http://www.nba.com/games/20040412/SACDEN/recap.html

  Denver 97, Sacramento 89
  Camby, Nuggets Playoff Bound

  DENVER, April 12 (Ticker) -- For the first time in nine seasons, the Denver
  Nuggets are headed to the NBA playoffs.

  Marcus Camby collected 12 points, 21 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks
  as the Nuggets  clinched a  postseason spot  with an 97-89  triumph over the
  Sacramento Kings.

  As the final seconds ticked down, a wild celebration began in the stands at
  the Pepsi Center and spilled onto the court.

  "These guys just played their hearts out for this city,"  Denver coach Jeff
  Bzdelik said.  "It takes courage and perseverance to  not let people chall-
  enge your confidence. This team has worked extremely hard and will continue
  to get better. I'm extremely proud of every single one of them."

  The Nuggets had not  made the playoffs since 1995,  when they were swept in
  the first round by San Antonio. Denver was 17-65 last season and became the
  first team in NBA history to make the playoffs the year after winning fewer
  than 20 games.

  "Seventeen wins to the playoffs, it's like night and day," Camby said.

  Rookie Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points, despite playing the fourth quarter
  with a migraine headache.

  "It felt like the room was moving and things just got blurry," Anthony said.
  "We won the game, though, so forget about the migraine.  (The playoffs) has
  not really hit me yet.  You can come talk to me tomorrow, then I can answer
  all of your questions better."

  The Nuggets extended a four-point halftime lead to 78-64 in the final minute
  of the third quarter.

  The Kings responded with a 17-3 run and tied it at 81-81 on a jumper by An-
  thony Peeler with just over 6 1/2 minutes to play.

  Andre Miller, who scored 21 points, answered with four straight and Camby
  took over defensively.

  After a steal by Camby helped the Nuggets take a 91-87 lead, the 6-11 center
  rejected a shot by Peja Stojakovic that Miller grabbed  and fired ahead to a
  streaking Anthony. The resulting dunk electrified the crowd.

  "I just tried to step it up down the stretch, not just tonight," Camby said.
  "I'm a guy who has a lot of playoff experience, so I used that to my advant-
  age."

  Denver has won five of six games and their 43 victories is its highest to-
  tal since going 43-39 during the 1989-90 season.

  "We talked about how energetic they were going to be," Sacramento coach Rick
  Adelman said. "I don't think we played with enough poise to take their crowd
  out of the game."

  Stojakovic scored 20 points to lead the Kings (55-25), who failed to clinch
  the Pacific Division title and the second seed in the Western Conference.

  "It's tough playing four games in five nights," Peeler said. "We are not wo
  -rried about not being ready for the playoffs, we're still in the top three
  in the West."