The wheels are coming off

After Game 3, the Nuggets could have come out with passion and stick it to the Jazz or they could have laid down and look like the same beaten team. And even when Denver held an early 8-point lead it was false hope as the Jazz made it disappear with ease and once again punched the Nuggets right in the face.

Key statistics

• The Nuggets once again had more turnovers (18) than assists (13)
• Nene only made 6-of-12 free throws
• Nuggets only had 20 points from their bench
• Denver’s entire starting lineup had four fouls or more, Billups fouled out with six.

Evaluating the Nuggets

• Adrian Dantley: He just hasn’t taken the reins of the Nuggets team and doesn’t take control of the game in which George Karl does. And you can’t throw your star player under the bus and except the locker room to respect you.   D
• Carmelo Anthony: Melo has been playing great and with passion, he still continues to get called for offensive fouls but he seems like he is playing 1-on-5 every game.  B+
• Chauncey Billups: Billups is looking like Allen Iverson on the Nuggets. He has a porous 6.5 assists to 3.5 turnovers and is struggling from behind the arc (3o percent). C
• Nene: Nene played OK, and was the Nuggets second best player for three quarters Sunday. He just doesn’t have the toughness to demand the ball in the post. C+
• Kenyon Martin: K-Mart is obviously playing on one leg and is giving the team all he can offer. B-
• Arron Afflalo: Afflalo is one of the few Nuggets you can count on giving you 100 percent effort all game long and he continues to do it despite the deficit. B
• Ty Lawson: Lawson was on the floor when the Nuggets made their rally and Denver needs to give him more minutes to stop from being knocked out. B
• JR Smith: Oh wear, oh wear has our JR gone, 9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists on 9-of-30 shooting (3-13 from behind the arc). D+
• Chris Andersen: The Birdman has flown the coop, hopefully the old Birdman will return next year. F

Birdman, JR and Billups are three players that need step up their games on Wednesday if the Nuggets want to avoid elimination.