Denver Nuggets Blog – Page 34 – NBA Blog

Raptors edge banged-up Nuggets 109-108

Rudy Gay hit a pull-up jump shot with less than five seconds remaining and the Toronto Raptors beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 109-108 [in Toronto] on Tuesday.

DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points, Gay had 17 and John Lucas scored 12 of his 14 points in the final quarter as the Raptors won their third straight.

It was the second game-winner in three games for Gay, who beat Indiana with an overtime jumper last Friday.

Kyle Lowry had 11 points and 10 assists and Alan Anderson had 10 for Toronto, which made seven 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Ty Lawson led Denver with 29 points, Kenneth Faried had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Anthony Randolph scored 16.

Andre Miller scored 12 points for the Nuggets, who came in having won nine of their past 10 overall and 15 of their past 17 meetings with Toronto…

The Nuggets had to juggle their starting lineup due to the absences of leading scorer Danilo Gallinari (sinus infection) and third-leading scorer Andre Iguodala (strained neck). Corey Brewer started in place of Gallinari, while rookie Evan Fournier took over for Iguodala.

Denver was also depleted by the loss of forward Wilson Chandler, sidelined by a sore groin. Things got worse for the Nuggets when center JaVale McGee left at halftime with a sore left leg.

— Reported by Ian Harrison of the Associated Press

Celtics outlast Nuggets in 3 OT with 118-114 win

The Boston Celtics relied on their veterans to help them win the matchup of the NBA’s two hottest teams.

Paul Pierce had 27 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists and the Celtics extended their winning streak to seven games with a 118-114 triple overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

Boston’s win also ended Denver’s winning streak at nine games.

Pierce made a tying 3-pointer in the second overtime to make it 107-107 and extend the game.

”I mean that’s what great players do. I would love to tell you I had something to do with it,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. ”I was sitting just like the fans saying, ”Please, Lord, Paul make a shot.”

Kevin Garnett had 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds while Jason Terry scored a season-high 26 points off the bench.

”It seems like Garnett has a huge heart and wanted to win the game and he made some big time shots,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. ”His range has improved and it’s about time he get that respect.”

Pierce, Garnett and Terry are the only active Celtics with championship rings since point guard Rajon Rondo’s season-ending knee injury. The Celtics remain unbeaten in Rondo’s absence.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Kenneth Faried shoots 9-of-10, Nuggets beat Bulls 128-96

Kenneth Faried didn’t wait for the All-Star dunk contest to put on a big show.

The Denver Nuggets’ second-year star celebrated his invitation to the league’s annual slam dunk contest with a series of rim-rattling, crowd-pleasing jams that set the tone for the Nuggets’ eighth straight win, a 128-96 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.

Faried finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds in 26 minutes as the Nuggets won for the 15th time in 18 games since Jan. 1, playing from the opening tip with an intensity that seemed to take the Bulls by surprise.

He had 17 points and eight boards on the break and was on the bench by the fourth quarter along with the rest of Denver’s starters as they relished what had become a laugher.

Wilson Chandler added a season-high 24 points, sinking all five of his 3-pointers, as the Nuggets made quick work of a stingy Bulls team that came in yielding just 91 points a game but watched Denver pour in 100 by the time the third quarter was over…

JaVale McGee put on his own slam-and-jam show, adding 10 points for the Nuggets, who haven’t lost since Jan. 18 and led this one by as many as 35 points…

Carlos Boozer led Chicago’s starters with 18 points. The Bulls again were without starting guards Derrick Rose (left knee) and Kirk Hinrich (right elbow). Center Joakim Noah (right foot) returned to the lineup, but was held to just one bucket and five rebounds. Reserve Daequan Cook led the Bulls with 19 points…

Lawson finished with 16 points and 12 assists and the Nuggets were an astonishing plus-40 when he was on the court.

— Reported by Arnie Melendrez Stapleton of the Associated Press

Tim Grgurich returns to Nuggets for consulting purposes

Back on the Pepsi Center practice court on Thursday morning was a familiar face – that of former Nuggets assistant coach Tim Grgurich. And if he hadn’t been gone for so long, it really was as if he never left. He bounced around from player-to-player, chatting, rebounding for free throws, talking to coaches and sometimes just standing off to the side and observing.

Nuggets coach George Karl has long tried to get Grgurich back into the organization after he left in 2010. And while this is very temporary – a few games – Karl couldn’t be happier to have the calming influence and basketball smarts of one of his best friends in the business.

“He gives me eyes, the pulse of the team,” Karl said.

— Reported by Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post (Blog)

Thunder win-streak ends with OT loss to Nuggets

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook teamed up on another scoring spree for Oklahoma City. In a tightly contested game, though, Kenneth Faried’s driving layup made the difference for Denver.

Faried scored the go-ahead layup in overtime, and the Nuggets overcame 30-plus point performances from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to beat the Thunder 121-118 Sunday night, snapping Oklahoma City’s six-game winning streak.

Corey Brewer scored 26 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Nuggets, who reversed a 20-point loss to the Thunder last Wednesday. Danilo Gallinari added 18 points and Faried finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds…

The Thunder, who beat Dallas in overtime Friday night behind a career-high 52 points from Durant, lost for the first time in five overtime games this season. They got 37 points from Durant and 36 from Westbrook…

The game was a difficult one emotionally as well for Thunder coach Scott Brooks, whose 79-year-old mother, Lee, died on Saturday. In a statement released by the club earlier, Brooks thanked friends, family and the team for their support and said his mom would have wanted him to coach Sunday night’s game…

A missed free throw by Durant with 1:44 to go in OT ended his streak of 50 consecutive free throws. … The Nuggets improved to 3-0 in overtime games this season. … Oklahoma City is now 1-1 on its season-high six-game road trip that continues Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. … Durant scored 30 or more points in a career-best fourth consecutive game. … The Thunder are 20-5 this season when Westbrook and Durant each score at least 20 points.

— Reported by Dennis Georgatos of the Associated Press

Wilson Chandler lifts Nuggets over Blazers in overtime

Wilson Chandler admitted feeling a bit winded and tired in his second game back from hip problems that had sidelined him for two months. Not enough to bother his shooting touch, though.

Chandler hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 14.9 seconds remaining in overtime, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 115-111 Tuesday night for their season-best sixth consecutive victory.

”The way the game was going for me, I was a little fatigued,” said Chandler, who had a labral tear in his left hip repaired last spring and then had to take time off in early November when pain resurfaced in the surgically-repaired hip.

”I had a little muscle fatigue, so I was kind of struggling throughout the game. So to come in and hit a shot like that is big,” Chandler said.

Danilo Gallinari added 25 points, including a key 3-pointer in the extra period. Ty Lawson had 24 points and 12 assists for the Nuggets, who are 2-0 in overtime this season…

Portland, which lost for the first time in six OT games this season, was led by LaMarcus Aldridge’s 28 points. Nicolas Batum had 22 points, J.J. Hickson 19 and Damian Lillard 16.

— Reported by Dennis Georgatos of the Associated Press

Nuggets rally past Warriors for 5th straight win

Danilo Gallinari scored 21 points, Ty Lawson had 20, and the Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Golden State Warriors 116-105 on Sunday night for their season-high fifth straight win.

Wilson Chandler scored 14 points in his first game in two months for Denver after being sidelined since early November because of pain in his left hip, which was surgically repaired last spring.

Stephen Curry scored 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lead Golden State. David Lee added 23 points and 13 rebounds and Harrison Barnes had 21 points.

Down by eight going into the fourth quarter, Denver opened the period with a 19-2 flurry to go up 98-89. Andre Miller and Corey Brewer each scored six points, running the floor and scoring primarily on layups. Kenneth Faried converted a three-point play when he muscled in a dunk and was fouled by Lee.

Lee broke up the flurry with a dunk and Curry conected on successive 3-pointers to pull the Warriors to within 100-97 with 6:10 remaining.

Brewer, who finished with 13 points, and Gallinari hit 3-pointers around a dunk by Gallinari to rebuild the Nuggets’ lead to 108-97. Barnes’ 3-pointer with 4:00 left cut the Warriors’ deficit to nine points but Faried shook loose for a breakaway dunk and the Warriors didn’t threaten again.

— Reported by Dennis Georgatos of the Associated Press

Legal case involving Chris Andersen not yet resolved

The legal case involving former Nuggets center Chris Andersen has yet to be resolved, a Douglas County Sheriff’s sergeant said, but Andersen’s attorney went public Thursday, reiterating a claim made last May that his client was duped and then extorted by a woman claiming to be of legal age. The Douglas County investigation involves possible Internet crimes involving a minor.

“What I’d like to communicate is, this had nothing to do with children,” attorney Mark Bryant told The Denver Post on Thursday. “This had to do with an individual who represented herself as legal age and then some, and by the way, is and was at legal age.”

Andersen, meanwhile, has been working out in Denver and in College Station, Texas, as he tries to make a comeback to the NBA. Bryant confirmed that Andersen, 34, could sign a contract with the defending league champion Miami Heat. Andersen worked out Tuesday for Heat president Pat Riley, The Miami Herald reported.

— Reported by Benjamin Hochman and Carlos Illescas of the Denver Post

Nuggets beat struggling Lakers 112-105

Ty Lawson had 21 points and 10 assists, Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points and hit a big 3-pointer with 13.8 seconds left, and the Nuggets beat the struggling Lakers 112-105 Sunday night for their fifth win in seven games.

JaVale McGee scored 17 points for the Nuggets, who showed no signs of weariness after a home win over Utah one night earlier. Despite two last-minute 3-pointers by Kobe Bryant, Denver calmly maintained a lead throughout the fourth quarter of its second win in 12 days over the star-studded Lakers, who aren’t exactly putting fear or fury into their opponents.

”They’re struggling,” Denver coach George Karl said. ”It’s a great win for us, but I’m not going to get overinflated.”

Staples Center was mostly silent while Los Angeles dropped to 15-18 with another mediocre performance featuring 18 turnovers, intermittent defense and little structured offense down the stretch. Bryant scored 29 points and Dwight Howard had 14 points and a career high-tying 26 rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost three straight and four of five…

After the game, the Lakers said Howard aggravated his shoulder injury. He will have an MRI exam on Monday before the Lakers leave for a quick two-game trip to Texas, and Howard didn’t know whether he’ll play Tuesday at Houston…

Steve Nash had 10 points and 13 assists for the Lakers, while Pau Gasol had 11 points and five rebounds before leaving with a bloody nose with 1:05 to play in a collision with McGee.

Andre Iguodala had 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Nuggets, and Miller finished with 12 points and 10 assists…

Lakers G Chris Duhon returned after missing the past two games with back spasms. F Jordan Hill also played with a sprained right ankle.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Barea leads T-Wolves to 101-97 win over Nuggets

Not even a sprained finger to their All-Star forward could spoil this win for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

And it definitely made up for the clunker they turned in the night before – as much as it can, anyway.

J.J. Barea scored 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter while Kevin Love sat on the bench with an injured finger, lifting Minnesota to a 101-97 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

The Timberwolves were playing for the second straight night, but fatigue hardly appeared to be a factor as they handed the Nuggets a rare home loss…

”It was good to hit some shots. We’ve been struggling to hit shots as a team,” Ridnour said. ”To be able to get going like that feels good.”

Especially with Love only able to watch after leaving with a sprained finger on his right hand in the third quarter. Love broke the same hand in October, missing the opening nine games of the season, and has struggled to get on track with his jumper ever since.

On the play in which he was injured, Love appeared to be sliding past a Nuggets player in the lane when he suddenly clutched at his hand before heading into the training room. Love had 12 points and 17 rebounds in nearly 24 minutes…

The Timberwolves were without point guard Ricky Rubio, who has been dealing with back spasms and remained in Minnesota during the two-game swing through Utah and Denver.

— Reported by Pat Graham of the Associated Press