Great win for the Hornets yesterday in Denver. Final score was 93-88. That's 3-0 to start the season, which last I checked was pretty damn fantastic.

The Hornets started slow, but appeared to be the team in control pretty much all game, though they did get lucky with some calls down the stretch. Still, they looked like the better team and deserved the W. Let's get to a fine dose of notes and such…

• Linkage: box | recap | video
• Both teams started out shooting bricks. The Hornets missed 19 of their first 21, while the Nuggets weren't exactly draining rainbows either. Denver led 21-14 after the first quarter.
• Postgame words from Nuggs coach George Karl that will surely make Byron Scott smile…

  "I never thought I would see my team slowed down as much as they slowed us down."
  

• Ryan Bowen flipped one in over his shoulder to beat the shot clock buzzer late in the first quarter. It was so beautiful, I couldn't help but weep. Incidentally, that was Bowen's only basket of the game, but notice how he didn't score (or play) against the Kings, scored 1 point against Portland, and then pours in a deuce in Denver. He'll be scoring 81 in the season finale.
• David West and Peja Stojakovic both had a rough shooting night, combining to knock down just 8-of-33 from the field. West threw up some ill-advised shots late in the game, but he did grab 13 boards to go with his 17 points. Pretty cool though that this Hornets team can endure off-nights from that pair and still win a road game against a Playoff-caliber opponent.
• The Nuggets high-scoring duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony both struggled against the Hornets. They combined to shoot 18-of-59 from the field, scoring 23 and 20 respectively.
• Nice match-up between Tyson Chandler and Marcus Camby. Tyson finished with 12 points, 17 boards and a pair of blocks. Camby had 8 points, 21 rebounds and 2 blocks, while also finding time to dish 5 assists. He loves the sharing, does Marcus.
• Chris Paul didn't shoot particularly well either (3-of-11 FGs) but filled up the box score regardless: 15 points, 11 assists, 8 boards and 4 steals. Chris, you're just ridiculous.
• To be fair, we caught the Nuggs at a good time. Both Kenyon Martin and Nene were under doctors orders to play no more than 25 minutes, while JR Smith was busy serving the third and final game of that suspension. Add to that the team's trio of injured point guards — Anthony Carter, Chucky Atkins, and now Mike Wilks — and you could say that the Nuggets weren't much more than Iverson, Melo and Camby last night.
• Julian Wright checked in early in the second quarter, and promptly committed a sloppy turnover in the backcourt, giving Denver an easy two. He made up for it a couple minutes later, finishing a Bobby Jackson-led break with a two-hand slam. Then Byron Scott sat him down for the rest of the game.
• Credit Jackson and Jannero Pargo for boosting the offense in the second quarter. Both of them did a great job pushing the tempo and getting the Nuggets on their heels. The Hornets finished with 22 fast break points, the Nuggets had 11.
• Play of the game: Midway through the third, David West throws up a bad shot, Tyson comes from under the basket, up to almost the three-point line to tip the rebound out of Yakhouba Diawara's hands, saves it at halfcourt to Chris Paul, then rushes back to the bucket in time to receive a pass from West. Basket and the foul. Hoo-rah!
• View from the other side: The Nugg Doctor.
• Mucho credit to the Hornets defense for this win. Carmelo was kept out of it all night. Peja (yes, Peja) and Rasual Butler did a great job on him for the most part, although they had plenty of help. Carmelo seemed particularly ineffective when Tyson was plugging the lane.

So, let's bask in the glory of being one of just eight unbeaten teams in the NBA. I can't even remember the last time I basked. Actually, no, wait. It was about a year ago when we started 4-0. That was short-lived basking.

Up next, the Hornets will meet the Lakers in L.A. on Tuesday, followed by a rematch with the Blazers in Portland on Wednesday. After that, it's back to the Bayou to host the Spurs.

Can't hardly wait.