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How do you contain a scoring threat like Stephen Curry? If you're the Denver Nuggets, maybe you impede him a little bit -- after all, Curry's not exactly the largest guy on the court. Good physical play is an effective part of many game plans, but Warriors coach Mark Jackson thinks the Nuggets were going a little too far, claiming that they targeted Curry's left ankle, which he sprained in Game 2. Whatever the Nuggets did, it worked -- they've given themselves new life in this closely fought series.

• DoylePhil: "Mark Jackson is simply protecting his best player. It's tough not to respect that. Steph Curry is your guy, go ahead and stand up for him."
• johnnytsunami212: "obviously he's just trying to get the calls next game and get his team pumped by playing the "everyone's against us" card. he doesn't believe any of this nonsense, he's just being a smart coach"
• erock1987: "Physical yes...dirty no...it's the playoffs. The nuggets finally showed they wanted to win a game. Players no a days are soo weak that a little shove or some "extra" contact is considered dirty. Nuggets made a statement. They weren't just going to roll over and let curry bury them again."
• duke_blue123: "Golden State has been the physically dominant team through the first 4 games. Denver finally retaliates with more physical play and they are accused of being dirty? If anything was dirty it was that cheap shot to the throat from Bogut to Faried."
• McDirty21: "Denver players are classless. All of them were playing dirty the whole night. I agree with Jackson."
• Cappiethedog: "I watched the game. I'm rooting for Golden State. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

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Which team will win the Nuggets-Warriors first-round playoff series? (Warriors lead 3-2)

•  
  54%
  Warriors in 6
•  
  22%
  Warriors in 7
•  
  24%
  Nuggets in 7

(Total votes: 80,772)

Andre Iguodala got a standing ovation during a video tribute played Wednesday night in his return to Philadelphia. And with that courtesy out of the way, Philly fans went back to booing Iguodala every time he touched the ball. The former 76er, traded to Denver during the offseason, joins the large club of Philly boo-bird targets, including Mike Schmidt, Kobe Bryant and Santa Claus. Did Iguodala, who led the Sixers' surprising playoff run last season, deserve the serenade? Or was it just a case of Sixers fans trying to get under the skin of the opposition's best player? Comment and vote!

• RRM40: "The fans cheered him at the beginning but booed him during the game. Guess what, they got into his head and made him play horribly, which helped the sixers win. Would you rather have "nice" fans that wont help their own team?"
• Psyluk: "Embarrassing performance by Philly fans yesterday, even for them. I can't wait to see them turn on Bynum, which you know they will."
• Kobe 62 Mavs 61: "Those who did boo him are idiots. The dude has been nothing but classy for years."
• Sennis89: "So if you know you could get into a guys head and hurt his feelings during a game to give your team a better chance at winning people wouldnt do that? Nah, lets give Iguodala his moment and let the Nuggs win and potentially miss out in a playoff race by one game... Anybody whos watched the Sixers over the last decade knows that Iggy would get flustered if the boos came raining down on him. He wants too much to be accepted and liked. Nobody in the stadium had legitimately ill feelings towards him, just a tactic to help the team win. get over it."
• ACT1v1: "Are you a fan of him or a fan of your team? I'd boo Iverson, Barkley, Iguodala etc.. When they no longer play for the Sixers. If you were at the game last night you would have known that during an early timeout during the 1st QT, there was a video montage dedicated to Andre. It was showing the game winning Free Throws he made against Chicago. From last seasons playoffs that sent us to the divisional Finals. The entire stadium gave Andre a standing ovation. As soon as that was over and as soon as he touched the ball we booed. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that."

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Kobe Bryant's attempt to pull a Michael Jordan came up short Thursday night, as the Nuggets blew out the suddenly struggling Lakers in Game 6. Bryant put up an admirable effort, with 31 points on 13-of-23 shooting, but his teammates were largely absent, which Bryant pointed out in his postgame comments. Given what's at stake in Game 7, he might have been better served by getting some rest. One thing's for sure: Lakers fans can't be happy with the latest developments.

How worried should Lakers fans be about their team's Game 6 loss to the Nuggets?

•  
  9%
  Not worried
•  
  54%
  Very worried
•  
  37%
  A little worried

(Total votes: 7,372)

How much of a benefit will Metta World Peace be to the Lakers in Game 7?

•  
  33%
  A major benefit
•  
  47%
  A minor benefit
•  
  20%
  No real benefit

(Total votes: 62,886)

Which team will win Game 7 of the Lakers-Nuggets series?

•  
  57%
  Lakers
•  
  43%
  Nuggets

(Total votes: 172,543)

The NBA playoffs so far have been characterized by significant injuries to big-time players. Dwight Howard was out before the postseason began, Derrick Rose went down in the waning minutes of Game 1, and several other players (Baron Davis, Amare Stoudemire, etc.) have fallen victim to on- and off-court maladies. Consequently, we're seeing a lot of series that definitely will not go the distance -- there are six 3-1 series in play right now, along with two that have already been decided. The Nuggets in particular have had fits dealing with the new-look Kobe Bryant -- he's been more of a distributor late in games than he has in the past, where the game plan was simply "give it to Kobe."

What would give the Lakers the best chance to win in the playoffs?

•  
  69%
  Kobe Bryant primarily shooting in the fourth quarter
•  
  31%
  Kobe Bryant primarily distributing in the fourth quarter

(Total votes: 23,073)

Which team that has already advanced to the conference semifinals has the best shot at a title?

•  
  39%
  Spurs
•  
  61%
  Thunder

(Total votes: 115,485)

Which team down 3-1 playing on Tuesday night has the best chance at winning its series?

•  
  54%
  Bulls (vs. 76ers)
•  
  24%
  Hawks (vs. Celtics)
•  
  10%
  Magic (vs. Pacers)
•  
  12%
  Nuggets (vs. Lakers)

(Total votes: 6,778)

We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)

Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)

Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)

Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)

• Vote: Which team would be the best fit for Carmelo Anthony?
• Rank 'Em: Is Carmelo one of the 10 best players in the league?

Do you realize how hard it was for us to resist the temptation to make a "Nyets" joke here? We were all primed and ready to go, in the event that this Carmelo Anthony trade fell through. It was going to be perfect, really. But hey, Chris Sheridan got to it first, so we'll cede this round of cleverness to him.

Anyway, for the time being, Carmelo to the Nets is a no-go. The Nuggets seem to have an awful lot of trouble trading him, although it seems to have less to do with Carmelo himself than the package they'd like to get for him. The Knicks would be a good fit, but they don't seem to have the pieces in place. Will any team pony up enough to take Carmelo off the Nuggets' hands?

Emanuel (MI)

When can we expect the end to this Carmelo-Drama?

Chad Ford

I'm thinking around 2015. Really it's tough to say and even the teams involved don't seem to have a great handle on it. One source told me yesterday that it's looking more and more likely that this thing drags out all the way to the deadline ... but trade talks are fluid. There has been a couple of times when the Nets thought it was close to happening. But as it stood late yesterday ... we may be hearing about this for a few more weeks.Full transcript

Matt (Indy)

One thing I don't get in all this Melo trade talk is why the whole issue of signing an extension right now is so important...? I know it's not set in stone yet, but I thought the new CBA was going to reduce/adjust the current contracts to fit the new parameters of whatever agreement they come to...Am I wrong or is everybody just overlooking this in an effort to conjure up more twists and turns to this plot?

Chad Ford

It's true owners are looking at that ... but even most league execs think it's farfetched that owners will get a rollback in salaries and years on existing contracts. However, we are very likely to see max thresholds and the number of years a player can sign a contract for reduced. It's hard to fathom any way Carmelo gets a better deal next summer than he's getting right now. But I think there's a bigger worry in Carmelo's camp. Two league execs told me on Tuesday that they believe the owners are going to push hard for an NFL-style franchise tag system that allows teams to prohibit one player on their team from moving ... basically in an effort to avoid all of these high-profile players from colluding together. If that happens, Denver can just slap a franchise tag on Carmelo and keep him. With so much uncertainty going on right now ... you can understand the desire to get a deal done. Full transcript

• Vote: Would the Nets be championship contenders with Anthony and Chris Paul?

• Chat: Ask John Hollinger about how the numbers behind the deal, Thurs., 2 p.m. ET

Carmelo Anthony's name has been attached to more teams this season than we can count -- we even heard a brief rumor that he'd be the next striker for Manchester United (note: rumor may or may not be total lie). Now, it seems like there's a final destination for the iconic Denver forward -- the New Jersey Nets. Everything is in place for the massive 15-player trade, which also involves the Detroit Pistons. Everything, that is, except Anthony's approval.

The Nets don't want to trade for Anthony if he bolts at the end of the season -- their plan may be to build around Anthony, potentially adding Chris Paul once he becomes a free agent as well. Anthony's preference is supposedly to be traded to the New York Knicks, but will visions of Paul feeding him assist after assist sway his opinion at all?

Cameron (Galesburg, IL)

If the Nets can pull off the Melo deal and get Anthony, Billups, and Hamilton do you see any chance of them getting the 8th seed?

Chad Ford

Yes, because of the weakness of the rest of the East. Top 5 in the East are pretty strong, and the Knicks look like a lock for the 6th seed. After that it's wide open and the Nets would be in that mix. But do you go through all of this trouble for a quick first round exit? Will it get much better in 2011-12? Heat, Magic, Bulls, Celtics and possibly Hawks and Knicks look like better teams. In summer of 2012 ... Nets won't have a ton of space because of Brook Lopez's cap hold ... so how, exactly do they land Chris Paul. In other words, Melo will add excitement, but I don't see him delivering a title to the Nets. Full transcript

• Rank: Where does Carmelo Anthony rank among the NBA's best?
• Vote: Which team would be the best fit for Carmelo?

Carmelo Anthony wasn't always the biggest prize in the offseason shuffling of players from team to team, but the guy who wore that crown made his Decision a long time ago. Anthony has been The Guy Who Could Make Your Franchise A Contender ever since.

Currently, the Bulls and Knicks are the primary contenders for Anthony's talents, with the Nets a darkhorse third candidate. Chicago seems to have the best shot at landing Anthony, but some observers aren't so sure that a trade would be worth it. Any Anthony trade would likely have to involve Joakim Noah, and no less an authority than Scottie Pippen has said that he wouldn't let Noah go in order to get Carmelo. Would Chicago be foolish to pass up an opportunity to get Anthony for the sake of keeping Noah?

“

thibodeau, being a defensive coach will not want noah part of this deal. the bulls hold the upper hand b/c denver knows they have to get something. melo is not going to the nets. a team that won 10 games last year.

” -- maxtime55

“

Should I get excited? No! Because the Bulls are dumb enough to let an opportunity like this fly by. I am more positive that within a couple of years (1 or2) , I will be saying, "man the bulls would have won a title with him, now he has won it with another team.

” -- manejd

• Rank 'Em: Is Carmelo Anthony better than Chris Paul or Amare Stoudemire?
• Vote: Should the Nuggets go ahead and trade Anthony now?

So Carmelo Anthony, potentially eligible for free agency next summer, reportedly is headed for a parting of ways with the Denver Nuggets? You know, with no World Cup next year, there might be some available schedule slots for summer programming ...

Anthony and the Nuggets may settle his future before he hits free agency, be it by a trade out of Denver or an extension to remain in the city, but as big a deal as another gathering of superstars might be in a place like New York, SportsNation commenter 454Brandon suggests it's not exactly like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Anthony and the rest of a generation would be forever altering the NBA landscape.

• "The NBA has ALWAYS only had 4-5 true contenders every year. The league has never been about parity, for god's sake the Bulls won six in the '90s and probably would've had eight straight had Jordan not temporarily retired. In the '80s, the Lakers and Celtics took turn trading championship status, and once in a blue moon you'd get the Pistons or the 76ers.

  If you think it's any different now, you're lost. Same status as ever, and to be honest, all teams like the Heat and the potential "Big 3" of Carmelo, Paul, Amar'e do is bring in massive revenue because every game they play will sell out and they'll generate insane TV ratings. This is why the NBA loves the Lakers so much, because they help rake in a lot of money, and this is why they loved the Bulls in the '90s." -- SN commenter 454Brandon

“

Melo is not a max contract. He is a great player, but not one of the premiere in the league. There are 4, maybe 5 players in the league that deserve the max. Kobe, LBJ, Wade, CP3, and Durant. D-Will is in that discussion. Howard is almost there.

” -- garretttlee14

“

Melo is an overpaid baby. His FG% and 3PT% are both well below the league average. If I shot 50 times a game I could average 20 pts too. He is never going to be an elite player. Denver would be a better team and have more team chemistry if they did trade him

” -- goldberg1764

“

Melo's not a hometown guy, not a 2 Time MVP, and hasn't taken this team to the Finals on his back. Throw out 2009 (a year in which Billups was as much a reason for their success as Melo) and we might as well be talking about T-Mac Version 2.0 here. 6 out of his 7 years 'his' teams have been thoroughly handled and bounced in the 1st round of the playoffs.

” -- IRVJOE

• Rank 'Em: Which teams are most likely to challenge the Lakers?
• Rank 'Em: Are Carmelo Anthony and Tim Duncan the top potential 2011 free agents?

A consolidation of player power in Miami is the talk of the offseason, for obvious reasons. But when do we talk about a diffusion of power in the Western Conference?

Phoenix moves on without Amare Stoudemire but with Hedo Turkoglu. Utah has to hope Al Jefferson and Raja Bell equal the departed Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver. Dallas kept Dirk Nowitzki, no minor feat, but it's hard to envision Tyson Chandler as the missing piece of the puzzle. Will impending free agency distract Carmelo Anthony? Will Yao Ming stay on his feet for an entire season? Should we just let the Lakers skip ahead to the NBA Finals?

In following Horace Greeley's advice, Al Harrington said he picked the Nuggets instead of the Mavericks based on each team's potential (the extra money inherent in suggestions that the Mavs were loathe to give him five years probably didn't hurt). We say if Harrington can judge Western Conference potential, he's a better man than us.

jay (uptown dallas)

are the mavs seeking ant other trade scenerios right now

ESPN Dallas' Jeff Caplan

Jay, Donnie Nelson says the team will be as active as ever. They'll continue to probe New Orleans about Chris Paul. the Hornets just fired GM Jeff Bowers, so things are in flux there and Paul is getting increasingly uneasy about the direction of the franchise. Otherwise, the Mavs will keep calling clubs for trades, kicking around Carmelo, as if that's going to happen, but yes, they will be looking for trades, particularly a blockbuster to land a star to pair with Dirk. I think the percentages are low. Full transcript

“

Great signing by Denver. Al Harrington was the only bright spot on a horrible Knicks team. He's young and from NJ so you know he has energy and toughness.

” -- mcbrinkosu