Nuggets capitalize on thin-air strategy
Denver exploits altitude advantage
DENVER — Before every game at the Pepsi Center, the public address announcer admonishes the crowd to drink plenty of water because at 5,280 feet one can get dehydrated quickly.
It’s more showmanship than a publichealth service, really, designed to remind opponents they’re about to play a mile above sea level.
The Denver Nuggets have long tried to use altitude to their advantage and this season, they finally have the type of team to capitalize on the thin air.
With a starting five led by speedy point guard Ty Lawson and an energetic bench that only ramps up the pace on chest-heaving opponents, the Nuggets are 26-3 at home this season.
That’s tied with the Miami Heat for the best home record in the NBA.
The Nuggets have won 11 straight at the Pepsi Center in their quest to catch Memphis for the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoffs, which would give them the home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Lawson’s fastbreak buckets are accompanied by the “beep-beep” of the Looney Tunes’ Road Runner as he leaves hapless defenders in his wake à la Wile E. Coyote.
The real show starts when the starters take a break, though.
Night after night, it’s Denver’s reserves who provide the energy and enthusiasm that riles up the crowd as they run opponents to their bench for a breather.
Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer provide the scoring punch, JaVale McGee the dunks and rejections, and Andre Miller the alley-oop passes as Lawson, highflying Kenneth Faried, Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari and Kosta Koufos grab a breather and a front-row seat to one of the best shows in basketball. “It’s been great,” Chandler said. “We’ve got chemistry going. We’re pretty much going in at the same time, we just go out there and play hard. Andre and JaVale hook up for a few lobs and JaVale’s on the boards blocking. Andre’s orchestrating the whole deal and Corey’s running around on defence, fast breaks.”
At .896, the Nuggets are in position to post their best home-winning percentage in franchise history. They went 36-5 for an .878 home-winning percentage in 1976-77, their first season in the NBA and have never been able to reach such lofty heights since then.