NBA Roundup : Nuggets Show a Defense Worthy of Their Offense

It has been well documented over the last half-dozen seasons that the Denver Nuggets had a powerful offense.

But it has been a running gag that the best offense in the NBA over those seasons belonged to the Nuggets’ opponent. One season, the Nuggets averaged 122.5 points a game and gave up 123.0.

The gag won’t work anymore. The Nuggets have developed a defense worthy of their offense.

In running their record to 6-0 Thursday night at Denver, the only unbeaten team in the National Basketball Assn. held Dallas to only 53 points in the first three quarters and breezed to a 131-99 victory.

Although they gave up 46 points in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets are the NBA’s fourth best defensive team, having given up only 104.8 points a game.

There were times in previous seasons when the Nuggets would win, say, 140-130, and Coach Doug Moe would credit the defense with winning the game. Nobody laughs anymore when Moe gives the credit to the defense.

Alex English scored 30 points in the first three quarters to help Denver build a 98-53 lead. The Nuggets didn’t seem to miss forward Calvin Natt, out with a sprained ankle.

Rookie Pete Williams, Natt’s replacement, had 13 rebounds and 8 points in his first starting assignment.

The Mavericks held a 21-14 lead in the first quarter. But Elston Turner sank five consecutive shots to pace a 26-6 Denver surge that ended Maverick hopes.

The Nugget defense was so tough that the Mavericks scored only 15 points in the second quarter and just 14 in the third.

Milwaukee 92, New York 88--The Knicks keep getting closer, but they still can’t win. In this game at New York, the Knicks led, 80-72, with seven minutes left, only to have Terry Cummings rally the talented Bucks.

The crippled Knicks are 0-7 this season and, since last March 22, have lost 19 in a row. The troubles began when Bernard King was injured late last season.

The addition of Patrick Ewing, the big man from Georgetown, has helped, but injuries continue to haunt Hubie Brown’s team. King, Bill Cartwright, Marv Webster and now James Bailey are out with assorted problems.

Cummings and Ricky Pierce each scored eight points in the 20-8 burst in the closing minutes that wiped out the Knicks. Cummings finished with 17 points, but Ewing was the scoring leader with 24.

Cleveland 95, Sacramento 94--Johnny Davis stole the ball from forward Eddie Johnson with two seconds left to wrap up the victory at Sacramento.

The Kings had a chance to win when the Cavaliers’ Phil Hubbard missed two free throws with 10 seconds left. But Sacramento was unable to penetrate an aggressive press, prompting Davis and Hubbard to force Johnson’s turnover.

World B. Free of Cleveland led all scores with 29 points. Larry Drew topped the Kings with 23.

New Jersey 106, Chicago 97--Buck Williams made two baskets and had three rebounds to key a 14-0 spurt in the third period at East Rutherford, N.J., that carried the Nets to victory.

Williams finished with 23 points and 21 rebounds. The Nets trailed, 56-52, when Williams began the rally with a dunk.

It was the fourth loss in a row for the Bulls since Michael Jordan, their ace, went out with a broken foot.