The Denver Nuggets came out guns blazing, then fell asleep at the wheel before recovering in the game’s final minutes and pull away from the Los Angeles Lakers 115-99. LeBron James scored 31 but his team couldn’t break a hundred, which just wasn’t enough after Denver’s 43-point first quarter created a deficit that even they couldn’t throw away this time.
The Nuggets won for the first time in four tries despite two and a half miserable quarters of play. Will Barton scored 23, most of it in the first half but some crucial late plays as well, and Gary Harris had 19 with a barrage coming in the fourth quarter to stuff the Los Angeles rally attempt.