LOS ANGELES, 2 January 2004 — The Denver Nuggets rang in the New Year with a new head coach and new results. Carmelo Anthony scored eight of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Nuggets rally past the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, 97-92, to make Michael Cooper’s NBA coaching debut a successful one.
“This win was great to get one for us and to get one for coach Cooper,” said Anthony, who missed the previous five games with a sprained left ankle. “We wanted to play relaxed and with confidence. Coach wanted us to focus on defense, and we did just that.”
Cooper was promoted from an assistant on Tuesday to replace fired Jeff Bzdelik, who left Denver (13-15) mired in a six-game losing streak. The Nuggets responded to the change and finished the year out on a positive note.
“It feels good,” Cooper said. “My stomach was turning. I wasn’t too concerned if we had lost the game. I just wanted to play well. And if you do that, then you’ve got something to build on.” DerMarr Johnson had 18 points and eight assists, while Nene added 16 points and 12 rebounds for Denver, which outscored the visitors, 30-18 in the final frame.
The Nuggets were without injured All-Star forward Kenyon Martin, who is suffering from lower back spasms, and lost center Marcus Camby late in the first quarter with a hyper-extended lower after making a block.
Allen Iverson had 29 points and eight assists for Philadelphia, which fell to 3-1 on its grueling seven-game West Coast road trip. Marc Jackson and Corliss Williamson added 15 points each while Kyle Korver finished with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
The 76ers led by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter until Anthony buried a pair of 3-pointers in a 10-0 run, that knotted the game at 79 each with 7:08 remaining.
Two free throws by Bryon Russell with 33 seconds left gave the Nuggets for good, 93-91, and they survived anxious moments down the stretch. Trailing 94-92, Iverson went for the tie but his fingers roll lay-up down the lane bounced off the rim. Denver’s Andre Miller split a pair of free throws with 8.1 seconds left, giving the 76ers a final shot to draw even. But Korver’s straightaway 3-point try banged off the back of the rim with three seconds left.
Rockets 105 Bucks 90: Tracy McGrady erupted for 42 points, and the Rockets overcame the absence of starting center Yao Ming to bounce the visiting Bucks. The Chinese native missed his first NBA game in three seasons due to the flu, ending a streak of 193 consecutive contests. Michael Redd scored 21 points for Milwaukee, which had its three-game winning streak ended.
Spurs 98 Clippers 79: Tim Duncan scored 23 points, while Tony Parker added 21 and 11 assists, leading the visiting Spurs to their fifth straight victory. San Antonio extended its franchise-best start to 25-6, despite the early ejection of head coach Gregg Popovich. Corey Maggette and Rick Brunson led the Clippers with 17 points each.
Sonics 103 Bobcats 97: Rashard Lewis scored 27 points and Vladimir Radmanovic added 21, including five 3-pointers, shooting the visiting Sonics past the Bobcats. Rookie Emeka Okafor had a career-high 27 points, to go along with 10 rebounds in Charlotte’s fourth straight loss.
Celtics 108 Wizards 103: Paul Pierce scored 26 points, including the go-ahead free throw with 34 seconds left, helping the Celtics break a three-game slide. Gary Payton netted 18 points for Boston, which made five-of-six free throws in the final minute to seal the victory. Larry Hughes scored a season-high 33 points, while Antawn Jamison added 29 for Washington, which played without its leading scorer Gilbert Arenas (flu-like symptoms).
Kings 109 Jazz 102: Peja Stojakovic scored 26 points and Chris Webber added 14 of his 25 in the third quarter, helping the visiting Kings end a two-game slide. Carlos Boozer had 25 points and 10 rebounds in Utah’s fourth straight loss.
