# 1989–90 Denver Nuggets season

The 1989–90 NBA season was the Nuggets' 14th season in the National Basketball Association, and 23rd season as a franchise. The Nuggets got off to a fast start winning 11 of their first 15 games, on their way to a solid 19–9 start, and holding a 26–20 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team acquired Joe Barry Carroll from the New Jersey Nets. However, they began to show their age as they barely made the playoffs with a mediocre record of 43–39, fourth in the Midwest Division.
Fat Lever averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and was selected for the 1990 NBA All-Star Game, while Alex English averaged 17.9 points per game, and sixth man Walter Davis provided the team with 17.5 points per game off the bench. In addition, Michael Adams contributed 15.5 points, 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while Blair Rasmussen provided with 12.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, and Danny Schayes averaged 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
In the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Nuggets were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in three straight games. Following the season, an era would come to an end in Denver as head coach Doug Moe was fired, while English signed as a free agent with the Dallas Mavericks, Lever was traded to the Mavericks, Schayes signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, and Barry Carroll was released to free agency.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
| 1 | 15 | Todd Lichti | SG | United States | Stanford |
| 2 | 42 | Michael Cutright | SG | United States | McNeese State |
| 2 | 47 | Reginald Turner | SF | United States | Alabama-Birmingham |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Midwest Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-San Antonio Spurs | 56 | 26 | .683 | – | 34–7 | 22–19 | 19–9 |
| x-Utah Jazz | 55 | 27 | .671 | 1 | 36–5 | 19–22 | 21–7 |
| x-Dallas Mavericks | 47 | 35 | .573 | 9 | 30–11 | 17–24 | 17–11 |
| x-Denver Nuggets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 13 | 28–13 | 15–26 | 15–13 |
| x-Houston Rockets | 41 | 41 | .500 | 15 | 31–10 | 10–31 | 13–15 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 22 | 60 | .268 | 34 | 17–24 | 5–36 | 6–22 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 19 | 63 | .232 | 37 | 13–28 | 6–35 | 7–21 |
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | z-Los Angeles Lakers | 63 | 19 | .768 | – |
| 2 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 56 | 26 | .683 | 7 |
| 3 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 59 | 23 | .720 | 4 |
| 4 | x-Utah Jazz | 55 | 27 | .671 | 8 |
| 5 | x-Phoenix Suns | 54 | 28 | .659 | 9 |
| 6 | x-Dallas Mavericks | 47 | 35 | .573 | 16 |
| 7 | x-Denver Nuggets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 20 |
| 8 | x-Houston Rockets | 41 | 41 | .500 | 22 |
| 9 | Seattle SuperSonics | 41 | 41 | .500 | 22 |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | 37 | 45 | .451 | 26 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Clippers | 30 | 52 | .366 | 33 |
| 12 | Sacramento Kings | 23 | 59 | .280 | 40 |
| 13 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 22 | 60 | .268 | 41 |
| 14 | Charlotte Hornets | 19 | 63 | .232 | 44 |
    z - clinched division title
    y - clinched division title
    x - clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1989-90 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIA | MIL | MIN | NJN | NYK | ORL | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Boston | 3–1 | – | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 |
| Charlotte | 0–2 | 0–2 | – | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 0–4 | 0–5 | 0–2 |
| Chicago | 5–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | – | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 |
| Cleveland | 3–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–5 | – | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Dallas | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | – | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| Denver | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | – | 0–2 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 |
| Detroit | 2–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 |
| Golden State | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | – | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Houston | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–2 | – | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Indiana | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 4–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| L.A. Clippers | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | – | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 3–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 |
| L.A. Lakers | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Miami | 0–4 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | – | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 3–1 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 |
| Milwaukee | 2–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | – | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 5–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 |
| Minnesota | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 1–1 |
| New Jersey | 2–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | – | 1–4 | 1–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 |
| New York | 3–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | – | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 |
| Orlando | 0–5 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | – | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 |
| Philadelphia | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 |
| Phoenix | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 2–3 | 5–0 | 0–4 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| Portland | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | – | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Sacramento | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 0–4 | – | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| San Antonio | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | – | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | – | 1–3 | 2–0 |
| Utah | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 3–1 | – | 2–0 |
| Washington | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 4–0 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — |

### Game log
## Playoffs

1990 playoff game log :
First round: 0–3 (home: 0–1; road: 0–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 26
@ San Antonio
L 103–119
Todd Lichti (22)
Todd Lichti (13)
Lichti, Adams (8)
HemisFair Arena 15,910
0–1
2
April 28
@ San Antonio
L 120–129
Fat Lever (26)
Fat Lever (16)
Fat Lever (9)
HemisFair Arena 15,910
0–2
3
May 1
San Antonio
L 120–131
Alex English (24)
Lever, Rasmussen (10)
Fat Lever (8)
McNichols Sports Arena 15,604
0–3 :
1990 schedule :

## Player statistics
### Season

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| Michael Adams | 79 | 74 | 34.1 | .402 | .366 | .850 | 2.8 | 6.3 | 1.5 | .0 | 15.5 |
| Joe Barry Carroll$^†$ | 30 | 27 | 24.0 | .432 | | .743 | 6.4 | 1.8 | .9 | 2.0 | 11.9 |
| Walter Davis | 69 | 0 | 23.7 | .481 | .130 | .912 | 2.6 | 2.2 | .9 | .1 | 17.5 |
| T. R. Dunn | 65 | 2 | 10.1 | .454 | .000 | .667 | 2.1 | .7 | .6 | .1 | 1.8 |
| Alex English | 80 | 80 | 27.6 | .491 | .400 | .880 | 3.6 | 2.8 | .6 | .3 | 17.9 |
| Bill Hanzlik | 81 | 0 | 19.8 | .452 | .194 | .743 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .4 | 6.2 |
| Mike Higgins$^†$ | 5 | 0 | 6.4 | .375 | | .875 | .6 | .4 | .2 | .0 | 2.6 |
| Eddie Hughes | 60 | 7 | 14.9 | .411 | .408 | .676 | 1.2 | 1.9 | .8 | .0 | 3.5 |
| Tim Kempton | 71 | 14 | 14.9 | .490 | .000 | .675 | 3.1 | 1.7 | .4 | .1 | 5.4 |
| Jerome Lane | 67 | 46 | 14.3 | .469 | .000 | .367 | 5.4 | 1.6 | .8 | .3 | 5.0 |
| Fat Lever | 79 | 79 | 35.8 | .443 | .414 | .804 | 9.3 | 6.5 | 2.1 | .2 | 18.3 |
| Todd Lichti | 79 | 4 | 16.8 | .486 | .000 | .747 | 1.9 | 1.5 | .7 | .2 | 8.0 |
| Blair Rasmussen | 81 | 55 | 24.6 | .497 | .000 | .828 | 7.3 | 1.0 | .5 | 1.3 | 12.4 |
| Danny Schayes | 53 | 22 | 22.5 | .494 | .000 | .852 | 6.5 | 1.2 | .8 | .8 | 10.4 |

### Playoffs

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| Michael Adams | 3 | 3 | 35.0 | .382 | .300 | .875 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 1.3 | .0 | 13.0 |
| Joe Barry Carroll | 3 | 3 | 15.3 | .563 | | 1.000 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .3 | 1.7 | 6.7 |
| Walter Davis | 3 | 0 | 23.3 | .400 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.0 | 2.0 | .3 | .0 | 14.0 |
| T. R. Dunn | 3 | 0 | 10.3 | | | | 2.3 | .7 | 1.3 | .3 | .0 |
| Alex English | 3 | 3 | 25.3 | .568 | | .818 | 3.0 | 3.0 | .7 | .3 | 19.7 |
| Bill Hanzlik | 3 | 0 | 26.3 | .294 | .333 | 1.000 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 1.7 | .7 | 7.0 |
| Tim Kempton | 3 | 1 | 10.7 | .778 | | 1.000 | 1.7 | 1.3 | .0 | .0 | 6.0 |
| Jerome Lane | 2 | 2 | 7.0 | .000 | | .500 | .5 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .5 |
| Fat Lever | 3 | 3 | 37.7 | .373 | .143 | .929 | 10.7 | 7.0 | 2.7 | .3 | 17.3 |
| Todd Lichti | 3 | 0 | 23.3 | .517 | .000 | .737 | 6.0 | 3.0 | .3 | .0 | 14.7 |
| Blair Rasmussen | 3 | 0 | 28.0 | .396 | | .900 | 8.7 | .3 | .7 | 1.3 | 15.7 |

## Awards and records

* The Nuggets would win the 1990 McDonald's Open after winning games against Italy's Philips Milano and Yugoslavia's Jugoplastika.