Nuggets/Lakers Game 4 Twitter Diary

You may have noticed the Quick Hitters we started posting on the left side of the page. I basically started a Twitter account so I could post small stuff that I couldn't turn into a real post. Well, I've found that it's a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I decided to post a running diary (to steal a phrase from Bill Simmons) of sorts with the Twitter Updates I threw out during Game 4.

• It's good to know Melo is still getting no calls. I should have a significant amount of rage built up by halftime.
• Poor shooting by both teams so far. The only jumpshot Denver has made was Kenyon's bank.
• Nene is eating up the boards. Another non-call on Melo. 0-7. WHOA! DJones with a windmill. While mid-air, I had visions of him bricking it.
• Chris Anderson flying ALL OVER THE PLACE. Hitting the floor, blocking shots, trying to wash Gasol's hair...
• I defy you to name one thing that Sasha Vuja-chick is good at, besides being a greasy Euro and getting under people's skin.
• J.R. Smith must have been watching old Magic Johnson videos. He's made 3 highlight reel passes already.
• That's not to say all "Euros" are greasy. In fact, Argentina may have more grease-balls per capita... allegedly.
• J.R. tries to snack tray Kobe and commits the foul. Van Gundy glosses him "Smitty", I'm sure J.R. is down with that name.
• Melo is clearly hurt. They've played well without him but they can't expect to win a series with him out.
• What a sight. Birdman sauntering to the scoreboard, casually chewing gum. He definitely has a little Captain in him.
• Balkman has seen the court and the Nuggets aren't down or up by +20. This is what happens when Melo is out.
• Nuggets up 7 at half without Melo. They aren't shooting well but are winning this game with their legs. Less jumpshots, more drives.
• 3 straight missed 3s by the Nugs has the Lakers within 3 right out of the gates. Melo is back but doesn't look right.
• J.R. Smith is currently being triaged courtside. Meanwhile, Odom tries to throw an oop to Gasol. Forgot about Gasol's 2-inch vertical.
• Tough going out there. The court is flooded with Kobe's tears. Nuggets up 70-59.
• Melo slips on the tears and flying burritos Ariza. It's getting testy with players flying all over the floor. Kobe bout to get T'd up.
• Martin is playing out of his head. 13 pts, 13 boards. Birdman follows up a Martin miss with a dunk!
• Karl can expect to pencil somebody else in the lineup for Dahntay in Game 5. He will be suspended for that Kobe trip.
• Denver up 11 after 3. They need to play well in the 4th after the Game 3 debacle.
• Billups... AND 1 baby! Andrew Bynum strikes again. Twisted his ankle when he came down. Not good.
• Billups is unconscious at the moment. He drains an arching 3 in Ariza's face after a good J.R. steal.
• SMITH CLIMBS THE LADDER! Nene hits him with a nice feed and he throws one down.
• Luke Walton draws a tech. Daddy's gonna take the keys to the your Lexus for that one.
• Now Mark Jackson is calling him "Smitty."
• J.R. picked up one of the weakest technicals I've seen. We'll call it even after the D Jones trip.
• Flagrant on Bynum. He goes with the 2 handed chop technique on Anderson. It's either that, or bag and balls to the face.
• The chick in the Biz Markie Heineken comm clearly only knows the words to that part of the song.
• Classic case of softly mumbling until the part she knows comes on, then she starts bringing the heat.
• Luke Walton must be wearing the "heavy socks" tonight.
• The line on Walton: 0 pts, 6 fouls, 2 ill-advised tattoos, 1 kickin' jheri curl.
• I smell a riot cooking. Game 3 all over again with the technicals.
• Melo about to foul out again. The Lakers are running a press, fouling, and otherwise using all of Kobe's Cordillera moves. Too soon?
• The officials are blowing whistles like they're trying to fill a quota. It is almost the end of the month.
• 105-93 Nuggets with 2:51 remaining. I am optimistic that the Nuggets might win this one.
• J.R. with 2 straight 3s. Let's get thirty, Smitty!J.R. with 2 straight 3s. Let's get thirty, Smitty!
• Garbage time, benching starters. Nuggets get a steal, miss 2 layups, get 2 offensive boards, and D Jones gets fouled on another layup miss.
• 120-99. D Jones throws one down over some stiff. Petro with the steal, then he runs the court like Tyus Edney only to airball a finger roll.
• Nuggets win big. Shades of the Rockets series except the Nuggets haven't been blown out yet and they could have swept with some breaks.

George Karl didn't exactly give J.R. a ringing endorsement, he basically called Smith a pain in the ass. Let's hope J.R. doesn't get upset about this because he really did have a good game. Yeah, he made a couple of bonehead plays but he hustles on every play and easily creates more opportunities than he kills. His shot selection was good tonight and he took it to the rack early and often, creating opportunities for teammates, and causing the L.A. bigs to commit fouls.

Kenyon, Nene, and Birdman killed L.A. on the boards all night. It's amazing what they can do when not in foul trouble.

Game 5 on Wednesday. Big one for the Nuggets as it would be nice to avoid a Game 7 in L.A.

-PSon