Spurs Streak Ends At 11 Games As They Get Rocked By Nuggets 109-96

Posted by Kyle Stack under Main

The Denver Nuggets may be on the outside looking in with respect to the Western Conference playoffs, but they proved Friday night they will be a force to be reckoned with if they slide into the top eight.Denver used a 34-19 third quarter advantage to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 109-96 at Denver (36-24) and stay 1.5 games behind Golden State for the eight seed in the tight Western playoff race. The loss for the Spurs ended an eleven game winning streak.

Down 54-46 at halftime, the Nuggets jumped out to a Carmelo Anthony-fueled 7-0 to begin the third quarter. After Tim Duncan iced a 20-footer with 5:48 to go in the period to stretch San Antonio ?s (43-18) lead to 66-61, Denver went on a 13-2 run. Two Anthony free throws with 3:01 left in the quarter gave Denver a 74-68 lead, a lead they would not relinquish.J.R. Smith sank a three-pointer with 6:13 left in the fourth quarter to give Denver a 96-81 lead, its largest of the game.

Allen Iverson scored 29 points and dropped nine assists in the win. Anthony contributed 25 points and eight rebounds while Eduardo Najera exploded for 19 points off the bench. Tim Duncan had 23 points and nine rebounds and Manu Ginobli poured in 24 points for San Antonio. Denver with the win is now 37-24, their best record at this point in the season in the last 20 years, the Spurs are now 43-18.

Denver fans gave a rousing ovation to Nuggets forward Nene who was on the bench in a suit, for the first time since undergoing an operation to remove a cancerous growth from his testicle on January 14. There is no word on when he will be back playing for the Nuggets. He currently is on an indefinite medical leave of absence.

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