggets’ best mark since joining the NBA in 1976 is 54 wins in 1987-88.
They’ll have to go 15-2 to do that.
Denver hasn’t gotten out of the first round of the playoffs in any of star Carmelo Anthony’s five seasons, and this year was projected as a rebuilding project following the departure of Marcus Camby last summer. But the trade of Allen Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups changed all that.
Billups is the floor leader the Nuggets have always lacked, and six weeks ago, there was talk about Denver meeting the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals.
Now, there’s grumbling about them heading for another first-round flop if it can’t turn things around quickly.
Despite six straight road losses, Karl remains positive.
“We by far have the best record of anybody in this race,” Karl said. “And the only thing we’ve done wrong is lose on the road. And we’ve been a great road team. Now we’re a good road team.
“It’s not raining, it’s just cloudy.”
But when does the usual ebb and flow of a season become a funk?
d yeah, we didn’t perform very good against Boston. But we’ve won five out of seven games against ‘good teams,”’ Karl said. “We’ve lost these road games. Which one you want to hang your hat on? We beat L.A. for the first time in a year. We’ve won on the road, we beat San Antonio in here, we’ve played the good teams pretty well. We beat Portland. We played well in Utah. Or do you want to hang your hat on ‘We lost at Milwaukee.’?
“I prefer to stay positive about it.”
The Nuggets play 10 of their last 17 games at home. Of those 10 home games, nine are against teams with losing records, including the next six.
Karl knows that injuries could spoil his optimism and his team’s season.
“I think the expectations of me and most of the players in that locker room is prove we can win in the playoffs,” Karl said. “These last six or seven games, have we thrown away the window of control. …
“My wish would be to get healthy. I wish we would get Kenyon and A.C. on a plane where we knew what we were going to get. Right now, I’m worried. I’m worried what we’re going to get out of both those guys.”
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