It's becoming as regular a feature in Nuggets games as Rocky's halfcourt shots and the Kiss Cam. The fourth quarter begins. Chris Andersen blocks a shot. J.R. Smith makes a shot. Chauncey Billups steals the ball. Carmelo Anthony scores. Or Billups. Or Nene. Then an opponent throws it away. Repeat above.
The Nuggets roll to another impressive playoff rout, and the Kiss Cam can't keep up with all the hugging in the stands. Not to mention living rooms, sports bars and streets throughout Denver. For heaven's sake, Rocky could probably nail one of his 45-foot backward heaves if he was in the lineup. In the history of the NBA, no team has ever gone through its first seven playoff games with a point margin greater than Denver's 21.0 points per game. Like a matador who waits until the end to kill the bull, the Nuggets are wielding death blows every fourth quarter.
In beating New Orleans 4-1 and taking a 2-0 lead on Dallas, Denver has outscored those opponents in the fourth 27.4-18.6 on average. Stretch that over a full game and it's a 35-point win.
"It's just the way we are," Andersen said. "We turn up the intensity and keep on rolling with it. We push it even harder when we hit that fourth quarter. We don't want to take any relaxation, no steps back. We want to keep pushing it."
The Nuggets have developed the killer instincts of sharks in a fish hatchery. The numbers are shocking. In the fourth quarter through seven games, they're shooting .504, including .438 from 3-point range.
If you think they're just finally finding their touch, you're forgetting what got them this close to the conference finals. Their opponents in the fourth are shooting only .368, including .219 from 3-point land, and have committed 36 turnovers.
"Our defense is our best offense," Andersen said. "If we defend first, we're going to get a lot easier shots on the offensive end, a lot of fast breaks. Our main focus and our main attribute is playing defense."
This is not only a talented defensive team, it's a smart defensive team.
Take Tuesday's 117-105 Game 2 win. The Mavericks had closed to 86-83 entering the fourth quarter, and Dirk Nowitzki had an MVP-like 30 points. Sixth man Jason Terry had replaced injured Josh Howard, and the Mavs were dangerously close to evening the series.
But the Nuggets picked up the defensive pressure, trapped more on the pick-and-
rolls and exploded 16-2 to start the period. Earth-shattering dunks by Anthony and Nene turning the pulsating Pepsi Center into the Boston Garden, circa 1969.
In the quarter Nowitzki made one basket.
"They get you on your heels so quick in their ability to run and shoot the ball," he said. "They have a lot of ability to score and score in bunches."
So what gives? Could it be the P.A. announcer's doomsday warnings about altitude's effects on visitors really isn't marketing hype? Dallas coach Rick Carlisle did mention his team may have been fatigued. Smith says, almost proudly, "This altitude is not a game."
But really, NBA players are closet marathoners with good jump shots. What has helped even more is depth that Karl uses extensively in crunch time. Anthony Carter and Andersen both played 10:27 in the fourth Tuesday. Smith played all 12 minutes of the fourth and scored nine points in the Game 5 clincher over New Orleans last Wednesday. Linas Kleiza scored 11 in the fourth of the Game 1 rout of the Hornets.
Holding the starters' end, Anthony has scored 14 and 15 points in the last quarters of the Mavericks series.
"We use our bench in a lot of good ways," Karl said. "J.R. plays starter minutes and A.C. and Chris right now are giving us great defensive minutes. There's an energy there. In fact, the volume usually goes up when we put the bench in."
They even have their own leader in Carter, ae 10-year veteran who huddled the players before Tuesday's fourth quarter and yelled, "All we need is five minutes of hard play and hard defense and we'll take it away."
"They trusted that they'd figure it out, how they'll get the defensive plays in," Karl said. "They feel they have more energy than the opposing team a lot of nights."
This "Slaughterhouse Five" gig, of course, can't last forever. Denver plays Saturday at Dallas, where the Mavericks know that if they lose one they're done. It doesn't take Mark Cuban's billions to figure out what Dallas must do to get back in this series.
Said Nowitzki, "A more solid fourth quarter."
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com Crunch-time control
The Nuggets have not been outscored in any fourth quarter in the postseason. A look:
....DEN....OPP
Game 1 vs. New Orleans....26....15
Game 2 vs. New Orleans....27....22
Game 3 at New Orleans*....21....18
Game 4 at New Orleans....33....13
Game 5 vs. New Orleans....27....20
Game 1 vs. Dallas....27....20
Game 2 vs. Dallas....31....22
*- Only playoff loss
