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 Forward Danilo Gallinari scored 26 points and the Nuggets earned a
117-113 victory over the Wizards on Thursday.
Guard Emmanuel Mudiay had 20 points and center Nikola Jokic finished
with 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets (18-29), who had lost
two straight and four of six. Despite blowing an 18-point second
half lead, Denver prevailed by shooting 50.6 percent from the field
including 9 of 18 on 3-point attempts.
"We were terrific on offense. The ball was moving," Nuggets coach
Mike Malone said. "There was a sense of urgency. ...We knew this was
a game (we could get). They've been struggling. We struggled the
last couple. It's going to come down to who has more discipline and
who wanted it more. Give our guys credit we were able to pull it
out."
The Wizards (20-24) were pulling out wins, four in a row from Jan.
9-Jan. 15 with an up-tempo, small ball approach. Since then, five
losses in six games including three straight.
Guard Garrett Temple led the Wizards (20-24) with 20 points.
Washington had seven double figure scorers, but lost its third
straight game. Guards John Wall and Bradley Beal each scored 17
points.
The Wizards lost their last two games by a combined 42 points
including Tuesday's 106-89 setback at the Toronto Raptors without
Beal. Washington has lost four of five at home.
"It's difficult because we were just on a four-game winning streak,"
said Wizards forward Jared Dudley, who scored 10 of his 12 points in
the second half. "We showed the blueprint of how we have to do it.
We have the tools. We have everything we need and then we regress."
Leading 64-58 at halftime, the Nuggets opened the third quarter with
a 19-7 run as Gallinari's third 3-pointer in that span put Denver up
83-65.
With its fast break kicking in, Washington chipped away at the
deficit before tying the game 99-99 on guard Ramon Sessions' 3-point
play after a steal with 5:41 remaining. They never took the lead.
"You spend all that time and energy and focus trying to get back
from 18," Beal said. "We shouldn't have been in that position."
Denver countered and went back in front for good with back-to-back
3-pointers by guard Gary Harris and Gallinari, who finished 4 of 5
from beyond the arc. The Nuggets defense help close out the win.
Wall, who is second in the NBA in assists and Washington's leading
scorer, was named to the 2016 NBA All-Star game in Toronto on
Thursday night.
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Against the Nuggets, his shot didn't show as he finished 5 of 17
from the field.
"Their transition points definitely killed us tonight," Mudiay said.
"If it wasn't for our half-court defense, I think they definitely
would have been in the game a lot more."
Beal played with a protective mask after suffering a broken nose in
Monday's 116-91 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Denver is 9-4 over its last 13 games in Washington. Guard Will
Barton also scored 15 points.
Washington stuck with a defensive-oriented lineup featuring big men
Nene and Gortat for the fourth straight game. Denver responded by
shooting better than 52 percent from the field in the first half.
Wizards starting forward Otto Porter only played 15 minutes,
finishing with two points. He left in the second half with hip
tightness and did not return.
NOTES: Nuggets C Joffrey Lauvergne missed his second straight game
with a toe injury. ... Various alumni, including Bernard King and
Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, attended the Wizards' "Throwback" night.
The scene included uniform and scoreboard references to Baltimore
Bullets, a nod to the franchise's roots. ... Nuggets assistant Wes
Unseld Jr. is the son of Wes Sr., who played for Baltimore and was
named NBA Finals MVP when the Washington Bullets won the title in
1978. ... The two teams will close out the season series on March 12
in Denver. ... Denver concludes its three-game road trip Saturday at
the Indiana Pacers. The Nuggets won the previous meeting with
Indiana 129-126 at home on Jan. 17. The Wizards play at the Houston
Rockets on Saturday.
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reserved.]
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