{"id":351979,"date":"2011-03-31T05:04:31","date_gmt":"2011-03-31T05:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/03\/31\/nuggets-continue-surge-end-kings-run-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-03-31T05:04:31","modified_gmt":"2011-03-31T05:04:31","slug":"nuggets-continue-surge-end-kings-run-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/31\/nuggets-continue-surge-end-kings-run-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"Nuggets continue surge, end Kings’ run (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

DENVER (AP)\u2014Five days of rust couldn\u2019t derail the streaking Denver
\nNuggets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ty Lawson<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> scored 20 points, J.R. Smith<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> and Danilo Gallinari<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> had 17 each and
\nthe Nuggets overcame a sluggish start to beat the surging Sacramento Kings<\/a>
\n104-90 on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Al Harrington<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> scored 15 and Nene had 12 points and 15 rebounds for the
\nNuggets, who won their fourth straight and increased their lead over Portland to
\n2 1\/2 games for the fifth spot in the Western Conference playoff race. The Trail
\nBlazers lost at New Orleans on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a pretty win Wednesday. Denver enjoyed a five-day break between
\ngames, but it seemed to take away the team\u2019s sharpness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got used to playing against each other instead of playing against
\neverybody else,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe were rusty out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Nuggets are 13-4 since the blockbuster trade with New York in large part
\nbecause of their ability to share the ball. But, in the first half, they had
\nonly seven assists and shot 37 percent from the field.<\/p>\n

It was apparent the layoff had an impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes that can be a good thing if you\u2019re struggling. But we weren\u2019t
\nstruggling, so it made us sluggish,\u201d guard Raymond Felton<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> said of the break.
\n\u201cWe can\u2019t complain about that now because we have no days off.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Kings were on the second game of a back-to-back, but held the lead for
\nmost of the game on the strength of their guards. Marcus Thornton<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> scored 27 and
\nTyreke Evans<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> had 22 off the bench for the Kings, whose four-game win streak was
\nsnapped.<\/p>\n

Thornton is averaging 22.4 points a game since coming to the Kings in a
\ntrade with New Orleans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThornton is legit. He\u2019s changed the way our team is,\u201d Sacramento coach
\nPaul Westphal said.<\/p>\n

The game was close for most of the second half before the Nuggets took
\ncontrol in the fourth. With Denver leading 80-79, Gallinari\u2019s dunk, Lawson\u2019s
\njumper and consecutive 3-pointers from Gallinari and Felton gave Denver a 94-83
\nlead with 3:09 left.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were down the whole game and when we got the lead we were determined to
\nkeep the lead,\u201d Felton said.<\/p>\n

Denver scored on eight of its last nine possessions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey started making plays and we kind of ran out of gas,\u201d Thornton said.
\n\u201cWe did play Phoenix last night. They are an up and down team and this team is
\nthe same way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Kings led 57-49 early in the third when the Nuggets rallied to get even.
\nA three-point play by Gallinari, a 3-pointer from Wilson Chandler<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> and a jumper
\nby Lawson tied it. Harrington\u2019s fast-break dunk midway through the period gave
\nDenver a 59-57 lead, its first of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to keep doing what we do well, and usually that means Ty and
\nRaymond pushing us and keep attacking the rim,\u201d Nuggets coach George Karl said.
\n\u201cTheir defense wore out a bit and we got to the rim.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Nuggets lead the NBA in scoring at 107.7 points a game, but sputtered to
\nstart Wednesday. They were 1 for 6 from the field and the foul line and had just
\nfive points more than halfway through the first quarter and trailed by 11.<\/p>\n

The Nuggets rallied behind their bench, which gave them a spark and got them
\nwithin 32-31 early in the second quarter. Sacramento responded with a 15-5 run,
\ncapped by Thornton\u2019s fourth 3-pointer of the half, to stretch the lead to 47-36.<\/p>\n

The Kings led 51-41 at halftime.<\/p>\n

Notes: Denver F Kenyon Martin<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> left in the first quarter with the flu and did
\nnot return. \u2026 The Nuggets have won 10 straight at home. \u2026 Nuggets G Arron
\nAfflalo<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> sat out his fourth straight game while nursing a strained left
\nhamstring. He is expected to return to the lineup when the Nuggets play the
\nKings in Sacramento on Friday. \u2026 The Kings have more wins on the road (11)
\nthan they do at home (10).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Continue Reading:
\nNuggets continue surge, end Kings’ run (AP)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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