NBA

Carmelo scores 43, beats Suns in 3OT

Nuggets star hits game-winner, overcomes Boykins' career-high 33

Brian Bahr / Getty Images

Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony falls to the floor after making the game-winning shot in triple-overtime against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

“I didn’t get hit in my nose, more around my eye, and across the bridge of my nose,” Anthony said. “I didn’t feel it in my nose, I felt it in my forehead.”

But he never thought about calling it a night.

“You are just going on adrenaline,” he said.

Miller made two poor decisions in the closing seconds of the second overtime. First, he inexplicably inbounded to Earl Watson beyond the arc with 1 second on the shot clock and Najera open underneath for a tip-in with the Nuggets trailing 125-123.

After Najera’s steal of Nash led to a fast-break basket by Boykins, Miller rebounded Bell’s errant 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left. Instead of calling the Nuggets’ final timeout, he lofted a desperation shot from three-quarters quart as Karl threw his arms up in disbelief.

Boykins scored nine points in the first overtime, but with the score tied at 117, he missed a 12-footer at the buzzer that would have won it.

Marion missed a 10-footer that would have won the game for the Suns in regulation.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better shot,” Marion said. “A 10-footer. I should have knocked that one in.”

Denver didn’t really feel the absence of Kenyon Martin (back), their top rebounder with Marcus Camby (finger) out until the closing minutes of regulation, when the Suns got three straight offensive rebounds while clinging to a 104-103 lead. Finally, Kurt Thomas fouled Watson while grabbing a fourth consecutive offensive board. Watson sank one of two shots to tie it at 104.

“We had the opportunity to win that game two or three times if we got more rebounds,” Karl said. “I don’t know if we’re fatigued, small, the ball’s bouncing the wrong way, we don’t jump or we just want Marcus to be back and that’s the way we’re telling the basketball gods we need Marcus back.”

Notes: Denver G Greg Buckner sprained his right wrist. X-rays were negative. ... The Nuggets hadn’t topped 130 since February 2000. ... The Suns’ starters scored 111 points. ... Bell logged nearly 58 minutes. ... In a game like this, Karl said, “the biggest thing is to keep your bladder under control.”

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