The Nuggets outlasted the Sacramento Kings in Denver with a 104-90 victory that was much closer than the final score.
Sacramento battled the Nuggets for four quarters on Wednesday night and led most of the way. Denver, which lost a physical test in LA vs the Clippers two weeks ago, got another test from the sub-playoffs Kings.
The Kings broke out to an 11-point lead late in the first half on a Marcus Thornton three. But it was a dominant inside game and a surprisingly effective fast-break offense that kept Sacramento in the lead.
Through 6:32 of the third quarter, the Kings led the Nuggets at Denver. It was a rare scene for Nuggets fans who have become accustomed to home-court blowouts of sub-par teams in Denver. That has been especially true in the post-Melo Era where the Nuggets have played a fierce brand of defense.
Against Sacramento, the Nuggets D was troubled by the Kings' big interior on offense early and their perimeter shooting late. Denver played a patient game, though, not slipping into a one or two-man attempt to right the ship. Instead, every Nugget pulled in turn and the team chipped away at Sacramento's lead.
By the middle of the fourth quarter, Denver was pulling away behind a well-distributed offensive explosion sparked by JR Smith. Ty Lawson pulled up gimpy after a third quarter layup and did not return until late in the fourth.
In his stead, Smith ran a pleasantly efficient attack. He took smart mid-range jumpers and buried a majority of them. He created offense with a dribble-drive flair that he has only rarely showcased in the past. Weapon X put a struggling Nuggets team on his back and carried them to the finish line in a grueling late-season game.
Lawson managed a team-high 20 points to go with a stellar +23 on the night. Despite missing a chunk of the second half, Ty logged 31 minutes – as many as JR Smith. Smith and Danilo Gallinari were both good for 17 points, and Nene swung a +8 rebound differential in favor of Denver with 15 big boards.
Tyreke Evans paced the Kings off the bench with 22 points. Marcus Thornton contributed a game-high 27 through a dominant paint performance.
With the win, #5 Denver took another step ahead of the #6 Portland Trailblazers, who lost earlier in the evening at New Orleans. The Hornets pulled into a tie with the Blazers. Both have a 43-32 record on the season. The Memphis Grizzles sit a game behind both hanging onto the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
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