Thunder: Nuggets won’t win at the foul line

The Thunder beat the Nuggets 107-103 Sunday in part because Denver was bad from the foul line: 21 of 33, a .636 percentage.

But better foul shooting is not a high priority for Nugget coach George Karl.

during the first round NBA playoff game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, April 17, 2011, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

“We’re not a great free-throw shooting team,” Karl said.

The stats say Denver’s not bad. The Nuggets placed 16th in the 30-team NBA, with a percentage of .765.

But the Nuggets were that high because of Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony, who were traded to the Knickerbockers in February. For Denver, Billups shot 92.3 percent, Anthony 82.3 percent.

The Nuggets’ Arron Afflalo is an excellent foul shooter (.847), but he missed Game 1 with an injury.

One of the players acquired from New York, Raymont Felton, is shooting .617 from the line for the Nuggets. Wilson Chandler came over from the Knicks and has shot a little better in Denver, .807 to .810, but Danilo Gallinari, who shot .893 for the Knicks, is .772 from the line for the Nuggets.

Point guard Ty Lawson is a solid foul shooter, .764, but the rest of Denver’s rotation is below par. J.R. Smith (.738), Al Harrington (.735), Nene (.711), the Birdman (.635) and Kenyon Martin (.583).