The game was a close one with the teams going neck and neck till the fourth quarter. The Clippers under the Billups fantastical gameplay went past the Nuggets just when it seemed that Nuggets are going to win their seventh straight win. Billups tied the game scoring the 3 pointer to make it a 99. The Clippers had started off rocketing away past the Nuggets, jumping up to 102 against their 99 from the three point play by Billups (again) with 2:37 on the clock. The game went down to the wire, to the final seconds. The lead was again regained by the Nuggets when Nene scored, with 47 seconds left. The Nuggets didn’t hold on to the lead for long since Chris Paul got the game back to 107-105, with the Nuggets trailing. And with the clock ticking away, with 18 seconds being flashed by LED lights, the game was decided. A calamity, in the form of foul committed by Nene on Billups in the end resulted in Cliippers not only holding onto the lead but extending it to 109-105, winning with Billups scoring a two pointer off the foul. The referee signaled the foul as soon as Billups thudded onto the floor. A pinch of pain and a whole deal of drama and overacting convinced the ref to cal it. But people on the other side of the fence didn’t seem to be taking the ref’s call very well. The Nuggets coach felt that it was a “generous whistle” while Nene where a lot less subtle with his protests.
Billups had a great outing, a dramatic and emphatic win against the side he played for previously. The star chipped in his season best with 32 points. The Clippers coach praised the match winner and said he was happy that the former Nuggets player played well. He was quite excited when the reporters caught him for an interview. He exclaimed that it was a special occasion for him since its enjoyable to “play against your friends” and infront of a crowd that knows him so well.
Billups, before joining his present team, played for the Nuggets for 2 and half years in his second stint. The Denver side was hitting bottom when the Star pulled them out of the bogs. His teaming up with Nuggets boosted the side to a franchise best of 54 wins last year.
This game belonged to the already much talked about Billups Chauncey. The former Denver star who has given so much to cheer for, for the city and its folks and of course the basketball team, appeared before his hometown to play against them and win a smart victory for his side.
This loss means that this is the third straight loss for the side against the Clippers over the years, which makes it the longest losing streak for any team against one particular side. On a different note, (which somehow again includes the star) it is rumored that Billups is trying to get his former teammate and friend Keyton Martin to join in with the Clippers.
