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| SI.com's Marty Burns analyzes the Spurs-Nuggets first-round matchup |
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(3) San Antonio
58-24
2nd in Southwest
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(6) Denver
45-37
2nd in Northwest
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| The Skinny |
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Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
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It's a contrast in styles as one of the league's highest-scoring clubs meets one of its best defensive teams. The Nuggets, behind Allen Iverson (right) and Carmelo Anthony, love to get out and run. The Spurs prefer a more balanced and methodical approach revolving around Tim Duncan in the post and cat-quick guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili working the perimeter. After a slow start, the Iverson/'Melo pairing began paying dividends for the Nuggets down the stretch. But San Antonio comes in as the NBA's hottest team since the All-Star break, and it held Denver to two of its lowest-scoring outputs of the season in their first two matchups.
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| Key Matchup |
Carmelo Anthony vs. Bruce Bowen
Anthony was the NBA's second-leading scorer at nearly 29 points per game, but he will be up against perhaps the league's best perimeter defender in Bowen. In their Feb. 20 matchup, Bowen helped limit Anthony to just 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting. (Anthony sat out the team's first meeting because of suspension). On the other end, Bowen is a three-point threat from the corner who will force Anthony to stay out and not be able to help as much on Duncan.
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| X-Factor |
Spurs: Free-throw Shooting
The Spurs rank in the middle of the pack in foul shooting as a team, but Duncan (63.7) (right) and Bowen (58.9) struggle mightily from the line. Against a high-scoring team like Denver, San Antonio can't afford to give away too many points at the stripe. It could make the difference in a close game.
Nuggets: J.R. Smith
The 6-6 shooting guard lost his starting spot in midseason, but he is the kind of athlete and three-point shooter who can present problems for the aging Spurs. Two years ago, as a member of the Hornets, he was nearly traded to San Antonio for Brent Barry, but the deal fell through at the last minute.
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