The man known around the Association as AK47 just got popped with an extremely embarrassing episode recently.

During a game between the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets, the nightcap of TNT’s doubleheader, Andrei Kirilenko had the ballgame in his hands but he let it slipped through his soft hands. Here’s a recap of what happened:

Devin Harris buried a 3-point shot with 1.2 seconds left to cut the Nuggets’ lead to two at 103-101. On the in-bounds play, Denver’s Kenyon Martin got cute with the ball and he flubbed it right into the fingertips of Kirilenko. All AK47 needed to do was gather Martin’s misplayed ball and score a layup to send the game into overtime. But somehow Kirilenko bobbled the ball and couldn’t even get a decent shot attempt. It looked like he never got a clean hold of the ball and – for lack of a better term – simply choked. Watch and judge for yourself:

The last time Kirilenko suffered this kind of embarrassment was in 2007 when Baron Davis, back when he can still jump, dropped a nasty dunk in AK47′s face during a playoff game in Oakland.

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All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony is still a member of the Denver Nuggets. But for how long? (GETTY IMAGES)

The proposed deal by Nets general manager Billy King that would send All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey was not accepted by the Denver Nuggets, according to NBA front-office informed sources.

Online betting fans should take into consideration that Anthony is one strong candidate to win the regular-season MVP, while Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant are two other big favorites.

The Utah Jazz and the Charlotte Bobcats were the other teams involved in the trade. However, sources close to the situation said that the Nets were no longer prepared to wait for a decision, and due to this the four teams involved are now concentrating on the work of their respective training camps.

Also, it has been reported that King had given the Nuggets until last Tuesday to finally accept or reject the original offer, which would have also brought Jazz veteran Andrei Kirilenko, Nets rookie Derrick Favors, and two future first-rounds picks to the Nuggets.

For his part, Nets first-year coach Avery Johnson said that Favors has not been distracted by the conversations of the trade.

“Favors has been one of our best players so far,” Johnson said. “He’s doing a nice job.”

In addition, the negotiation included players such as guard Devin Harris, who would have gone to the Bobcats, and forward Boris Diaw, who would have been traded to Utah.

The Nets could try again in the future to obtain Anthony with a more attractive financial offer for the Nuggets, including the participation of other teams.

Nuggets coach George Karl, a big supporter of the continuity of Anthony on the team, gave him an “A” for the effort and professionalism shown after practice.

This latest opportunity may have closed for Anthony, but it won’t be the last time we’ll hear trade talks involving the Nuggets forward.

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Carmelo Anthony is reportedly unhappy with his situation with the Nuggets and is considering a move elsewhere. (2KSPORTS)

Carmelo Anthony is considering a move to New Jersey, that is according to reports by ESPN and Yahoo! Sports. The deal reportedly involves Nets first-round pick Derrick Favors, some expiring contracts and draft picks.

If those reports are accurate, and they all seem to be building up steam, then the Denver Nuggets could be well on its way out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference; not only this season for years to come. Anthony is a franchise player in the Association, and you’re not going to get fair market value unless you get another All-Star in return. In this case, the Nuggets are banking on that Favors will be a starter (which is still unknown) and hope that those draft picks can land them a young stud to build around for the future. Based on those uncertainties, the Nuggets will languish in mediocrity until they find a suitable replacement for Melo.

Anthony seems to be unhappy in Denver. During the Nuggets’ disappointing playoff series against Utah, Anthony expressed his frustrations publicly. ““I’m trying to do everything I can in my power to beat the Jazz. But, at the end of the day, I need some help,” said Anthony, who scored a game-high 39 points in Denver’s 117-106 loss in Game 4, but the rest of his team managed just 67 points.

Anthony added: “I’m not sitting here pointing fingers, but as a unit we gotta do this together. I can’t do it by myself. I’m frustrated at the level of play. The energy, the intensity is not there. We start off the game good, then for some reason we’re down 10 or 11 points. You know, [Carlos] Boozer down there is pushing our big men out of the way.”

Without naming names, Anthony’s piercing criticism were directed at his big men: Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen. All three were thoroughly outplayed by the Jazz big men, including little-used center Kyrylo Fesenko.

“Fesenko … Fesenko! I mean don’t get me wrong he’s playing extremely well,” Anthony said, “he’s playing with a lot of confidence. But … Fesenko!”

Even though he’s not on the same level as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, Anthony is a legitimate superstar; one of the 20 best players in the league. He is almost 30% of Denver’s offense and his impact on the floor is hard to duplicate. The Nuggets reached the conference finals with Anthony and Chauncey Billups leading the way. Without Melo, the 34-year-old Billups will be hard-pressed to shoulder the load by himself.

A number of others teams, including the Knicks, Bulls, Rockets, Clippers and Warriors, have been pursuing Anthony as well. However, sources on several of those teams were pessimistic that they could match what the Nets have to offer.

After watching how James and Chris Bosh devastated Cleveland and Toronto, respectively, by leaving without much compensation, the Nuggets are determined to get something in return for Anthony. Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri just lived through the Bosh saga as a member of Toronto’s front office before taking the Nuggets job.

Anthony has basically ignored Denver’s offer of three years, $65 million all summer, a sure-fire sign that he has decided that Denver is not in his future and would prefer to play elsewhere.

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Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets are down 3-1 to the Jazz in their best-of-seven first-round series. (NBAE/GETTY IMAGES)

The Denver Nuggets, a team that started the season with hopes of challenging the L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference and winning a NBA title, are on the brink of elimination in the first round.

Denver is down 3-1 to the Utah Jazz and the pressure of getting bounced early in the playoffs has the Nuggets, including their best player, extremely frustrated and edgy.

Carmelo Anthony admitted after the loss in Game 4 that his teammates need to raise their level of play or they’re all making reservations in Cancun or Cabo next week.

“I’m trying to do everything I can in my power to beat the Jazz. But, at the end of the day, I need some help,” said Anthony, who scored a game-high 39 points in Denver’s 117-106 loss in Game 4, but the rest of his team managed just 67 points.

“I’m not sitting here pointing fingers, but as a unit we gotta do this together. I can’t do it by myself,” he continued. “I’m frustrated at the level of play. The energy, the intensity is not there. We start off the game good, then for some reason we’re down 10 or 11 points. You know, [Carlos] Boozer down there is pushing our big men out of the way.”

Without naming names, Anthony’s recent criticism were directed at his big men: Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen. All three have been thoroughly outplayed by the Jazz big men of Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap and Kyrylo Fesenko.

“Fesenko … Fesenko! I mean don’t get me wrong he’s playing extremely well. He’s playing with a lot of confidence. But … Fesenko!” Anthony said about Utah’s seldom-used second-year center who was forced into action when Mehmet Okur went down with a season-ending Achilles’ tear.

Boozer, Millsap and Fesenko are averaging 43 points and 23 rebounds for the series, while Nene, Martin and Andersen are averaging 24 points and 21 rebounds.

“They got everything they wanted out there. You know, transition buckets, paint points,” Anthony said of the Jazz, who have won three games in a row after dropping the first game in the series.

“[Wesley] Matthews gave them a huge lift, taking advantage of us trying to keep [Carlos] Boozer and Deron [Williams] out of the game. He knocked down some shots and opened it up for them.”

Matthews, a rookie guard, is the son of former NBA player Wes Matthews. He is averaging 11.3 points per game in 37 minutes and is one of the players assigned to guard Anthony.

Anthony’s frustration reached a boiling point when he had an animated discussion with Andersen at the end of the first half near the bench area.

“I don’t want to point fingers at Birdman, but it was just that one shot,” Anthony explained. “I never have a problem with guys taking shots, but at that point and time of the game that shot wasn’t the right shot for us. All I told him was ‘We didn’t need that shot.’  We talked it over at halftime, I gave it to him clear what I was trying to say, and he understood.

“I’m in a battle. I don’t have time to worry about people’s feelings right now.”

Anthony made 13 of 26 shots from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds in Game 4, but he did have a game-high nine turnovers, a clear indication that he was doing too much and was getting fatigued.

“I tried. I did everything to win the game If I could do it by myself I would,” Anthony said. “I just don’t want them – them, my teammates – to give up. We’re definitely in a dogfight.”

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Carmelo Anthony may be Denver’s best player and Chauncey Billups is Denver’s unquestionable leader, but J.R. Smith may be the Nuggets’ difference-maker.

Anthony dropped a playoff career-high 42 points in Game 1 against the Utah Jazz, but it was Smith who turned a close game into a 126-113 blowout in favor of the home team Nuggets.

The game was tied at 90 in the fourth quarter when Smith went wild, scoring the Nuggets’ next 11 points (including three consecutive 3-pointers) to give Denver a 101-93 lead en route to a 1-0 series lead in the first round.

It was classic J.R. Smith – or, should I say, J.R. Swish.

Smith buried four of 10 shots from behind the arc and finished with 20 points in 27 minutes off the bench.

Each shot was taken without conscience or any regard for where he was on the court. Here’s a warning to the Jazz: when J.R. Swish exits the team bus, he is within shooting range. He has unlimited range and never seems to be concerned about shot selection, which at times drives his coaches crazy.

“You get a lot of opinions of J.R.,” Nuggets acting coach Adrian Dantley told the Denver Post. “I’m a J.R. fan. I might take some heat for leaving him in the game. When I visited Coach [George] Karl yesterday, we all made some comments about J.R., but I play J.R. more minutes than Coach Karl.”

There’s a high risk, high reward with Smith. He is a streak shooter who can shoot the Nuggets into victories and can shoot the Nuggets into losses. But when he’s on, the Nuggets are nearly unbeatable, which is why Karl and Dantley tolerate his immaturity.

And if the Nuggets are going to advance to the next round and be in contention for a NBA title, they are going to rely on J.R. Smith to provide some much-needed instant offense.

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If the Denver Nuggets were competing in the World Series of Poker, they would probably go “all in” on every other hand. It’s the mentality of a supremely confident player with a touch of a cocksure attitude, comparable to a slugger who prefers to swing for the fences with each cut.

The Nuggets are also an eclectic group, a roster that is loaded with guys who put the “swag” in swagger and has about as many nicknames as tattoos.

Melo came into this season in the best shape of his life and was a starter in the All-Star Game; K-Mart appears to have rediscovered the spring in his legs; The Birdman is again among the league leaders in blocks; Mr. Big Shot continues to point this team in the right direction and is enjoying the best season of his 13-year career; and J.R. Swish has never seen a 3-point shot he didn’t like.

Add them all up and you have an extremely explosive and dangerous team capable of beating anyone in the Association.

Denver is 7-2 against the Lakers (2-1), Cavs (2-0), Magic (1-0), Celtics (1-0) and Mavericks (1-1). The Nuggets also own a NBA-best 12-6 mark against teams with a .600 record or better.

Based on those inspiring numbers, you can certainly make a case for Denver as the best team in the NBA. If anything, the Nuggets are clearly THE team out West who can challenge the Lakers in a seven-game series.

The Lakers were very fortunate to win on Sunday (Feb. 28) as Chauncey Billups (4 for 12) and J.R. Smith (3 for 12) went uncharacteristically cold in the second half and Ron Artest locked up Carmelo Anthony with some old-fashioned bully defense. But don’t let L.A.’s recent victory be the measuring stick for the Lakers-Nuggets simmering rivalry. The Nuggets still lead the season series 2-1 and it took a monumental defensive effort by L.A. to swing the momentum in their favor at home.

The Las Vegas Hilton currently has the Nuggets at 12-1 to win it all, which is very enticing odds considering the reward is higher than the risk.

Despite head-scratching losses to sub-.500 teams such as the Wizards, Clippers, Timberwolves, Sixers and Kings (twice), the Nuggets remain undaunted and have brushed off those minor slip-ups with some really impressive wins.

Last week the Nuggets outlasted the Cavaliers, 118-116, in overtime on Feb. 18, then got drilled by the Wizards the following night, but redeemed themselves two days later by outgunning the Celtics, 114-105.

Though the Nuggets trail the Lakers by 5 ½ games for the best record in the Western Conference, they firmly believe they can compete with the world champs and are convinced they can knock them out without the benefit of homecourt. It’s a belief the Nuggets built up from last season’s six-game war with L.A. that has carried over into this season, evidenced by their two resounding victories over Kobe and Co.

In a 126-113 win at Staples Center on Feb. 5, the Nuggets found a way to overcome the absence of Anthony thanks to Billups, who made nine of 13 3-pointers en route to a career-high 39 points.

“He runs the show, and guys who run the show are really important. Forget the scoring part. He’s got so much more going on. He makes threes and he makes free throws,” Wynn Las Vegas oddsmaker John Avello said of Billups, the Colorado native and veteran point guard who is averaging a career-best 19.8 points per game this season.

Billups’ free-throw shooting (90 percent) is the hidden gem of his all-around game, making him a tough cover late in the game because you don’t want him on the line.

The Nuggets remind me of the 2000 Portland Trail Blazers and the 2002 Sacramento Kings. The Blazers and Kings were deep and talented teams, and each endured a heated rivalry with the Lakers.

The 2000 Blazers – led by Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, Steve Smith, Bonzi Wells, Arvydas Sabonis and Damon Stoudamire – pushed the Lakers to seven games in the conference finals, but squandered a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and lost.

The 2002 Kings – led by Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Doug Christie – thought they were good enough to win the title, but Robby Horry’s buzzer-beater in Game 4 and a few bad calls allowed the Lakers to win the series.

Denver and L.A. are bound to meet in the West Finals this season, and the Nuggets (107.4 PPG) are one of the few teams in the league that can match the Lakers’ firepower (102.7 PPG) and have two guys in the lineup – Anthony and Billups – who are capable of making clutch shots.

It will take the Lakers’ “A” game to defeat the Nuggets in a playoff series. Anything less simply won’t cut it.

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To find out the real reason why the Denver Nuggets are so hard to beat at the Pepsi Center, look no further than the crew of beautiful and talented women who take center court during time-outs and halftime shows.

The Denver Nuggets Dance Team has a big following not just in the NBA circles, but on the Internet as well. There are sites dedicated to the Dance Team, but the most useful one is www.NuggetsInsider.com, where the girls are profiled and there’s a pole (oops! I mean poll) to choose your favorite Nugget.

Now I know why Rocky The Mountain Lion, the Nuggets’ mascot, loves performing with these ladies at halftime – they are stunningly amazing. (Middle photo: Courtesy of Michael Martin Photography)

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Chris"Birdman" Andersen, Chauncey "Mr. Big Shot" Billups, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza add color and character to this year's NBA playoffs. (GETTY IMAGES)

In Detroit, Zeke, Lam, The Worm, Buddha Edwards and Spider Salley helped form the Motor City Bad Boys. In Los Angeles, Magic, Coop, Big Game James, The Captain and Riles were the core of the Showtime Lakers. Golden State’s dynamic, high-scoring trio of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin were better known as Run-TMC. Then there was The Jordannaires, Michael Jordan’s famous “supporting cast” with the Chicago Bulls.

Throughout its rich history, the NBA has had its share of colorful characters from unforgettable teams with distinct nicknames that leave a lasting impression on hardcore basketball fans.

The 2008-09 Denver Nuggets currently does not have a moniker, but badly needs one. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently tried to brand the Nuggets by calling them a bunch of “thugs” for the physical abuse they dished out to Dirk Nowitzki and Co. But thugs may not be the politically correct term to use here. Even though some of the Nuggets players, covered with in some of the most impressive tattoos in the Association, look like extras in “Menace II Society” they still do not deserve the thuggish label.

Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin wears the image of his son on his right bicep. (NBAE/GETTY IMAGES)

One thing is for sure, the Nuggets are not short on individual nicknames. All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony goes by “Melo.” Denver fans refer to sharp-shooting guard J.R. Smith as “J.R. Swish.” Power forward Kenyon Martin is “K-Mart.” Bench player Chris Andersen, with his noticeable fro-hawk and his arms stretched like a condor’s wings with each block, has become a fan favorite at the Pepsi and is known as “The Birdman.” And starting center Nene is from Brazil, so he only needs one name.

With all their colorful body art and their newly found swag, this year’s Denver unit is one eclectic group. They’re so colorful they put the old Denver Nuggets uniform – the same one that Alex English, Fat Lever, Blair Rasmussen and Dan Issel were rocking during the 1980s – to shame. And ever since acquiring Chauncey Billups (aka Mr. Big Shot), they’ve been playing with great energy and passion that electrifies their home crowd. Eclectic? Electric? Hmm. That’s it! The Denver Nuggets are The Eclectic Company.

The Eclectic Company will take their show to Hollywood after earning a date with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals.

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Mark Cuban is under fire for his comments directed at Kenyon Martin's mother after Game 3.

Despondent. Inconsolable. Livid. All three describe the state of the Dallas Mavericks. But instead of pointing out their obvious flaws, they’re pointing fingers at whomever they come across – whether it’s NBA referee Mark Wunderlich or Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin and his mother.

After the 106-105 home loss in Game 3 to the Nuggets – when an apparent foul was not called in the final seconds that enabled Carmelo Anthony to hit the game-winning 3-pointer – several members of the Mavericks, including owner Mark Cuban, were irate and let their emotions get the best of them. A very angry Cuban was seen shoving cameras and shouting profanities toward the officials. But Cuban did not stop there. With some Dallas fans yelling that the Nuggets were “thugs,” Cuban said to Martin’s mother, Lydia Moore, “That includes your son.”

Martin’s agent, Brian Dyke, also told the Denver Post that Cuban told Moore, “Your son is a punk.”

All the hostility between the Mavs and Nuggets has been simmering since Martin shoved Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki to the floor in Game 1. It came to a boiling point when Wunderlich and his crew missed a reaching foul on Dallas forward Antoine Wright during the waning moments of Game 3. With six seconds left and Dallas ahead 105-103, the Mavericks decided to intentionally foul Anthony to save their season. But something went very wrong in Dallas’ grand scheme.

After Martin inbounded the ball to Anthony near the 3-point, the Nuggets’ forward fumbled the pass, which ate up a few more seconds and Wright had to hold his ground because Melo was not in a scoring position. Once Melo regained possession, he drove to his right and that’s when Wright tried to reach for the ball, hoping for a whistle. However, Wunderlich and his crew decided to let the play go on and Melo was able to gather himself, rise up behind the 3-point line and drain the shot that mostly likely killed the Mavs’ season.

The NBA office said the officials missed the call, which made Cuban and the Mavs even more annoyed.

The fact of the matter is, the Mavs are upset because they realize they are fighting a losing battle. The Nuggets are the better team, and the Mavs have too many holes to plug. Center Erick Dampier is getting worked by counterpart Nene Hilario, Anthony is bullying his way in and around the paint, and Denver’s bench mob led by Chris “Birdman” Andersen, Anthony Carter and J.R. Smith is outplaying Dallas’ bench. The Mavs just don’t have the personnel to match up with the Nuggets. Josh Howard is clearly not healthy, which puts way too much on the shoulders of Nowitzki and Jason Terry.

And Cuban and the Mavericks can cry all they want about not getting the call late in the game, but the game was not lost on that noncall. It was lost when Dallas played prevent defense and played not to lose instead of playing to win. Sure, there was clear intent on Wright’s part to foul Anthony, but the execution was very poor. Wright needed to grab Anthony with both arms and make sure he was not going to get a shot off. If you have a foul to give, which the Mavs did in that situation, Wright should have committed it when Anthony was still driving to the basket.

Before the Mavs scream bloody murder on ONE play, they should look at the whole picture. Complaining and crying about NBA officiating is a sign of a loser’s mentality and a team with several insecurities. Dallas’ current roster is just not good enough to get out of the second round.

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