Denver Nuggets Rally, Pull Out Narrow Victory Over 76ers, 108-105
The Denver Nuggets won their second consecutive game on Saturday as they overcame a late deficit to beat the Philadelphia 76ers on the road by a final score of 108-105.
After losing 8 straight games, the Denver Nuggets head home having won 2 games in a row to close out their 5-game road trip. Danilo Gallinari led the way for the Nuggets with 24 points and 7 rebounds on 7-14 shooting. Will Barton added 16 points and 9 rebounds off the bench. Emmanuel Mudiay got the start at point guard, but struggled from the field once again, scoring 10 points on 4-12 shooting.
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Darrell Arthur got the start in place of Kenneth Faried at power forward after scoring 19 points on Thursday at Toronto. Arthur finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Though not in the starting lineup, Kenneth Faried got important minutes down the stretch, and one of his key free-throws late in the fourth quarter sealed the victory for the Denver Nuggets. He finished 12 points, 9 boards and 2 dimes as a reserve.
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The Philadelphia 76ers entered the game having won their last three games against the Denver Nuggets — their longest current win streak against any team in the NBA. Thankfully that has now come to an end. The Sixers took a 59-52 lead into the half, and also led at the end of three quarters by a score of 85-77. The Denver Nuggets rallied in the final period, outscoring the Sixers 31-20.
The Denver Nuggets tied the game at 102 with 1:25 left in the game, as Jameer Nelson sank a 19 foot jumper. Denver would claim their first lead since the beginning of the contest on a Danilo Gallinari dunk with 47 seconds left to take a 104-102 lead. A Kenneth Faried free-throw, would follow to increase the lead to 105-102. Randy Foye went to the charity stripe with 10 seconds remaining, and sank both free throws to give the Denver Nuggets a 107-102 lead. Faried would make another free throw with five seconds remaining, before a Robert Covington 3-pointer would count to finish the game.
Though the Philadelphia 76ers currently possess the worst record in the NBA, this is still a huge road victory for the Denver Nuggets against a team who had beaten them in their previous three meetings. Mike Malone continues to tinker with his lineups, trying to ascertain which combinations provide his team the best chance to win.
Next: Denver Nuggets vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The 2015-2016 season is off to a disappointing start, but the silver lining is that now at 8-13, the Denver Nuggets stand only 1.5 games back of the Houston Rockets for the 8th playoff spot in the Western Conference. Now with their losing streak behind them, perhaps the Denver Nuggets can come home and build upon the momentum that their two-game winning streak has afforded them. The Nuggets next play on Tuesday as they host the Orlando Magic at the Pepsi Center.