Kings-Nuggets Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jan 26 2013 2:31AM

The Denver Nuggets' recent surge has helped them move up a couple of spots in the Western Conference. They seem to have a good opportunity to push even higher up the standings over the next two weeks.

The Nuggets, one of the league's best home teams, will play the first of a season-high six consecutive games at the Pepsi Center on Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings, a team they've dominated of late.

Winning eight of 10 overall has helped Denver (26-18) improve from eighth to sixth in the West and move within one game of fifth-place Golden State. The Nuggets will try to continue their push by improving on a 16-3 home record and continuing their recent scoring binge.

Denver is averaging 109.0 points over its last 10 games to raise its season mark to 103.2. The Nuggets outpaced another team that's among the highest-scoring clubs in the league, Houston, in a 105-95 road victory Wednesday in which they shot 55.0 percent in the second half.

Ty Lawson led the way with 21 points, giving him 20 or more in four of the past six games, and Wilson Chandler had a season-high 20.

"We've just got to keep playing like that," Lawson said.

The Nuggets also performed well in their only previous matchup with Sacramento this season, a 122-97 road victory Dec. 16. They shot 54.1 percent and had six players in double figures, led by JaVale McGee's 19 points in 17 minutes off the bench.

"We have to come out enthusiastic and energetic and play like we're playing Oklahoma City or San Antonio or the (Los Angeles) Clippers," forward Kenneth Faried told the Nuggets' official website. "We want to solidify a spot in the Western Conference as a (No.) 3 or 4 seed."

Denver will try to take another step toward that goal with a seventh consecutive win over Sacramento (16-28) and an eighth in as many home matchups. The Nuggets had to go to overtime for a 119-116 victory the last time the Kings visited March 5.

Faried had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Denver in that game while Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton scored 27 apiece for Sacramento. The Kings may need similar efforts to keep up Saturday given that the Nuggets have tallied at least 99 points in 20 consecutive games in this series, reaching the century mark in each of the past 10 at home.

Sacramento doesn't appear poised to end that trend after allowing opponents to average 108.3 points during its three-game skid.

"It's frustrating," center DeMarcus Cousins said. "I'm going to keep my mouth closed and stay positive."

The Kings led by three points at the end of the first quarter Friday against visiting Oklahoma City but trailed by 19 entering the fourth in a 105-95 loss.

"Our emphasis was to get out to a good start. We did that, but the NBA is a game of runs," forward Jason Thompson said. "In the third quarter, they made their run and we weren't hitting any baskets. That's how it got away from us."

Evans scored 16 points for the fourth straight game but Sacramento shot just 41.9 percent, its worst performance during this losing streak.

The Kings are shooting 41.7 percent on the road, where they are 4-16.

Lawson's 26 points lead Nuggets past Kings 121-93

Posted Jan 27 2013 2:13AM

DENVER (AP) The Denver Nuggets showed they can start fast and finish strong.

Ty Lawson scored 26 points, Andre Iguodala had 20 and the Nuggets used a dominant first three quarters to rout the Sacramento Kings 121-93 on Saturday night.

Danilo Gallinari added 14 points for the Nuggets, who led 71-49 at intermission to set a season high for points in a half. They shot 62 percent in the first two quarters and had three players in double figures.

"This was a good one for us, knowing we can take care of business," Iguodala said. "We've got to stay on each other and hold each other accountable."

The Nuggets have struggled with slow starts during this home-heavy schedule in January. It cost them against Minnesota and Washington but they made sure the Kings, coming off a 10-point loss to Oklahoma City, were never in this one.

"We knew if we could take the heart early they wouldn't want to play too much or have too much fight, especially at altitude," Lawson said.

They led by as many as 35 in the second half and were up 101-69 heading into the fourth period when most of the regular players watched the rest of the game.

"We talked about how they run the floor. We just couldn't stop it," Sacramento guard Tyreke Evans said. "They run the floor, they got rebounds, they got steals, one pass and layup dunk. We knew what they wanted to do. We just didn't stop it."

Aaron Brooks scored 16 points off the bench and Evans had 15 for the Kings, who have lost four straight. DeMarcus Cousins was held to three points. It's the first time in his past 17 games he failed to score in double figures.

Cousins wasn't the only Kings player struggling. Their starters combined for just 43 points while Denver's first five all scored in double figures and finished with a combined 81 points.

"I can't deny the starters deserve a lot of credit for tonight's game," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "Our bench has been great but this game, especially A.I. and Ty, they were playing well offensively and defensively and made the game easy."

The Nuggets took charge with a dominant first quarter when they shot 74 percent and hit 17 of 23 shots. Lawson led the way with 15 points and hit all three of his 3-point attempts.

Sacramento committed five turnovers in the period, two of which came on consecutive possessions and led to layups by Lawson.

The Kings were never really in it. They led by one early in the game but a 28-7 run by Denver made it 35-15 late in the first quarter and trailed 39-25 heading into the second.

"I don't think it took us out emotionally but when you look up at that board and you see 39 up there, you know you have to have a huge second quarter to get back under control," Sacramento coach Keith Smart said.

The Kings showed brief life early in the second quarter when Marcus Thornton hit a 3-pointer to cut it 39-28, but the lead never dipped below double digits.

Denver's bench, led by JaVale McGee, scored 14 points in the second quarter as the lead grew to 22. Iguodala's 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the second finished the Nuggets best half of the season.

"Ty had it going, he started things off and we got on a roll," Iguodala said.

Denver opened the third quarter on a 17-6 run to lead 88-55.

"It's always hard. Especially when you play a game the night before and you get in real late," Smart said. "You have to play a controlled basketball game. I though our passes were shaky that lead to 25 points on 20 turnovers. Fatigue or whatever it might be, it happens sometimes in this building."

NOTES: The Nuggets tied a season high for points in a quarter when they scored 39 in the first. ... Denver is 14-3 at home against the Kings dating back to the 2003-04 season. ... Cousins failed to record a double-double for the second straight game. Before that he had a streak of six consecutive double-doubles.

Notebook: Nuggets 121, Kings 93

Michael Kelly, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:42 AM - Updated Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:42 AM

THE FACTS: Ty Lawson scored 26 points and the Denver Nuggets used a dominant first three quarters to rout the Sacramento Kings 121-93 on Saturday night.

Andre Iguodala had 20 points and seven assists and Danilo Gallinari scored 14 points as the Nuggets had six players in double figures despite the regular rotation players sitting out the entire fourth quarter.

Aaron Brooks scored 16 points off the bench for the Kings, who have lost four straight. Tyreke Evans scored 15 for the Kings, who began a six-game road trip with one of their worst losses of the season.

The Nuggets led by 22 at the half and eclipsed the 100-point mark by the end of the third quarter. The Kings never got close enough for Denver to put its starters back into the game.

QUOTABLE: "We knew if we could take the heart early they wouldn't want to play too much or have too much fight, especially at altitude."
-- Ty Lawson

THE STAT: The Nuggets have beaten the Kings twice this season by an average of 26.5 points. Their two biggest margins of victory have come against Sacramento this year.

TURNING POINT: The Nuggets went after this one early. Knowing the Kings played Friday night and lost an hour in traveling to Denver, they ran as much as possible. They went on a 28-7 run in the first quarter to lead 35-15 after Lawson's third 3-pointer of the period. Sacramento got within 11 early in the second quarter but never really threatened.

QUOTABLE II: "Sacramento got caught in that back-to-back game. We were playing with a higher energy and with a higher skill set. They had a little bit of rhythm in the second quarter when they looked like they were going to fight, but in the third quarter we took the game to an out-of-control level."
-- Nuggets coach George Karl

HOT: The Nuggets as a team in the first quarter. They shot 73.9 percent on 17-for-23 shooting. Lawson led the way with 15 points and hit five straight shots to help build an early 20-point lead. They never really cooled off, putting up 101 points through the first three quarters.

NOT: DeMarcus Cousins was a nonfactor with three points and two rebounds. After a strong stretch of games in which he recorded six straight double-doubles, Cousins failed to hit double figures in either category against the Nuggets. It was his first time in his last 17 games he didn't score at least 10 points.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Lawson has shown he can put up big numbers in a hurry. Against Washington last week he had a 23 in the third quarter and then put up 15 in Saturday's first quarter.

GOOD MOVE: The Nuggets attacked the basket from the opening tip and didn't stop. They finished with 56 points in the paint.

QUOTABLE III: "We talked about how they run the floor. We just couldn't stop it. They ran the floor, they got rebounds, they got steals, one pass and layup dunk. We knew what they wanted to do. We just didn't stop it."
-- Tyreke Evans

BAD MOVE: Kings coach Keith Smart said before the game his team needed to take care of the ball on the road. Sacramento then went out and committed five turnovers in the first quarter that helped fuel Denver's big run.

QUOTABLE IV: "You have to play a controlled basketball game. I though our passes were shaky and that led to 25 points on 20 turnovers. Fatigue or whatever it might be, it happens sometimes in this building."
-- Keith Smart

ROOKIE WATCH: Thomas Robinson had a double-double for the Kings with 10 points and 10 rebounds. It was his second double-double in his last three games.

NOTABLE: The Nuggets set a season high for points in a half when they led 71-49 at intermission. They also tied a season high for points in a quarter with 39 in the first and 3-pointers made with 13. ... The 35-point deficit in the third quarter tied the largest deficit of the season for the Kings. ... Denver's starters outscored Sacramento's 81-43.

UP NEXT: For the Kings, Monday @ Washington, Wednesday @ Boston, Friday @ Philadelphia. For the Nuggets, Monday vs. Indiana, Wednesday vs. Houston, Friday vs. New Orleans.

• Kings: Honeycutt
• Nuggets: Miller, Stone

• Kings: Brooks
• Nuggets: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
• Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #11 Derrick Collins, #66 Haywoode Workman
• Attendance: 17651
• Duration: 2:08