Nuggets pump up the ‘D’ to stay undefeated

The Denver Nuggets, led by Carmelo Anthony and Nene, remain undefeated after beating the Indiana Pacers 111-93 on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

The 4-0 Nuggets started strong, outscoring Indiana 30-13 in the first period, and never let the Pacers get within eight points after that. Anthony had another productive game with 25 points, five rebounds and three assists despite a mediocre 6-16 shooting night.

Nene didn’t light it up either, going 4-10 from the field, but still scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Chris “Birdman” Anderson had a solid game with six points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.

Chauncey Billups looked great, contributing 24 points on 7-15 shooting and 5-7 from 3-point land. Arron Afflalo finally came out of the woodwork and had a season-high 15 points, as well as three rebounds.

What was most impressive was the Nuggets’ defense. Indiana shot a horrendous 39 percent from the field, and superstar forward Danny Granger was held to only 18 points, after starting the night averaging 31 a game.

Former Nugget Dahntay Jones was the most productive player for the Pacers. Jones scored 20 points on 8-15 shooting but couldn’t contain Anthony, the NBA player of the week.

The Nuggets, brimming with confidence, look to carry their 4-0 start into New Jersey on Wednesday night when they tip off against the Nets.

Nuggets Notes: Today was the Nuggets’ deadline to make a deal with the remaining $7.4 million trade exception from the Allen Iverson deal, but no deal was made.