The Suns picked a heck of a time to revert to being the team they spent the past two months escaping.

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Nuggets 118, Suns 107 | Box score | Twitter updates

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Denver has a way of doing that to them. For all of the Suns’ progress to becoming a playoff contender, they simply surrender to the Nuggets.

Now the Suns must surrender what they have been against Denver and embrace what they have been against Utah. The Nuggets shredded the Suns’ defense in Saturday’s 118-107 victory at US Airways Center, but the Suns can turn to Tuesday’s game at Utah for hope against a Jazz team they have defeated twice.

The Suns’ playoff clinching formula is no different than it was entering Saturday: If the Suns win the next two games, they make the playoffs. After Tuesday night’s road finale at Utah, they return home Wednesday night for the season finale against San Antonio. Neither effort ought to resemble Saturday’s, or the Suns’ status will resemble last season’s April look.

“It’s disappointing to lose, but we’re still in great position,” Suns guard Steve Nash said. “We’ve given ourselves a chance to control our own destiny still, so we’ve got to regroup and have a great performance in Salt Lake City.”

The Suns (33-31) have won after each of their previous four losses this month. The previous three of those also were double-figure losses, but Saturday’s crumble was worse, with Denver scoring 68 points in the paint, more than any opponent this season. Denver took 59 shots in the paint and only 28 outside it but still needed a big third quarter to blow open a two-point halftime lead.

The Suns also lost Channing Frye to a right-shoulder subluxation in the second quarter, leaving him questionable for Tuesday after it was popped back. Some range of motion returned. Grant Hill also missed a fourth consecutive game because his lateral movement remained uncomfortable due to right-knee soreness he had since leaving an April 14 game. That knee underwent arthroscopic surgery for a meniscus tear March 30. Frye and Hill are questionable for Tuesday.

Saturday’s loss gave the Nuggets six consecutive wins against Phoenix, or eight if two foretelling preseason games were counted. That is when Denver ran over and past the Suns, making it appear that the uptempo torch had been passed. Saturday was a reminder, as Denver used weak-side leak-outs and 17 Suns turnovers to score 26 fast-break points to the Suns’ two.

“They just killed us on transition,” Suns center Marcin Gortat said. “They were way too quick for us, way too explosive. They had way more energy than we had. I don’t think we took what Coach (Alvin Gentry) said seriously. He told us before the game that we have to get back and make sure we stop the drives to the paint. We didn’t execute the game plan well.”

Denver, which clinched a playoff berth Saturday, opened the second half with a 23-6 run to extend a 60-58 halftime lead to 83-64. Lawson made three 3-pointers during the stretch, but Denver also outworked Phoenix for a fast-break layup and two offensive follows. All the while, the Suns’ hot 3-point shooting start (five for six) was followed by 11 consecutive misses that lasted until the fourth quarter. By then, the Suns had fallen behind by as much as 21.

Suns guard Shannon Brown shot like Lawson early, making all three of his first-quarter 3s when the Suns led 34-30 with nine Nash assists. The fourth of Nash’s 13 assists put him in fifth place on the NBA career assist list, passing Oscar Robertson.

Brown made a career-high six 3s on 12 tries but shot 4 of 12 inside the arc and 1 for 8 in the decisive third quarter. Denver never cooled, shooting 55.2 percent and posting the third-highest scoring total against Phoenix this season.

Report

Key player

Denver point guard Ty Lawson made all five of his 3-pointers and finished with 29 points and 10 assists.

Key moment

Denver opened the second half with a 23-6 run that included three Lawson 3s.

Key number

68: Denver’s points in the paint, the most the Suns have surrendered in a game this season.

View from press row

There was insult added to injury in both of Suns power forward Channing Frye’s shoulder injuries in the past 13 months. Whether it was Kevin Durant causing a right-shoulder dislocation that sidelined Frye for five games last season or Danilo Gallinari’s strike that caused a subluxation in the same shoulder Saturday, Frye was robbed of the decency of a foul call on both. The calls were missed, but if he can’t play Tuesday at Utah, the Suns would miss him even more. He has made 14 of 25 3-pointers in the past three games vs. Utah.

DENVER — Wilson Chandler’s season started late and is finishing early.

The Denver Nuggets’ versatile forward needs surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip and is done for the season.

Chandler arrived in Denver last February as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks. He played for Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association during the NBA lockout and rejoined the Nuggets a month ago, signing a five-year deal worth nearly $37 million.

The 24-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in eight games, including six starts but spent more time on the sideline than on the court after hurting his hip.

Chandler returned to action Monday night against Houston after missing eight games, but he retreated to the bench after logging just seven minutes, saying his hip “tightened, it was really sore.”

“Me and the training staff just wanted to see if there was any way possible to finish the season out,” Chandler explained before the Nuggets’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. “Sitting out is really not for me. It’s the last option. Nobody wants to sit out, especially when your team starting to do really good making a playoff push and moving up in the rankings. A lot of positive things going on, it’s tough to watch. I’m still happy for them, but I just want to be a part of that.”

Further discussions with team doctors over the last two days, however, determined Chandler needed surgery as soon as possible.

“I think Wilson is disappointed, I think he’s sad,” coach George Karl said. “He came back here hoping to give us a big boost and he didn’t get many games in. So, I think in general it’s a disappointment to him, as it is to us.”

Karl said it’s his understanding that the post-surgical rehabilitation for this type of injury takes four to five months.

The goal is for Chandler to have the operation as soon as possible so he’ll be healthy by the start of the 2012-13 season.

“Definitely. If I’m not playing for the rest of the season, I definitely don’t want to wait until after the season to have it,” Chandler said. “We’re probably looking at sometime next week.”

DENVER — Of course. Kenyon Martin, he of the snarling, chip-on- his-shoulder defense, was the guy who changed the game.

In an air-tight final minute Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center, with playoff positions hanging in the balance, Martin made a tough tip-in and then blocked a shot for the Clippers, who escaped Denver with a 104-98 win over the Nuggets that was closer than the score suggests.

The former Denver power forward, who wasn’t offered a contract extension and ultimately signed with the Clippers, tipped in a missed jumper with 27.1 seconds left, giving L.A. a 98-96 lead.

Then, on the other end, he swatted Ty Lawson’s layup into the hands of a Clippers teammate with 19.9 seconds left.

Everybody made their free throws and the Clips sped out of town with a W in their luggage.

“It’s about winning basketball. Never quit playing no matter what the situation is,” Martin said. “And that was my only rebound tonight, so it was perfect timing.”

Said Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo: “You hate to single out a play as to why you lose an entire basketball game, but the (tip-in) and the block were huge. He made some big plays down the stretch. It was a close game, but they made the necessary plays down the stretch to win it.”

The Nuggets entered the night 34-27, half a game up in the No. 6 slot in the Western Conference, while the Clippers entered the night just half a game back of the No. 3 slot.

Denver (34-28) has only four games left in this season — Saturday at Phoenix, Sunday against Orlando, next Wednesday at Oklahoma Cityand next Thursday at Minnesota.

“It’s not going to be given to us,” Denver coach George Karl said.

The Nuggets had a chance to cut L.A.’s lead to one in the final 10 seconds, but Danilo Gallinari clanked a 3 and the Clippers (39-23) scored on the other end at the buzzer.

Gallinari continued to search for his shooting touch since returning from his thumb injury. In the previous three games he shot 2-for-9, 4-for-8 and then 3-for-9. And then he was 0-for-Wednesday.

Gallo was 0-for-7 from the field in 28 minutes, finishing with four points (well below his 14.8 average).

The Nuggets’ Ty Lawson, the elusive floor general, entered the night averaging 17.6 points in the previous five games. He scored nine quick points in the first quarter and finished the evening with 24 points.

He made a couple of key third-quarter jumpers and free throws, but couldn’t carry Denver over the hump.

Before the game, Karl gushed about Chris Paul, the Clippers’ all-star point guard, saying Paul should be first-team all-NBA and that Paul is basketball’s best fourth-quarter player.

Well, the little guy put up sturdy numbers in all quarters Wednesday, finishing with 21 points and eight assists for Los Angeles, navigating the fourth quarter with a veteran’s savvy.

It’s still mathematically possible that the Nuggets and Clippers could reunite in the postseason and if so, it would likely lead to some testy, intense play.

The previous matchups have featured numerous hard fouls and Wednesday was no exception, bodies flying all over the hardwood.

Clippers 104, Nuggets 98

L.A. CLIPPERS (104)

Butler 5-10 0-0 14, Griffin 5-12 2-6 12, Jordan 2-2 0-0 4, Paul 8-19 4-5 21, Foye 4-9 2-2 12, Williams 6-11 3-3 19, Martin 2-5 3-4 7, Young 5-8 0-0 13, Simmons 0-1 0-0 0, Bledsoe 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 38-78 14-20 104.

DENVER (98)

Gallinari 0-7 4-4 4, Faried 4-6 4-7 12, Koufos 5-6 2-2 12, Lawson 9-14 4-5 24, Afflalo 5-11 1-2 12, Harrington 4-12 4-4 14, Miller 5-10 2-2 12, McGee 3-4 0-0 6, Brewer 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 36-73 21-26 98.

L.A. Clippers 22 25 29 28–104

Denver 34 19 23 22– 98

3-Point Goals–L.A. Clippers 14-24 (Butler 4-5, Williams 4-7, Young 3-4, Foye 2-3, Paul 1-3, Simmons 0-1, Martin 0-1), Denver 5-18 (Lawson 2-3, Harrington 2-5, Afflalo 1-3, Brewer 0-1, Miller 0-2, Gallinari 0-4). Fouled Out–None. Rebounds–L.A. Clippers 41 (Jordan 9), Denver 47 (Koufos 9). Assists–L.A. Clippers 21 (Paul 8), Denver 19 (Miller 8). Total Fouls–L.A. Clippers 28, Denver 21. Technicals–Jordan, Faried, Miller. A–17,219 (19,155).

Kenyon Martin helped beat his old team with a tip-in and blocked shot in the final half-minute, leading the Los Angeles Clippers past the Denver Nuggets 104-98 on Wednesday night. Martin tipped in Chris Paul’s missed jumper with 27 seconds left and the game tied at 96, then blocked Ty Lawson at the other end with 20 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Paul made two free throws with 18.3 seconds left to make it a four-point game. The Nuggets got back within two on Lawson’s free throws with 16 seconds remaining, but Mo Williams, who scored 19 points and came up huge in the fourth quarter, replied with two free throws and Paul, who led the Clippers with 21 points, capped the game with an uncontested dunk. With their 13th win in 15 games, the Clippers moved into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Lakers, who played at Golden State later Wednesday night. Despite 24 points from Lawson, the Nuggets lost at home for the first time since March 19, and slipped into seventh place in the West, a half-game behind Dallas, which beat Houston 117-110 on Wednesday. After Lawson’s 3-pointer put the Nuggets ahead 87-82 midway through the fourth quarter, the Clippers went on a 10-0 run with two 3s from Williams to take a five-point lead. Williams’ most impressive 3-pointer came with the Clippers clinging to a 92-89 lead. Paul lost the handle on the ball with the shot clock winding down, Williams scooped it up and let loose an off-balance prayer that swished as the buzzer went off, giving the Clippers a six-point lead with 3 minutes left. Kenneth Faried’s three-point play with 1:21 left pulled Denver to 96-94. After Paul missed a jumper, Andre’ Miller was fouled and made both free throws to tie it with just under a minute remaining. Blake Griffin scored 12 points, eight shy of his average, for the Clippers. He was held in check for much of the first half by Faried but he broke free for three straight dunks, each more impressive than the last, in the closing minutes as the Clippers pulled to 53-47 at halftime. His first two dunk attempts of the second half went awry, however. On the first, Faried appeared to have a clean block but was whistled for the foul and Griffin missed both free throws. On his next touch, Griffin skied for the hoop but the ball hit the back of the rim and bounced back almost to midcourt. Still, the Clippers kept possession and Randy Foye made two free throws as the Clippers went on a 14-2 run to start the second half and take a 61-55 lead. The game was tied at 76 after Denver closed the third quarter on a 17-9 run capped by Lawson’s basket after swiping DeAndre Jordan’s inbounds pass after a dunk by JaVale McGee. The Nuggets got some bad news before the game when versatile forward Wilson Chandler learned his season was over. He needs surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip. Chandler arrived in Denver last February as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks. He played for Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association during the NBA lockout and rejoined the Nuggets a month ago, signing a five-year deal worth nearly $37 million. The 24-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in eight games, including six starts, but spent more time on the sideline than on the court after hurting his hip. Chandler returned Monday night against Houston after missing eight games, but he retreated to the bench after logging just 7 minutes. Notes: Chandler said he hoped to have surgery next week. … The Nuggets’ win at Houston on Monday night allowed the Clippers to clinch their first playoff berth since 2006. … Lawson was credited with a basket early in the fourth quarter when Jordan grabbed the net with one hand while going up for the block.

DENVER — Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler needs surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip and is done for the season.

Chandler played seven minutes Monday night against Houston after missing eight games with hip and groin injuries. But further discussions with team doctors determined he needs surgery as soon as possible.

Last month, Chandler agreed to a five-year deal with Denver worth nearly $37 million. He played overseas for Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association during the NBA lockout

The 24-year-old Chandler arrived in Denver last February as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks.

DENVER (AP) — Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points and Kenneth Faried added 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds leading the Denver Nuggets past the Boston Celtics 98-91 Saturday night.

It was the sixth double-double in the past 13 games for Faried. Arron Afflalo added 15 points for Denver, which has beaten the Celtics seven of the past eight times in Denver.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett had 22 points each for Boston. Rajon Rondo had 12 points and 16 assists.

The Celtics are 2-3 on their eight-game road trip. They were coming off a 120-95 loss at Sacramento.

Denver nearly lost its lead in the fourth quarter. The Celtics trimmed the deficit to 10, three times in the fourth quarter, the third time when Pierce started a 10-0 run with two free throws that pulled them within 87-77 with 7:18 left.

Pierce’s jumper finished the run to make it 87-85, 16 seconds before fouling out. Faried turned the foul into two free throws.

Ty Lawson’s 3-pointer and a layup by Faried seemed to put the game away and made the game 94-87.

Boston made one last rally. Garnett made four straight free throws to cut it to 94-91, but after forcing two missed shots, Ray Allen missed a jumper with 54 seconds left.

Faried sealed the game with two free throws.

The Nuggets maintained their double-digit halftime lead in the third quarter. Boston made 58 percent of its shots, but made up only one point in the quarter.

Denver extended it to 72-56 on Gallinari’s jumper with 6:32 left. Rondo had two jump shots to get back as close as 79-68, but the Celtics missed their last three shots of the quarter and trailed 80-68.

Gallinari had 15 points and Faried had 11 rebounds and eight points by halftime as the Nuggets built a 55-42 halftime lead. Six of Faried’s points came in the last 4:40 after Boston had closed the gap to six.

Denver turned three turnovers into baskets and Al Harrington’s short jumper put Denver ahead 38-27. Marquis Daniels got the Celtics within 40-34 when Faried made a basket. Faried had two more baskets and Gallinari made a 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds left in the half.

The Celtics struggled at the start, missing nine of their first 14 shots and were behind 29-22 after the first quarter. Denver made 5 of 9, 3-pointers, two by Gallinari.

NOTES: Jermaine O’Neal missed his 13th game with a sprained left wrist. “He’s not ready,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said of O’Neal. “Everyone else was ready.” … Including Paul Pierce who twisted his right ankle at the end of Friday’s game in Sacramento. Pierce played 31 minutes before fouling out. .. The Celtics are 6-7 on the second night of back-to-back games. … JaVale McGee was unavailable because Nene’s physical was not complete yet with the Washington Wizards.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The Denver Nuggets believe a modest move at the trade deadline will be enough for them to remain in playoff position in the Western Conference.

Quiet at the deadline, the Boston Celtics hope their aging stars can help them do the same in the East.

Talented young center JaVale McGee could make his debut for the Nuggets when they try for a third straight home win over the Celtics on Saturday night.

With 11 players under 27 years of age, Denver (24-20) is among the youngest teams in the NBA. The Nuggets added to their youth by acquiring the 24-year-old McGee along with Ronny Turiaf from Washington for oft-injured Nene on Thursday.

“We did (this trade) with the intention of the big picture. Make the team better,” vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said. “We felt that the direction of the organization at this time was we wanted to go a little bit younger.”

Though not a marquee name, the 7-foot McGee averaged career highs with 11.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in 41 games for the Wizards this season. The fourth-year pro joins a lineup featuring budding young talent in guard Ty Lawson, rookie forward Kenneth Faried and Italian standout Danilo Gallinari.

“I think athletically, it will be the most athletic team that we’ve probably had,” coach George Karl told the Nuggets’ official website.

Tied with Houston for seventh in the West, the Nuggets have alternated wins and losses during the first six of a season-high nine-game home stretch. Andre Miller had 17 points Thursday for Denver, which went 5 of 22 from 3-point range and was outscored 28-14 in the third quarter of a 103-90 loss to West-leading Oklahoma City.

The Nuggets have averaged 104.5 points and allowed the same amount per game during their homestand. Denver has won six of seven at home versus Boston.

Miller has averaged 18.4 points in his last 13 games against the Celtics.

Denver could be without forward Al Harrington (14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds per game), who is day to day with a left knee contusion.

Boston (23-20) looks to regroup after it fell to 2-2 on an eight-game road trip with a 120-95 drubbing at Sacramento on Friday. Ray Allen scored 26 points and Paul Pierce added 19, but the Celtics gave up 41 in the third quarter en route to allowing their highest total of the season.

It was a big step back for the Celtics, who had won eight of their previous 10. Again showing some fatigue that has plagued the aging club throughout this condensed season, Boston committed 17 turnovers and was outrebounded 45-28.

“Whatever you are supposed to have, we didn’t have it tonight,” coach Doc Rivers said. “They played terrific and made every shot. Our defense helped. We didn’t play with the great spirit that we had in this streak. I don’t want this to be a habit.”

Despite his team’s age and inconsistent play, general manager Danny Ainge did not make a move at the trade deadline but could still add help before the postseason.

“I have a lot of faith in our guys,” Ainge said of the Celtics, seventh in the East. “They know the time and the score. They know when the lights are on. They rise to the occasion. I’m hoping we can get to the playoffs healthy, add a little bit of beef between now and the playoffs, and we’ll take our chances there.”

Allen has averaged 24.4 points in 32 career games against the Nuggets, but he was held to 10 during an 89-75 loss in Boston‘s last trip to Denver on Feb. 24, 2011.

Denver has traded forward Nene to Washington for JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf in a three-team deal that also sends Nick Young from Washington to the Clippers, according to two NBA sources.

Denver also gets a future second-round pick. Other players may be added to the deal, which came right before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.

Nene signed a five-year deal worth up to $67 million with the Nuggets before this season. He joined the Nuggets in 2002 after being drafted in the first round by New York Knicks.

The 7-foot McGee, 24, is a third-year pro out of Nevada and is averaging 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game. He has played in 41 games.

Read the full story at DenverPost.com.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder have a lot of teams that fans like to consider rivals, a true rival is someone within your own division. Therefore, while most Thunder fans look at the Dallas Mavericks as the biggest rival, based on the Oklahoma-Texas border war, it is the Denver Nuggets that remain the most important team for Oklahoma City to beat.

On Thursday night, March 15, the Thunder head to Denver to take on the Nuggets, who are desperately trying to keep pace in the Northwest Division with Oklahoma City. Heading into the game, the Thunder lead the division by 8.5 games over the second place Nuggets.

This is the second meeting between the teams. Oklahoma City won the first game at home on Feb, 19, 124-118, behind Kevin Durant’s career best 51 points. Russell Westbrook added 40 points, the first time two teammates both scored over 40 points in a game since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen did it in 1996. The same game, Serge Ibaka had the first triple-double of his career, with 14 points, 15 rebounds and 11 blocks.

The division rivals only play one more time this year, on the final day of the season, so this game is huge when determining a tie breaker if Oklahoma City collapses down the line.

Don’t expect that to happen, though. Durant is averaging 27.9 points-per-game, second best to only Kobe Bryant while Westbrook has 23.6 per game, good for fifth in the NBA. They combine for the league’s best scoring mark for teammates at 51.5 points-per-game.

Denver, on the other hand, are proving they are just fine since shipping off Carmelo Anthony last season. As a matter of fact, they might be doing better. Anthony’s head coach at the New York Knicks just quit on this team, which has a losing record and is in a freefall. Meanwhile, Denver sits at 24-19 with the sixth best record in the Western Conference.

The last time they played the Thunder, despite the loss and the Thunder achievements, the game went into overtime. If the Thunder, behind career best performances, needed overtime to beat the Nuggets at home, imagine how nervous they have to be heading into Denver with two losses in their last three games.

Denver, 6-2 since the All-Star break, is first in the league in scoring at 104.1 points, just ahead of Oklahoma City at 102.5 per game.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets tip off at 8:00 p.m. CT.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and is an avid sports fan that has lived in Oklahoma for over 40 years. He used to religiously follow the Dallas Mavericks until Oklahoma City found a team to call their own.

Source: NBA.COM

Read more: Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Nene, Nuggets Beat Hawks, Nuggets Win in OT, Ty Lawson, Pro, NBA

DENVER (AP) — Nene scored 22 points, Ty Lawson had 21 points and seven assists and the Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Atlanta Hawks 118-117 in overtime on Tuesday night.

Joe Johnson scored 34 points and Josh Smith had a season-high 33 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who had a chance to win it at the buzzer.

Trailing by one with 3.5 seconds left, Atlanta got the ball to Zaza Pachulia at the foul line with. He drove the open lane before Danilo Gallinari rotated over, and Pachulia missed a layup off the glass as time expired.

Gallinari had 19 points in his best game since returning from a severely sprained left ankle.

Johnson took control in overtime after Smith fouled out, scoring seven straight points in overtime.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

BOULDER — Nuggets trainer Jim Gillen honored three Colorado high schools for dedication to their school’s athletic training programs as part of the Excellence in High School Athletic Training awards program at the Nuggets game Friday night at the Pepsi Center.

“There is a great need for certified athletic trainers in our high schools,” Gillen said. “For the past nine years, we have helped Colorado and Wyoming high schools provide excellent care to their athletes and also educate students who want to pursue a career in athletic training.”

Each prep training department will receive $2,000 to help support programs that include training room improvements, supplies and student training. The departments also will

receive automated external defibrillators, and award recipients will be invited to spend a day working with the training staff of the Nuggets and tour the NBA team’s training facilities.

Also, the comeback athlete of the year award is presented to recognize efforts in recovering from an injury or illness (not necessarily related to sports performance). The winner will receive a $1,500 scholarship for post-secondary education and the winner’s prep training department will receive $1,000.

Since the awards began, more than $41,000 has been distributed to 23 high schools throughout Colorado and Wyoming.

This year’s training winners: Durango, Alyssa Fredericks; Regis Jesuit, Lindsay Adcock; and Windsor, Kat Koehler.

Comeback

athlete of the year: Ryan Fergen, Rocky Mountain.

Title IX saluted. During the current session of the Colorado legislature, several high school sports-related folks were on hand Friday as the anniversary of Title IX was recognized at the state Capitol.

It was decreed that March is Title IX month in Colorado.

Among those in attendance were the Denver East girls basketball team and coach Dwight Berry as well as Colorado High School Activities Association associate

commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green.

“It was exciting,” Blanford-Green said. “It let people know about the thousands of girls in Colorado who were afforded opportunities.”

A former prep and collegiate athlete, Blanford-Green has been active for more than a decade with Title IX, which provides equal opportunity for girls to participate in sports.

Fanfare. Attendance figures from the Coors Events Center — Wednesday, Class 5A-4A girls semifinals, 3,491; Thursday, 5A-4A boys semifinals, 8,088; Friday, 5A-4A girls finals, 4,741; Saturday: 5A-4A boys finals, 10,841.

Crowd control. The Chaparral and Arapahoe student sections were mighty impressive, each filling two sections from the

court to the concourse. Organized and energetic, they made the Class 5A boys title game a fun and spirited environment.

Stats that stand out from the New Orleans Hornets 110-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets Friday night at the Pepsi Center.

1. 0-19. Hornets record when trailing at halftime.

2. 12 of 14. Forward Lance Thomas’ night at the free-throw line, career highs.

3. 18. Points for Thomas, a career high.

4. 4 and 4. Points and rebounds for Hornets reserve center Jeff Foote, making his NBA debut.

5. 5. Number of Hornets players who scored in double figures.

+/- for every Hornet player

Foote -2

Ayon -2

Aminu -3

Vasquez -3

Ariza -5

Henry -6

Kaman -7

Belinelli -10

Thomas -11

Jack -16

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Nuggets 32, Hornets 26

Hornets points in the paint: 12.

Nuggets points in the paint: 20.

Hornets second chance points: two.

Nuggets second chance points: 0.

Hornets fast-break points: two.

Nuggets fast-break points: 11.

Hornets biggest lead: four.

Nuggets biggest lead: nine.

Times tied: one.

Hornets leading scorer: Marco Belinelli, Jarrett Jack, eight.

Nuggets leading scorer: Arron Afflalo, 10.

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Hornets 20, Nuggets 18

Hornets points in the paint: six.

Nuggets points in the paint: 10.

Hornets second chance points: two.

Nuggets second chance points: six.

Hornets fast-break points: four.

Nuggets fast-break points: five.

Hornets biggest lead: one.

Nuggets biggest lead: six.

Times tied: one.

Hornets leading scorer: Lance Thomas, six.

Nuggets leading scorer: Kenneth Faried, five.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Nuggets 29, Hornets 25

Hornets points in the paint: six.

Nuggets points in the paint: 14.

Hornets second chance points: two.

Nuggets second chance points: four.

Hornets fast-break points: 0.

Nuggets fast-break points: two.

Hornets biggest lead: 0.

Nuggets biggest lead: 12.

Times tied: 0.

Hornets leading scorer: Chris Kaman, six.

Nuggets leading scorer: Afflalo, 13.

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Nuggets 31, Hornets 26

Hornets points in the paint: eight.

Nuggets points in the paint: 18.

Hornets second chance points: six.

Nuggets second chance points: 11.

Hornets fast-break points: 0.

Nuggets fast-break points: two.

Hornets biggest lead: 0.

Nuggets biggest lead: 17.

Times tied: 0.

Hornets leading scorer: Xavier Henry, eight.

Nuggets leading scorer: Chris Andersen, seven.