Schroder, Hawks beat Nuggets 110-97 to end 10-game road skid

By MICHAEL KELLY
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) -- The Atlanta Hawks were savoring a rare win during a tough season. The Denver Nuggets were lamenting a missed opportunity to improve their postseason hopes.

Dennis Schroder had 19 points and 10 assists, Taurean Prince scored 16 and the Hawks beat Denver 110-97 on Wednesday night, ending a 10-game road losing streak.

Atlanta wrapped up a five-game trip with its first road win since Dec. 2 at Brooklyn.

"It feels good to win a game - period," guard Malcolm Delaney said. "We've been battling. It's been tough for us, losing a lot of close games. Just to pull one out and finish how we did feels pretty good."

Kent Bazemore scored 14 points and Ersan Ilyasova had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Hawks, who never trailed after the first quarter.

Atlanta (11-30) has the worst record in the NBA and entered the night tied for the fewest road wins. The Hawks posted their fourth road victory this season.

Denver had won 11 of 13 home games since early November and now has its first three-game losing streak of the season.

"I'm not going to use the word embarrassing because that would be disrespectful to Atlanta. You've got to give them credit," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "They came in here and beat us. But for us to come out with the lack of energy, lack of a sense of urgency, was really disappointing. At the end of the day I put this loss on me."

The Hawks had twice lost by one point during their Western Conference swing. They closed out this win by outscoring Denver 28-19 in the fourth quarter, forcing five turnovers in the period.

Gary Harris had 25 points but was the only Denver player to shoot well from the field. Nikola Jokic had nine points, 12 rebounds and seven assists but was 4-of-21 shooting and missed all eight of his 3-pointers.

"It was probably just a little bit of one of those nights for him," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "He's normally going to make a few more of those shots, so he had a little bit of an off night."

Denver trailed by 10 in the third and got within two late in the period but missed its first six shots of the fourth. The Hawks extended the lead to 93-81 on a layup and jumper by Delaney. He also assisted on Ilyasova's 3-ponter that sparked an 11-3 run to start the fourth.

The Nuggets made a small run to get within eight but Atlanta responded with a 9-2 surge to lead 102-87 with 3:29 left. Denver never got closer than nine the rest of the way.

The loss dropped the Nuggets to 21-20.

"It's not about them, it's about us," Harris said. "We know what we've got to do. If we come out there and play hard, that doesn't happen."

Denver shot just 6 of 24 on 3-pointers in the first half and 37.3 percent from the field overall. Atlanta took advantage and led by as many as 10 and 54-46 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Hawks: Schroder has 3,994 career points. ... Prince, who came in second on the team in scoring at 13 points per game, has not scored 20 in consecutive games. ... Atlanta had six players score in double figures and two more finish with nine points.

Nuggets: Denver finished 9 of 37 from 3-point range. ... F Paul Millsap had the cast removed from his left wrist. Millsap had surgery in November to repair ligament damage in the joint, and Malone said the target date for his return is "right around the All-Star break. It could be a while after that. Who knows?" ... Denver Broncos LB and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller sat near center court.

200 AND COUNTING

The win was Budenholzer's 200th as a head coach - all with Atlanta. He led the Hawks to the postseason in each of his first four seasons but they appear headed to the lottery this year.

That hasn't diminished his enjoyment.

"I feel very fortunate to have had a lot of great players, including this group," he said. "I love coaching them, and very fortunate to be where I am. Hopefully there's a lot more to come."

UP NEXT

Hawks: Host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

Nuggets: Host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

Irving, Celtics cruise past Nuggets

BOSTON -- Brad Stevens was relieved his Boston Celtics shot a season-high 59.5 percent from the floor at TD Garden on Wednesday night.

"That was the only way we were going to win tonight the way we were guarding and rebounding," the coach said after the Celtics also registered a season high for points in a 124-118 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

The 118 points tied the most Boston has allowed this season and the Celtics were out-rebounded 48-30, with the Nuggets hauling down 20 offensive boards.

But the offense was superb.

"That was probably one of our best shot-selection games," Stevens said.

Kyrie Irving, returning from a one-game absence caused by a quad bruise, scored 33 points and Jaylen Brown had 26, one off his career and season highs in the win, which followed the team's worst effort of the year in Monday night's loss at Chicago.

"It's always something that you want to build towards as a team, being able to respond and come out, especially on our home floor, and compete," Irving said after the Celtics improved to 24-6. "We started off the game, they were really comfortable, we weren't getting stops the way we wanted to. They were in a great rhythm and we just had to be resilient practically the whole night and just kind of weather their storms.

"They kept coming and kept coming and we had to outscore them at some points because some of those guys got hot and they had some offensive boards but we were pretty resilient tonight."

The Nuggets (15-13) hit their first six shots and had a seven-point first-quarter lead but the Celtics overcame a career-high 36 points by Gary Harris and 28 by Jamal Murray to win a battle between teams hit by the injury bug.

The Nuggets, finishing 2-4 on a six-game road trip, came in with four players averaging between 15.1 and 15.6 points per game and were missing three of them. Paul Millsap (wrist), Nikola Jokic (ankle) and Will Barton (back) are averaging a combined 46.4 points, 22.1 rebounds and 11.2 assists. Harris was the fourth.

The Celtics, who lost Gordon Hayward in the opening game, were resting Al Horford (knee), while Marcus Morris (knee) is expected to be out for weeks.

Irving, who went 12-for-19 from the floor and 4-for-9 from 3-point range, dished out seven assists. Aron Baynes scored 17 points, Jayson Tatum had 15 and Shane Larkin added 14 in 17 1/2 minutes. Larkin was 6 of 6 from the floor and 2 of 2 from 3-point range, the first perfect shooting game of his career with at least six baskets.

Larkin scored nine points in a 2:36 span of the second quarter and had five points, a steal and a block during a 9-0 run that broke things open early in the fourth. He was a plus-14.

"At this point in the season I know when I'm going to go in there and I just have to provide that spark," Larkin said. "That's been my job so far this season, just to go in there, play hard on the defensive end and just take what they give me offensively and tonight I had my shot going early."

Said Stevens: "I felt like Shane's pressure kind of turned the game for us. He made it a little bit tougher for them to get into their stuff. Every action started a little bit higher because he was pressuring the ball."

Brown and Tatum combined to hit 15 of their 21 shots, also nailing four of their five 3-ppint attempts.

Harris and Murray combined for 42 shots, making 25.

"Heart, effort, hustle, determination; I saw that from most of our guys in the starting lineup," Denver coach Michael Malone said. "I thought Jamal Murray goes out and gets 10 rebounds as a point guard. I was really proud of our guys in this regard."'

But Murray, talking about Irving, said, "He's a great player and today he got the best of me."

Mason Plumlee scored 15 points and Wilson Chandler 14 for the Nuggets.

Marcus Smart had nine assists for Boston. Murray and reserve Kenneth Faried each recorded 10 rebounds for Denver.

NOTES: Boston F Gordon Hayward, who sustained a broken left tibia and dislocated ankle in the season opener, discarded his walking boot Wednesday and will stay out of it depending on how his foot responds. "Today has been awesome without the boot," he said. He is slated to miss the rest of the season, but there has been talk of a late-season return. ... Denver F Will Barton, who bruised his lower back in Detroit on Tuesday night, did not play Wednesday. ... The Nuggets go home to meet the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday but then have three of their next four on the road. The Celtics host the Utah Jazz on Friday and visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, completing a stretch of five games in seven nights.

Nuggets' road woes continue in Dallas

DALLAS -- The Denver Nuggets started a six-game road trip Monday night desperately trying to figure out how to win away from home.

It didn't happen as they fell behind by 25 points early in a 122-105 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

Denver (13-10) fell to 3-8 on the road. With games coming up at New Orleans, Detroit and Boston on this road swing, the Nuggets could find themselves at .500 if they can't put together four solid quarters on enemy territory.

"We can't let teams hit us first," Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray said. "They hit us first, and we hit back too late. The game was already over."

Due to key injuries to starters Nikola Jokic (left ankle), whose return date is uncertain, and forward Paul Millsap (left wrist), who will be out the next several months, and the Nuggets are missing a pair that brings nearly 31 points and 17 rebounds a game.

Their absences make the upcoming road task look increasingly daunting.

The Mavs' offense had the Nuggets' heads spinning. Dallas (7-17) shot 56.8 percent in the first half to take a 64-47 lead into the locker room, and finished a season-best 57 percent. Driving to the hoop at will, the Mavs also produced a season-high 64 points in the paint.

Dallas fended off a couple of Denver hot streaks, including a 35-point third quarter, but never allowed their lead to dip below eight points when it was 88-80 with 2:11 to go in third period.

Dallas played its best overall game of the season and scored a season high in points with six players hitting double figures. Harrison Barnes' 22-point, 10-rebound effort led the Mavs, who also got 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting from rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr.

"There was a lot of energy in the air early, you know, with all the servicemen and women courtside and President (George W.) Bush being there," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said, referring to the Mavs' Seats for Soldiers promotion in which injured soldiers sit courtside. "Our guys, I think, really felt an obligation to be their competitive best."

Smith said the soldiers played a role in his team's motivation in getting a fifth win in eight games.

"Coming out at halftime, I met with a couple (of soldiers) and let them know I personally appreciate what they do and their sacrifice," Smith said. "They made sacrifices a lot of people weren't willing to make, so that was a little added motivation for everybody tonight."

Yogi Ferrell contributed 16 points off the Dallas bench, Wesley Matthews added 15 points, and Devin Harris had 14 points. Dwight Powell had 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists off the bench, while Dirk Nowitzki finished with nine points.

"When you can't guard their guards and they live in the paint for scores and they live in the paint for kick-out threes, they got everything tonight," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "You're not going to beat anybody when you're giving up that kind of productivity in the paint and behind the arc."

Reserve Will Barton led the Nuggets, scoring 13 of his 23 points in the third quarter. Murray finished with 22 points and Gary Harris had 21, but Denver shot just 41.8 percent as a team.

NOTES: Nuggets F Wilson Chandler returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous three games, and four of the past six, with lower back pain. He finished with four points and seven rebounds. ... Denver C Nikola Jokic missed his second consecutive game with a sprained left ankle. He said Monday the injury is getting better but did not have a timetable for his return. ... The Mavs scored a season best for any quarter with 39 points in the first.

Nuggets beat Kings 114-98 without coach and 2 starters

By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Will Barton didn’t know Mike Malone was suspended by the NBA until the Denver Nuggets coach informed him as Barton got on the team bus to head to the arena.

“I thought he was joking,” Barton said. “I told him we’d hold it down for him.”

Minus their coach and two starters, the short-handed Nuggets did just that — and only 24 hours after losing by 21 points to begin their three-game road trip.

Barton and Trey Lyles made two 3-pointers apiece during a big run in the third quarter, and Denver pulled away to beat the Sacramento Kings 114-98 on Monday night.

Barton finished with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists in his third start this season for Denver, which also was without injured starters Paul Millsap and Wilson Chandler.

“Given the circumstances, I’ll take it,” said Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr., who coached the team while Malone stayed back at the team hotel. “The minute (we) got in here from the team bus they knew it was a task at hand. We were under adverse circumstances and had no other option than to pull it together.”

Malone served a one-game NBA suspension for making contact with a referee in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Denver also was missing Millsap, who sprained his left wrist against the Lakers, and Chandler (lower back pain).

After a sluggish first half, Denver pulled away in the third quarter following a 19-7 run late in the third quarter sparked by the long-distance shooting of Barton and Lyles. The Nuggets shot 15 of 32 beyond the arc and led by as many as 22 in the final period.

“That third quarter we were real patient and sound, ran our sets and got going,” Barton said. “Anytime you’re missing two starters, impact guys like that, it’s going to take a while.”

Nikola Jokic added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Gary Harris scored 20 for the Nuggets.

George Hill and Kosta Koufos scored 16 points apiece to lead six players in double figures for Sacramento. The Kings, who had won their three previous home games against the Thunder, 76ers and Trail Blazers, have lost five of six overall.

“Athletically, (the Nuggets) go and get balls and jumped over the top of us and did some of those kind of things,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said. “We’ve got to be more physical. We were a step slow in the second half.”

BARTON COMES UP BIG

Barton shot 9 of 15 and made a season-high five 3-pointers on six attempts from beyond the arc. “He wasn’t an aggressive scorer but he was a playmaker for us,” Unseld said. “Down the stretch he controlled the game.”

WHAT WENT WRONG

Joerger thought his team played hard throughout the game but rookie guard De’Aaron Fox wasn’t so sure. Asked if the Kings let up in the second half when the Nuggets got on their roll, Fox said: “It felt that way. But it’s happened before, we’ve got back before. It’s just something if we go down, we’ve got to pick it up even more. You have to pick up your effort when things are going south.”

TIP-INS

Nuggets: With Millsap and Chandler out, Unseld went to a three-guard lineup but the offense sputtered in the first half with 11 turnovers. Denver did a much better job after the break and pulled away. . The Nuggets dominated the offensive rebounding (14-5) and converted that into a 19-6 advantage in second-chance points.

Kings: Zach Randolph had 12 points and six rebounds in his third consecutive start at center. ... Buddy Hield missed his second straight game with a sore right ankle.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Play at Houston on Wednesday. The Rockets have won four straight against Denver.

Kings: Host the Lakers on Wednesday. The teams split the season series in 2016-17.

Porzingis’ career night lifts Knicks to 116-110 over Nuggets

By JEFFREY BERNSTEIN
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A 23-point third quarter lead vanished in less than six minutes, before Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined to make sure that the deficit was short-lived.

Porzingis scored a career-high 38 points and Hardaway Jr., who re-signed with New York as a free agent for $71 million, scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks beat the Denver Nuggets 116-110 on Monday night.

The Knicks had taken their biggest lead of the game, 69-46, on Courtney Lee’s layup with 10:38 left in the third quarter. However, the Nuggets responded by scoring the next 13 points to ignite a 27-2 run and they took their first lead, 73-71, on Wilson Chandler’s free throws with 4:42 left in the third quarter. The Knicks committed 10 turnovers during that six-minute stretch.

“We had a lot of turnovers. It was one of the worst quarters we’ve ever had,” Porzingis said. “But, we are going to learn from this game.”

The game was tied 77-77 when Doug McDermott’s 3-pointer put the Knicks back in front for good with 1:09 left in the third.

New York led 84-81 going into the final quarter. Will Barton brought the Nuggets to within one, 89-88, with 9:50 left in the game.

But, Hardaway Jr. scored the Knicks’ next 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and Porzingis’ jumper with 5:35 left gave New York a 104-95 lead.

“I made some big shots and I was happy about that,” Hardaway Jr. said. “They were contested, but once you see one go down and you start feeling yourself a little bit it helps my confidence and the team’s confidence.”

Denver responded by scoring the next seven points and pulling within two on another pair of Chandler free throws with 3:10 remaining.

But, Jarrett Jack hit a long jumper and Lee added two free throws and the Knicks were able to hold on down the stretch.

“Fourth quarter, too many mental breakdowns. Lack of discipline to give Tim Hardaway Jr. three straights 3′s and he was the one guy we were supposed to be running off the line,” said Nuggets’ Head Coach Mike Malone. “So, just poor game awareness.”

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 28 points and Jamal Murray scored 20.

Kyle O’Quinn added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks. Lee and Enes Kanter each had 12 points for the Knicks. McDermott finished with 11 and Jack finished with 10 assists

Gary Harris scored 18 points, Emmanuel Mudlay had 15 and Barton added 13 for the Nuggets.

TIP-INS:

Nuggets: Denver had won the previous five meetings with the Knicks. New York’s previous win in the series was a 109-93 victory at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2014.

Knicks: New York’s three-game winning streak is its longest since they won four in a row last season.

SPENDING TIME IN THE GARDEN

Monday’s tilt with the Nuggets marked the beginning of a five-game homestand for the Knicks.

OH BROTHER

Siblings Willy Hernangomez (Knicks) and Juancho Hernangomez (Nuggets) were on opposing sides Monday night. Willy got off the bench to play just over three minutes, while Juancho was inactive due to an illness and did not attend the game. “I was really looking forward to seeing him,” Willy said. “But, he has mono and is being quarantined right now. Maybe for another few weeks.”

FOUL FRENZY

The Nuggets could not keep their hands to themselves in the second quarter, committing their fifth foul and putting the Knicks in the bonus at the 8:24 mark. New York went on to outscore Denver 30-18 in the 12-minute session.

UP NEXT:

Nuggets: Host Toronto on Wednesday. The teams will play again in Toronto on March 27. The Raptors won both matchups last season.

Knicks: Host Houston on Friday. The teams last met on New Year’s Eve 2016, with the Rockets posting a 129-122 victory. They play again in Houston on November 25.

Murray, Jokic lead Nuggets to 124-111 win over Nets

By MICHAEL SCOTTO
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — After getting a pep talk from his coach, Jamal Murray came through with a big game for the Denver Nuggets.

Murray scored 26 points, Nikola Jokic had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and the Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets 124-111 on Sunday.

“Before the game this morning (Murray) said, ‘Coach right now I’m a broken arrow,’” Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. “I said, ‘No, you’re not. You’re going to be fine. Just stay with it. I believe in you and you have to believe in yourself.’ Tonight, he came out and imposed his will on the game and was fantastic for us.”

Wilson Chandler added 18 points for the Nuggets, who have won two straight games.

Spencer Dinwiddie tied a career-high with 22 points, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 18 points and Joe Harris tied his season-high with 16 points for the Nets.

The Nuggets went on a 22-4 run to begin the third quarter as Brooklyn missed 10 of its first 11 shots. Chandler carried Denver in the third with 14 points as the Nuggets took a 100-84 lead into the fourth quarter and never looked back.

“I thought that third quarter was phenomenal,” Malone said. “That was by far our best quarter of basketball on both ends of the floor. We outscored them 40-21 and to hold them to only 40 percent for the game was terrific.”

While the third quarter was Denver’s best quarter of the season, it was arguably Brooklyn’s worst of the season.

“It’s just the defensive end, really,” Harris said. “You can’t give up 40 points in one quarter. Obviously they got comfortable, came off with a little more energy than we did and that was the game right there.”

Hollis-Jefferson led Brooklyn with 16 points at the half as the Nets took a 63-60 lead into the locker room. Brooklyn’s 63 points matched a season-high for points in the first half previously done in the season opener against Indiana. Emmanuel Mudiay led Denver with 15 points at the half.

Brooklyn’s 36 first quarter points marked its most in an opening period this season.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Malone believes his young backcourt will be the key to success this season. “The biggest challenge for us is going to be when you have a 21-year-old backup point guard and a 20-year old starting point guard, there are going to be inconsistencies. Can we try to help them and speed up their maturation as players? Because we have big plans, we want to be a playoff team and when you have two young guards who are going through growing pains at times, it doesn’t make it always easy.” . Juancho Hernangomez (mononucleosis) was out.

Nets: Coach Kenny Atkinson said DeMarre Carroll (right ankle soreness) and Quincy Acy (left groin strain) are day-to-day. Jeremy Lin (right knee) was also out. ... Timofey Mozgov has now made two 3-pointers in seven games, which is more than he totaled the previous two. ... Jacob Wiley made his NBA debut.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Visit New York on Monday. Denver then begins a six-game home stand.

Nets: Host Phoenix on Tuesday. Brooklyn then hits the road for five consecutive games.

Kaminsky scores 20 off bench, Hornets rout Nuggets 110-93

By JUSTIN PARKER
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Marvin Williams often guards Frank Kaminsky in practice, so Williams wasn’t surprised when his Charlotte Hornets teammate scored 20 points off the bench Wednesday night against Denver.

But what impresses Williams even more is Kaminsky’s improvement on defense and in playing the pro game.

“Frank’s a smart, smart guy,” he said.

Kaminsky’s infusion of offense was critical in a decisive and dominant second quarter as the Hornets built a 25-point lead and cruised to a 110-93 victory over the Nuggets.

Kaminsky showed his versatility by scoring in multiple ways. He had 14 points at halftime, hitting two 3-pointers and also scoring on a series of mid-range jumpers and back-to-the-basket moves.

Williams said it’s obvious Kaminsky benefited from being healthy throughout the offseason for the first time as a pro.

“It’s a very big difference if you don’t spend three or four months out of the summer time trying to rehab your body to play this season as opposed to getting your body stronger, getting in great shape and being able to work on your game,” Williams said. “I feel like for him this summer, he was able to do those things.”

Meanwhile, Dwight Howard was again dominant in the paint and on the glass for the Hornets. He scored 15 points and pulled down 19 boards, his third double-double in four games.

Kemba Walker added 19 points and five assists for Charlotte. Malik Monk scored 12 of his 17 in the first half, and Jeremy Lamb finished with 16 points.

“Obviously, that was the most balanced and well-rounded game we’ve played so far,” coach Steve Clifford said. “We had better readiness to start.”

Nikola Jokic had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Nuggets, who lost their second straight. Gary Harris also scored 18, and Jamal Murray had 16. Mason Plumlee grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points.

Denver shot 7 of 30 from the field in the second quarter as the Hornets built a 62-39 halftime lead. Nuggets coach Michael Malone was not happy with the effort he saw.

“My message is simple,” he said. “I’m going to start our group and if I see guys that don’t want to play or compete, I’m going to put guys out there that are going to play hard and compete and at least give us a chance. If you’re going to go down, at least go down fighting. That’s my nature and I want that to be my team’s nature.”

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Juancho Hernangomez (illness), Tyler Lydon (G league assignment) and two-way players Monte Morris and Torrey Craig were inactive.

Hornets: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made his season debut after missing the first three games for personal reasons. He started and played 10:37, scoring two points on 1-of-6 shooting. ... Charlotte was without Nicolas Batum (sprained left elbow), Michael Carter-Williams (knee soreness) and Julyan Stone (strained left hamstring). ... Treveon Graham left in the first half with a bruised right quadriceps but returned to play 11 minutes after halftime. ... Howard picked up two fouls in the first 4:33.

HOWARD CONNECTS

One game after missing all nine free throw attempts at Milwaukee, Howard shot 7 of 11 at the line. He also became the first Charlotte player since Emeka Okafor in 2007 with four consecutive 15-rebound games. Howard had seven rebounds, including three offensive boards, in the first quarter despite being limited by two early fouls.

COLLEGE COACHES COME TO VISIT

Two prominent college coaches were seated courtside. Kentucky’s John Calipari and North Carolina’s Roy Williams were on hand to watch former players. Calipari was checking in on four former Wildcats: Kidd-Gilchrist, Monk, and Denver’s Jamal Murray and Trey Lyles. Marvin Williams and Hornets teammate Marcus Paige played for Williams at North Carolina. Calipari and Williams greeted one another with a hug and brief conversation just before tipoff. Roy Williams received a warmer welcome when shown on the video board.

WALKER FOR 3

Walker hit two 3-pointers to give him 800 for his career, which ranks second in franchise history behind Dell Curry’s 929. “I’ve worked hard to get to this point, so it’s an honor,” Walker said.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Visit the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Hornets: Host the Houston Rockets on Friday night.

Beal scores 20 points, Wizards beat Nuggets 109-104

By PAT GRAHAM
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Scott Brooks took what basically amounted to a late-game charge.

That’s right, the coach of the Washington Wizards.

Brooks stepped onto the court after a timeout with 32 seconds remaining and was bumped into by Nikola Jokic, who was on his way the bench. Jokic was assessed a technical foul in a strange occurrence that helped the Wizards to a 109-104 win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

Whether it was intentional or accidental by Jokic — or even embellished on the part of the Wizards coach — well, it depends on who’s asked.

“It was an awkward, weird situation. I don’t think (Jokic) did it on purpose, but it happened,” Brooks said. “I’ve never had that happen before.”

Bradley Beal ended up making the technical free throw and the Wizards increased their lead to 105-102. Beal then sealed it with a driving layup.

After the game, Jokic said he was upset about being pushed from behind just before the timeout and was just making his way back to the Nuggets side.

“I tried to look at the score and hit ... the coach,” Jokic said. “I’m sorry because I put my team in a bad position.”

Jokic’s coach had his back.

“I just watched it 10 times. Nikola said he didn’t do it intentional,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Nikola is walking off the court. Scott Brooks is walking on the court. There’s contact made. It was embellished a little, to be honest, I think.

“I don’t think it was intentional, either. Scott Brooks is a very good coach and a good guy. Things happen in the heat of the moment you can’t always explain.”

In an interview with a pool reporter, crew chief Derrick Stafford said the officials assessed a technical because Jokic, “intentionally walked into Scotty Brooks on his way to the bench.”

Beal scored 20 points as all five Washington starters reached double figures. John Wall finished with 19 points as he struggled from the floor (3 of 13) but made up for it on the free throw line (13 of 15). He added 12 assists as the Wizards improved to 3-0.

Otto Porter Jr. had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Jokic broke out of a scoring slump with 29 points. His running layup early in the first quarter ended a string of six straight quarters without a point.

“I scored and we lost. Maybe it’s better for me to not score,” Jokic said.

TIP-INS

Wizards: F/C Jason Smith missed the game in his home state with a sprained right shoulder. Smith grew up in nearby Kersey and went to school at Colorado State. “He’s been wanting to play well and hit 17 3s against them, but it’s not going to happen tonight,” Brooks said. “He will have to save it for next year.” ... F Markieff Morris missed the game as he recovers from sports hernia surgery. ... Kelly Oubre Jr. had nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Nuggets: F Juancho Hernangomez was out with an illness. ... F Richard Jefferson dressed but didn’t play. He signed a one-year deal last week. ... F Paul Millsap finished with 17 points. ... The Nuggets have dropped three straight to the Wizards. ... G Emmanuel Mudiay had 15 points off the bench.

TURNOVERS

The Wizards took advantage of 24 turnovers and finished 26 of 28 from the free throw line.

“We showed glimpses of our defense at times,” Wall said. “We’re a long, active team. We can put pressure on teams in the pick-and-roll and trust and help each other. We turn teams over and get more possessions.”

QUOTABLE

“John Wall is in attack mode every minute he’s on the floor. He’s playing downhill, playing north-and-south and getting to the basket. ... We have to show a crowd to him all night long, to take away those driving lanes.” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said of stopping Wall.

UP NEXT

Wizards: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday for their second contest on a four-game West Coast swing.

Nuggets: Play in Charlotte on Wednesday against Dwight Howard and the Hornets.

Recap: Whitehead, Dinwiddie lead Nets past Nuggets

Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Denver Nuggets 85-74 in the second round of the Summer League playoffs at Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday.

This was a lopsided result for Brooklyn (3-1), as Denver (1-4) couldn’t get out of their own way. In fact, the Nets held a double-digit lead for the final 15 minutes, as the Nuggets shot under 30 percent from the field in the second half. It wasn’t much better for the game, with Denver hitting just 32 percent from both the field and three-point range. Defensive rebounding was also key, with Brooklyn winning that battle, 45-30.

Malik Beasley led the way for Denver, as he tallied 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Torrey Craig finished with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Monte Morris really struggled, as he accrued five points, three rebounds and five assists on 2-of-10 shooting.

Isaiah Whitehead led Brooklyn, as he totaled 14 points, three rebounds and four assists. Spencer Dinwiddie amassed 13 points and five rebounds. Milton Doyle led all bench scorers by providing 13 points, four rebounds and two assists off the Nets bench.

On deck for Brooklyn is a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday against either the Los Angeles Lakers or Cleveland Cavaliers.  

Nuggets sign rookie F Lydon

The Denver Nuggets signed rookie forward Tyler Lydon to a multi-year contract, the team announced Thursday.

Denver selected Lydon with the 24th overall pick after trading down in the first round of last month's draft. The 21-year-old Lydon joined third-year forward Trey Lyles in the draft-night trade with the Utah Jazz for the rights to the 13th overall pick, which was Donovan Mitchell.

Lydon averaged 11.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 blocks in 71 career games with the Orange.

Nuggets sign rookie F Lydon

The Denver Nuggets signed rookie forward Tyler Lydon to a multi-year contract, the team announced Thursday.

Denver selected Lydon with the 24th overall pick after trading down in the first round of last month's draft. The 21-year-old Lydon joined third-year forward Trey Lyles in the draft-night trade with the Utah Jazz for the rights to the 13th overall pick, which was Donovan Mitchell.

Lydon averaged 11.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 blocks in 71 career games with the Orange.

Romo basks in honorary day with Mavs before Nuggets' win

By SCHUYLER DIXON
Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) Coach Rick Carlisle draped his arm around Tony Romo as the crowd roared in the final minutes of the Dallas Mavericks' honorary game for the retiring Cowboys quarterback.

Fans desperately wanted to see the career passing leader for the storied Cowboys franchise get in for at least a few seconds in a meaningless 109-91 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, and he was acting like he might actually play.

It just wasn't going to happen because Romo wasn't on the roster and didn't sign a contract. He showed his football No. 9 with a white "Dallas" across the front of the jersey just once - when he was introduced with the starters before the game.

"Obviously we knew we couldn't check him in," said star Dirk Nowitzki, who helped hatch the plan to honor Romo. "We were faking it and the crowd was loving it. And they wanted to see him out there so bad. We just couldn't pull it off."

Gary Harris scored 20 points in the first game for the Nuggets (39-42) since getting eliminated from the playoffs. Nowitzki led Dallas with 21 points.

With nothing at stake in a lost season that will be the worst for Dallas (32-49) since going 20-62 in 1997-98, the Mavericks followed through with an idea that Nowitzki and owner Mark Cuban discussed weeks ago at a party after the 19-year veteran reached 30,000 career points.

Even then, it was clear Romo wasn't returning to the Cowboys. Ultimately, he decided not to play for another team after losing the starting job he held for 10 years to rookie Dak Prescott following a back injury in the preseason last year.

Romo, who turns 37 this month, had his honorary day with the Mavericks exactly a week after he announced he was leaving football to become the No. 1 NFL analyst at CBS.

After going through the morning shootaround , pregame warmups and the pretend starter introduction, Romo took the floor to address fans at the end of a brief ceremony in which Carlisle and Nowitzki also spoke.

"This is an honor that I could never dream of," said Romo, who rose to fame as an undrafted player out of lower-division Eastern Illinois in 2003. "It's a little embarrassing, but I'll tell you what, I'm a very lucky guy. Thank you, Dallas. I love you."

Wearing a dark blue warmup top, Romo sat next to Cuban, who tried to persuade Commissioner Adam Silver to let Romo play. Instead, Cuban was the one pulling Romo back to his seat with the crowd roaring and chanting his name in the final minutes.

"I told him what I was going to do and said, `Fine me if you don't like it,'" Cuban said of his conversation with Silver. "But once he said the contract wasn't getting approved, then he kind of killed that."

The sidelines were packed with fans taking pictures and videos while Romo went through pregame warmups. He drew the biggest cheer when he hit a jumper over Devin Harris, and he hit a 3-pointer as well. But he couldn't match Harris' swish from midcourt, and shook his head over an airball on a 3-pointer.

"I feel like they're all 7 feet tall," Romo said after participating in the morning shootaround. "And they'll all long and lean. I look like a turtle out there next to these guys."

For Carlisle, the Romo plan was never about the former high school basketball standout in Wisconsin actually playing. He wanted to recognize a frequent front-row fan who always has a seat right behind where Carlisle roams the sidelines.

"There is a circus surrounding this because everybody wants to get a glimpse," Carlisle said. "We understand that. This is how we feel about a special guy who's been a very special competitor in really a very special sports market."

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Coach Michael Malone said four regulars wouldn't play in the final two games: Kenneth Faried (low back pain), Jameer Nelson (right calf strain), and Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton (rest). ... Mason Plumlee and Malik Beasley scored 16 apiece and Juan Hernangomez had 14.

Mavericks: Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews both were sidelined for rest, and Carlisle said Nowitzki wouldn't play the finale. Other regulars are likely to sit as well. ... The roster spot Dallas hoped would go to Romo ended up being DeAndre Liggins on a waiver claim from Cleveland. Carlisle said Liggins would play in the finale. ... J.J. Barea had 13 points and nine assists.

COWBOYS PARTY

At least a dozen of Romo's former teammates attended, including Ezekiel Elliott, the standout rookie running back who never got to play with Romo because of the 14-year veteran's injury. The NFL rushing leader for the NFC East champs was there in Romo's No. 9 football jersey.

Longtime friend and tight end Jason Witten had a seat in the first half behind the Dallas bench near Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and Romo's last offensive coordinator in Dallas, Scott Linehan.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Finale at Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Mavericks: Finale at Memphis on Wednesday.

Murray scores career-high 30, Nuggets beat Pelicans 122-106

By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

DENVER (AP) – Usually known for his outside shooting, Jamal Murray took it to the rim for one high-soaring dunk after another.

"I can do that all the time," the rookie insisted. "But I just shoot a lot."

By any means necessary, especially in such an important game. Murray scored a career-high 30 points and the Denver Nuggets kept their postseason hopes afloat by beating the New Orleans Pelicans 122-106 on Friday night.

The first-round pick out of Kentucky hit 10 of 14 shots from the field - he was a little agitated over going 2 of 6 from 3-point range - and all eight of his free throw attempts. What's more, he had a stretch in the fourth quarter where he scored eight straight points for the Nuggets.

"He's not afraid of the moment. He's not afraid of the opportunity," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said of Murray. "He goes out there and plays ... with that swagger. You love to see it."

Nikola Jokic added 23 points and 12 rebounds to help the Nuggets pull within a game of Portland for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with three games remaining. The Blazers own the tiebreaker.

"I feel very optimistic," Malone said. "It's funny, we lose a game in Charlotte (on March 31) and read things and everybody is ready to say we're done. We're not done. We don't listen to that noise. That's all a distraction."

New Orleans' Anthony Davis scored 25 points in nearly 24 minutes on a night when fellow big man DeMarcus Cousins sat out with tendinitis in his right Achilles. The Pelicans were eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday in a home loss to the Nuggets.

"They were getting a lot of easy shots at the rim, layups and dunks," said Davis, whose knee was a little sore after the game. "We've got to do a better job defensively."

There was a wacky play early in the third quarter that actually shook the Nuggets out of their doldrums. Kenneth Faried, falling out of bounds after catching a long pass, somehow threw it off the bottom of the backboard, then re-established himself on the floor in order to grab the ball. He drove in for a short jumper and drew a foul - he missed the free throw - as the Pelicans looked bewildered.

That play ignited the Nuggets, who outscored the Pelicans 41-24 in the third quarter to cruise to their third win in four games to remain in the playoff chase.

"I don't even know if it was legal, to be honest with you," Malone said. "It was a weird play. But Kenneth's a guy that's made a name for himself at this level because of his effort, his running and his motor."

TIP-INS

Pelicans: C Omer Asik wasn't with the team because of an illness. ... G E'Twaun Moore suffered a sprained ankle in the third quarter. He had 10 points. ... Jordan Crawford had 20 off the bench.

Nuggets: G Jameer Nelson (strained calf) and Will Barton (sore left foot) didn't play. ... Wilson Chandler suited up despite missing morning practice with a migraine. He had seven points. ... Gary Harris contributed a career-best nine of Denver's 31 assists to go along with 20 points. ... Murray's previous high was 24 against Chicago on Nov. 22.

FUTURE IS BRIGHT

Harris, Murray and Jokic combined for 73 of Denver's 122 points.

"To see those guys play at such a high level in meaningful games, that gets us as an organization excited," Malone said.

HIGH PRAISE

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry compared Jokic's game to that of a young Tim Duncan.

"I'll probably get a bunch of calls, `How can you compare him to Tim Duncan?'" Gentry said. "But he's a very smart player with very good footwork."

DON'T GO THERE

Asked if it was easier to run a fast-paced offense with Cousins not on the floor, Gentry turned defensive.

"When a guy is averaging 27 (points) and (11 rebounds), to insinuate you're a better team when he's not on the floor, doesn't make a lot of sense to me," Gentry said. "We can play up-tempo with him. We've done that with him."

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Stop No. 2 on their four-game road swing to end the season is Saturday in Golden State.

Nuggets: Home finale Sunday against Russell Westbrook and Oklahoma City.

Rockets beat Nuggets 110-104 to secure 3rd seed in West

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) After missing his first game of the season on Sunday because he had the flu, James Harden was thrilled to not only be back on the court on Wednesday, but to be feeling like himself again.

Harden scored 31 points and the Houston Rockets squandered a big early lead, but held on to outlast the Denver Nuggets for a 110-104 win that secured the third seed in the Western Conference.

"I can walk and talk now," he said. "I was on bed rest for a couple of days just because I couldn't really talk, couldn't move. I had the shakes. But I'm back. So I'm good."

Though the Rockets have been in third place in the West for the majority of the season, they were excited to know for sure that they'd have that spot in the postseason.

"It's good," Harden said. "We've got the third-best record in the league right now. So we just want to close out the season the right way ... and just get some momentum going into the postseason. That's the most important thing."

The Nuggets cut the lead to two points on a layup by Nikola Jokic with 1:20 remaining. A 3-pointer by Harden a few seconds later pushed the lead to 106-101 and brought the crowd, which included rapper Travis Scott, to its feet.

Harden added two free throws after that for the last of 15 straight points he scored for Houston in the second half of the fourth quarter. Along with being over the flu, the time off gave Harden's sore left wrist a chance to get better.

"He was shooting the ball better and he's just more fluid with his wrist," coach Mike D'Antoni said.

The Nuggets got a dunk from Danilo Gallinari next to cut the lead to four, but Eric Gordon added a pair of free throws to secure the win.

The victory improves Houston to 4-0 against the Nuggets this season after the Rockets lost all three games to Denver last season.

Gallinari had 23 points for the Nuggets, who are in ninth place and are fighting for the last playoff spot in the West.

"We still have our chances and we have to keep fighting and playing as we have four games left," Gallinari said. "We have to get them all."

Houston led by six entering the fourth quarter and remained up by that many before the Nuggets scored four quick points to cut the lead a basket with about nine minutes left.

The Nuggets cut the lead to two points after a layup by Wilson Chandler midway through the quarter. Houston then used a 5-2 spurt, with all of the points by Harden, to extend its advantage to 98-93 with about five minutes left.

Denver trailed by nine early in the third quarter before using an 18-7 run to take a 73-71 lead with just under five minutes in the quarter. Garry Harris, Kenneth Faried and Jameer Nelson had six points each in that span to fuel the run.

A layup by Harris soon after that left the Nuggets up by one before the Rockets scored seven straight points, capped by a 3-pointer from Harden to go on top 83-77 with about 90 seconds left in the quarter.

Emmanuel Mudiay added a layup for the Nuggets after that before Houston's Troy Williams ended the third quarter with a put-back dunk to leave the Rockets up 85-79 entering the fourth quarter.

The Rockets led by as many as 17 in the first half and were up 59-50 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Nelson returned after missing the last two games with a sprained right calf. He had eight points in 32 minutes. ... Harris finished with 17 points. ... The Nuggets made just 7 of 38 3-point attempts. ... Chandler had 16 points off the bench.

Rockets: Ryan Anderson could return on Friday after sitting out since spraining his right ankle on March 24. D'Antoni said if Anderson can practice on Thursday without pain, then he'll play Friday, but that he could have to sit out a few more days. ... Harden had 10 assists for his league-leading 61st double-double. ... Nene had 16 points.

MCGRADY HONORED

The Rockets honored Tracy McGrady as part of their 50th anniversary celebration on Wednesday night. McGrady, who was elected to the Hall of Fame this week, spent 5 1/2 seasons with the Rockets. As part of the celebration, the Rockets handed out a "13 in 35" bobblehead to commemorate the time he scored 13 points in 35 seconds to beat the Spurs 81-80 on Dec. 9, 2004.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Host New Orleans on Friday.

Rockets: Host Detroit on Friday.

Nuggets still in playoff hunt as they visit Pelicans

Stats, LLC

NEW ORLEANS -- In the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately NBA, the Denver Nuggets are trying their best to treat each day as a new opportunity.

The Nuggets saw their Western Conference playoff hopes improve Monday night without even playing, as the Portland Trail Blazers had their six-game winning streak snapped with a 110-109 road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The defeat dropped Portland, No. 8 in the West, to 38-39, and narrowed its margin over No. 9 Denver (36-40) to 1 1/2 games. The Blazers still hold a tiebreaker edge over the Nuggets, so Denver would have to finish a game ahead of Portland to make the playoffs.

The Nuggets can inch closer to the eighth spot with a victory over the No. 10 New Orleans Pelicans (33-44) on Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans are five games out of the eighth spot but would be eliminated from playoff contention with either a loss or another Portland victory.

The Nuggets are coming off a 116-113 victory over Miami on Sunday, and they and were sparked by Danilo Gallinari with 29 points by Nikola Jokic and Wilson Chandler with 19 points each.

"It feels good just to have one in a playoff atmosphere," Jokic said, who acknowledged that the playoffs already have started for the Nuggets.

The Nuggets held out three players on Sunday: Will Barton (foot), Jameer Nelson (calf) and Darrell Arthur (knee). Their status for the Pelicans' game is undetermined.

The Pelicans and Nuggets have split their first two games this season, with each winning on the other team's home court. In a 107-102 loss on Oct. 26, Pelicans forward Anthony Davis scored a season-high 50 points with 15 rebounds, five assists, five steals and four blocks.

Davis twisted his right ankle Sunday in a 117-110 loss to Chicago, and he said after the game he would have to see how the ankle feels on Tuesday before determining his readiness.

The Pelicans already are thinking of next year, and a big piece of the offseason puzzle will be whether or not they can sign free agent Jrue Holiday to a long-term deal at upwards of $20 million a year.

Holiday missed the first 18 games of the season to be with his wife, former Team USA soccer star Lauren Holiday, who delivered their first child and then underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumor.

Lauren and their daughter are doing great -- "My life's been a blessing," Holiday said -- but in his absence, the Pelicans went 6-12. They have been 27-32 since then.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said signing Holiday to a long-term deal in the offseason is the team's major priority, especially as the synergy among Holiday, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins has grown over the last three weeks.

Gentry sees Holiday as a "combo" guard who is most effective when a true point guard is handling the bulk of a ball-handling responsibilities, which allows Holiday to play off the ball and look more for his shot.

Gentry said he would leave the recruitment process to general manager Dell Demps because Holiday knows how much the coaching staff appreciates him.

"I'm sure Dell will spend time with him," Gentry said. "I don't have to say (anything). Good God, he's very much a part of what we need and what we'll try to do. That goes without saying. I don't think that even needs to be discussed on my part."

Gentry said Holiday "is at his best when he's thinking about scoring" and not about distributing.

"He has a tendency now, with DeMarcus, to be the 'point guard,' but I want Jrue to always be aggressive offensively because we need those 16, 17 points that he gives us pretty much on a nightly basis when he's that way," Gentry said.

Gentry is dreaming about what the Pelicans might be able to put together if they had a solid training camp with no injuries to hamper the team's progress.

"Our whole thing is Jrue came back and we played .500 basketball, basically," Gentry said. "Then we added another acute personality (Cousins) to our team. I just think if we can get through one training camp where everything is in place and we are injury-free, we can be pretty doggone good."

Blazers beat Nuggets to take 1-game lead for 8th seed

By ERIK GARCIA GUNDERSEN
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Jusuf Nurkic knows what his former team is missing. He illustrated that Tuesday night and got serenaded by his new fans in the process.

Nurkic had a career-high 33 points with 16 rebounds against his ex-teammates, CJ McCollum had 39 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 122-113 on Tuesday night to take hold of the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

"They know definitely what they're missing," Nurkic said. "But they're happy for me that I find my spot, and I'm happy for me, too."

Portland leads Denver by a game for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blazers also clinched the season-series tiebreaker with the Nuggets, giving them an upper hand with eight games to play.

After the game, Nurkic's former coach could only tip his hat.

"Jusuf Nurkic kicked our ass," Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. "(He) was very physical."

Jameer Nelson led Denver with 23 points.

The Blazers got Nurkic involved early against his former team. On Portland's first possession, Nurkic scored on a post-up play against Nikola Jokic, who took Nurkic's starting spot in Denver.

After another first-quarter basket, Nurkic called on the crowd to pick up the noise, which was a theme for him throughout the night, even while on the bench.

When Nurkic left the game late in the third quarter, he did so to a standing ovation.

It wouldn't be his last of the night, as Blazers coach Terry Stotts pulled Nurkic for a curtain call with 19 seconds left.

Nurkic spoke to the crowd after the game, even taking a shot at his former team.

"I wish those guys a happy summer," Nurkic said.

The Blazers raved about Nurkic's confidence, but they also knew how much this game meant to him.

"He's real hard on himself just because he cares so much," Damian Lillard said. "Last night, I was watching a few games, he actually reached out to me and said `I need you tomorrow.' And I know he really wanted to win this game. I just calmed him down, `You'll be fine, you'll have a good game.'"

"He's had this game circled since he got here," McCollum said. "We got the slogan for Big Nurk, `From the bench to the playoffs.'"

MCCOLLUM FEELING IT EARLY

While Nurkic charged the game with emotion, McCollum dominated on offense. Malone said after the game that the Nuggets couldn't guard him, something McCollum knew earlier than anyone.

"When I got out of bed from my nap at 3:15 p.m.," McCollum said. "That's when I felt they couldn't guard me."

Lillard said he sensed the difference in attitude from McCollum after a couple of baskets.

"When he starts talking, making shots, getting aggressive and getting the crowd into it, I know he feels something within himself," Lillard said. "That's when it's my job to recognize that."

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Despite the playoff implications, coach Malone stayed away from calling Tuesday's game a must-win. `'Not one time has anyone on this staff said to our players, `This is a must-win,'" Malone said prior to the game. "Because if we do that and lose this game for some reason, then our players say the season is over, we failed."

Blazers: The arrival of Nurkic from Denver has coincided with Portland's longest stretch of winning basketball, going 12-7 since his arrival. Malone didn't think much had changed with Nurkic, though. "I haven't seen anything different," Malone said. "He started 25 games for us and we looked to post him up at times on the left block. He's a more than capable passer. He's a guy that can take the ball to the basket at times. We have our starting center in Nikola Jokic. (Nurkic has) come here and given them a boost, I'm happy for him. He's a good kid."

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Denver continues its five-game road trip in Charlotte on Friday night.

Blazers: The Blazers host James Harden and Houston on Thursday night.

Minus Cousins, Pelicans top Nuggets 115-90 behind Davis' 31

Associated Press

DENVER (AP) A rousing defensive effort helped the New Orleans Pelicans boost their flickering playoff hopes.

Anthony Davis had 31 points and 15 rebounds, helping to compensate for the absence of injured DeMarcus Cousins, and New Orleans beat the Denver Nuggets 115-90 on Sunday night.

"Offensively, we did a really great job of moving the basketball," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "But the defense won the game, let's tell it like it is. We were great defensively."

Denver dropped into a tie for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot with Portland, which beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-81.

New Orleans is 11th in the West with nine games remaining and faces long odds in trying to overtake Dallas, Portland and Denver for the No. 8 seed.

Nevertheless, against the Nuggets, the Pelicans overcame the absence of Cousins, who sat out because of a right ankle injury sustained during Friday's loss at Houston. And they shut down a Denver team that converted only 37.9 percent of its shots from the field.

It was just the fifth time this season Denver shot below 40 percent, the third-fewest such games in the NBA.

Denver also went only 6 of 25 on 3-point attempts, snapping a team-record streak of 25 games in which the Nuggets made at least nine 3s.

"I think we locked in defensively," said Davis, who had his 45th double-double of the season and finished with 30 or more points for the 32nd time. "Knowing that they play through (Nikola) Jokic and when he gets assists they are very effective, my job is to try to make it tougher for him and I think we did a great job of that."

Jrue Holiday and Jordan Crawford added 13 points apiece for the Pelicans, who have won four of five.

Denver, which plays at Portland on Tuesday night, was led by Mason Plumlee's 16 points. Gary Harris and Jamal Murray had 13 each.

"We've just got to bounce back," guard Jameer Nelson said. "We're a good team and we believe in ourselves. We believe in each other. We've just got to do a better job."

Up by 15 at halftime, the Pelicans quickly stretched their lead to 22 in the opening minutes of the third quarter behind three consecutive baskets from Davis, including one that was part of a three-point play. By the time E'Twaun Moore hit a jumper right before the end of the third quarter, the Pelicans were leading 87-59 and the Nuggets' attempts to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter were fruitless.

The Nuggets made just five of their 25 shots in the second and finished with only 14 points in the period. The Pelicans scored 26 and pulled out to a 55-40 lead at halftime.

Denver coach Michael Malone blamed the loss on an uncharacteristic performance by the Nuggets, who had won seven of 10.

"It was an awful effort, but this is not who we've been, which gives me hope that we can turn the page and get back to being who we've been, and we've been a very good team lately," Malone said.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Gentry said Cousins' ankle injury was too painful for him to take part in the team's shootaround earlier Sunday and the decision was made to sit him for the game to avoid making it worse. "There is no way we are going to stick him out there and risk further injuries for one game," Gentry said. ... Davis' 14-point first quarter marked the 29th time this season he has scored in double figures in the opening period.

Nuggets: The 25-point loss was Denver's biggest in its series with the Pelicans. The previous high was 24 points, which Denver endured twice. ... Denver is 0-13 when failing to score 100 points.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Complete a back-to-back set on the road by visiting Utah on Monday night.

Nuggets: Embark on a make-or-break five-game road trip, with the first stop Tuesday night in Portland.

Jokic has 31 points, 17 rebounds, Nuggets top Pacers 125-117

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Nikola Jokic did a little bit of everything to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Indiana Pacers.

Jokic had 31 points, 17 rebounds and a big 3-pointer to turn back a late Indiana rally, and Denver won 125-117 on Friday night.

"I just want to do whatever I can to win the game," said the 22-year-old Serbian center. "If that's rebounds, setting screens, assists, scoring, whatever. I just take what the game gives me and that's it."

Wilson Chandler scored 12 of his 24 points in the opening quarter, and Danilo Gallinari added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets.

Jokic had 21 points and 12 rebounds by halftime, helping Denver open an 11-point lead, but Indiana staged a furious rally in the final minutes to trim a 23-point deficit to five before Jokic's 3-pointer with 1:28 remaining.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said his team has thrived offensively by playing more through Jokic in the post.

"It's almost like you want to see what he does next," Malone said. "The guy is just a treat to watch, fun to play with and the scary thing is he's only going to get better. He's made a name for himself and for him to be playing at such a high level is a credit to him and his work ethic."

Pacers coach Nate McMillan considers Jokic one of the league's best passers at the center position.

"His basketball IQ seems to be just off the chart," McMillan said. "We've compared him to Bill Walton back in the day. They are doing a good job playing off that."

All-Star forward Paul George scored 27 points for Indiana, while Jeff Teague had 21 and Myles Turner added 20.

The Pacers outscored the Nuggets 42-31 in the final quarter, which prompted McMillan to lament how his team didn't start the way it finished.

"You have to start the game with that aggressive play that we played with in the fourth quarter," McMillan said.

Denver made 40 of 43 free throws, compared to Indiana's eight of 11.

"Every game is a playoff game for us," Malone said. "We're trying to get into the playoffs, which means that every night we step on the floor is a playoff game."

The Nuggets (35-37) have won nine of 13 against the Pacers (36-36) in Indiana and have a 20-4 edge in the series since 2004-05. That includes a season sweep this season. Denver routed Indiana 140-112 on Jan. 12 in London.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Since two-time All-Star center Roy Hibbert was traded by the Pacers to the Lakers in 2015, he has bounced around the league from Los Angeles to Charlotte to Milwaukee and now Denver. He did not play for a fifth consecutive game, per coach's decision. ... Indianapolis native Gary Harris, a 2012 Indiana Mr. Basketball from Hamilton Southeastern High School, had 10 points as a reserve guard.

Pacers: Guard Monta Ellis had 17 points off the bench, two shy of his season high. ... Forward Glenn Robinson III, the NBA's reigning dunk champion, sat out with a sore left calf. ... Indiana is 8-25 when trailing at halftime.

LONDON RE-RUN

The Nuggets' 28-point win over the Pacers in London was the largest margin of victory for Denver against Indiana. The Nuggets led 67-56 at the half. On Friday, Denver led 64-53 at halftime. The Nuggets' season high for points scored in a first half is 79 against Golden State on Feb. 13.

END OF TREND

The Pacers' 15-game stretch of mediocrity in which they lost a game and then won a game came to an end with their second consecutive loss. Before this recent up-and-down trend, the Pacers had lost six consecutive games after enjoying a seven-game win streak.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

Pacers: Host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

Nuggets cruise past Cavs 126-113

By ARNIE STAPLETON
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) LeBron James's forgettable night included some statistical oddities like going minus-30 in 34 minutes and being the only player on either team to miss a free throw.

In East-leading Cleveland's stunningly thorough 126-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, James saw his Cavaliers get outscored 70-30 in the paint.

And the most painful of those points had to be from Nikola Jokic, who backed down James in the paint in a pivotal third-quarter possession, fending off plenty of contact for a hook shot that rocked the Pepsi Center.

"Nikola is not going to back down from anybody, and I think you've seen that from our team a little bit, whether we're playing Golden State, Cleveland, Boston, whoever it is, we're not going to back down," coach Michael Malone said after his Nuggets increased their lead to 1 1/2 games over idle Portland in the race for the final playoff spot in the West.

Malone said that basket, which gave Denver a 99-83 lead and highlighted a 15-3 game-sealing run, would go down as a defining moment in Jokic's blossoming career.

"LeBron will go down as one of the best players to ever play the game," Malone said. "It's like a heavyweight fight and Nikola backing him down to finish, I think the crowd erupted in celebration because it was like a defining moment for Nikola.

"I'm sure Nikola will be showing that to his grandkids many years from now."

Maybe so, but in the aftermath of this crucial win, Jokic shrugged it off like it was any other play against any other player.

"I just tried to score," the second-year Serbian said with a shrug. "I didn't think that was him or whatever, I just wanted to score. That's it."

Kyrie Irving led the Cavs with 33 points but James had just 18 and the two stars sat out much of the fourth quarter with Cleveland trailing by double digits.

"They played an exceptional game," James said. "I didn't think our physicality was where it needed to be the way how well they moved bodies and moved the ball. They beat us pretty good."

"We were playing uninspired basketball on both ends," added Kevin Love. "It's definitely not a good thing when you play that style or that way this late in the season. But I do think we will clean it up."

STAT SHEET

The Nuggets had 35 assists and only six turnovers.

"We found the open man all night long," Malone said. "We scored 70 points in the paint, held them to 30. Obviously, defense was solid enough to get the win. But I'm just so proud of the guys. It's a very ecstatic locker room right now because it was a hell of a win and everybody contributed."

Wilson Chandler scored 18 points in his return from a four-game absence with a strained groin. Gary Harris led Denver with 21 points and Jokic had 16 points and 10 rebounds to go with seven assists.

BIG BENCH

Kenneth Faried scored 17 points off the bench for Denver. Jamal Murray's 15 points included three consecutive 3-pointers that gave Denver a 50-40 lead. And Jameer Nelson had nine assists without a turnover.

"A lot of guys shined tonight," Malone said.

Said Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue: "They kicked our butt in every facet of the game. Coaches, we got to be better, but players they got to be better, too. They got to be tougher, got to (have) more urgency. It comes from all of us. They got 3-point shots, they got points in the paint, they got offensive rebounds, they got, I mean whatever they wanted."

BIG MEANING:

The Nuggets have beaten both of last year's Finals teams in the last six weeks. They walloped Golden State 132-110 on Feb. 13.

What does that mean?

"Oh, I think we're going all the way to the Finals," Malone deadpanned. "No, you know what it says? It says that we're a team that has a lot of talent, that we believe in each other, we believe in the process that we're embarking upon and that great things are in store for us, whether that's this season, whether that's in the future."

As for Cleveland, James said the physicality will be there when it matters most.

"Playoffs not here yet," he said.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: The Cavs fell to 18-17 on the road. ... Irving topped 20 points for the 19th consecutive game, extending the longest current streak in the NBA.

Nuggets: Danilo Gallinari missed his fourth straight game with a bone bruise on his left knee. ... The Nuggets made all 13 of their free throws, marking the 15th time in franchise history they were perfect from the line.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: On Friday night wrap up four-game trip with game at Charlotte.

Nuggets: On Friday night visit Indiana, beginning a stretch in which they will play six of seven on the road.

Harden hits layup with 2.4 seconds left to lift Rockets

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON (AP) James Harden isn't necessarily known for his speed. That said, he felt extremely fast on his coast-to-coast drive in the fading seconds Monday night.

"I was running so fast," Harden said. "I felt like I was Usain Bolt."

Harden drove the length of the floor for a layup with 2.4 seconds left to lift the Houston Rockets over the Denver Nuggets 125-124.

Harden had 39 points, 11 assists and was three rebounds shy of his 20th triple-double of the season. Houston outlasted Denver in a duel between the second- and third-highest scoring teams in the NBA.

"The second half just became a shootout at the O.K. Corral - who's going to score more points?" Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. "I hate those kind of games because when you're playing against the third seed in the Western Conference on their home floor and you're turning the ball over, you're going to have a hard time keeping pace with them. But we did that and gave ourselves a chance."

Harden likely saved the game for Houston, too, when he batted down an inbounds pass to Mason Plumlee near the basket following his layup.

"We were trying to get the lob, and I thought it was a good play call," Plumlee said. "We just didn't convert it."

Will Barton gave Denver a one-point lead on a three-point play with less than a minute left. On the following possession, Harden missed a layup, but he got it back on the other end of the floor when he rebounded Jameer Nelson's air-ball.

Harden took the ball down the court and scored on a finger-roll layup.

In a physical matchup between two teams that lean heavily on their ability to get to the free-throw line, neither the Rockets nor Nuggets appeared happy with the officiating in the game.

Gary Harris scored a career-high 28 points for Denver by shooting 10 for 16 from the floor and making three 3s. Nikola Jokic also gave Houston problems with his size on both ends of the floor. Jokic had 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.

Denver led 65-62 at the half as it outrebounded the Rockets 30-13 in the first half and Houston made just 7 of 20 3-pointers. Houston's long-range shots finally began to fall late in the third quarter, and a 3-pointer from Patrick Beverley early in the fourth gave Houston a six-point lead that energized the Toyota Center crowd.

The Rockets finished the game 17 for 38 from 3 (44.7 percent).

Eric Gordon scored 18 points off the bench for Houston, and Beverley, Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson and Clint Capela all also scored in double figures for the Rockets.

The Nuggets are fighting for a playoff spot in the West and entered holding the eighth seed, but they're also battling injuries. Danilo Gallinari (knee) and Wilson Chandler (groin) both participated in shootaround but did not play. Nuggets coach Mike Malone is hopeful they can be ready to play when the team faces the Cavaliers in Denver on Wednesday night.

Forward Darrell Arthur (left knee soreness) did not travel with the team to Houston, and Malone did not have a timetable for his return.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Denver outrebounded Houston 48-35 in the game but managed only 14 second-chance points to Houston's 10. ... Barton had 24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds off the bench for Denver. ... Denver made 24 of 26 free throws (92.3 percent). ... Houston snapped Denver's three-game road winning streak, a stretch that dated to Feb. 23

Rockets: Houston scored 27 points off Denver's 21 turnovers while only turning the ball over 12 times and allowing 14 points on the other end. ... Gordon tied a career high with his 35th block of the season, set during his rookie year in 2008-09.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Host Cleveland on Wednesday night.

Rockets: Host New Orleans on Friday night.