Wizards-Nuggets Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Posted Jan 17 2013 2:38PM

With eight of their next nine at home, the Denver Nuggets will look to get right back on track after their six-game win streak was snapped their last time out.

They may have a good chance to do so Friday night against the improved Washington Wizards, who still can't stop their losing ways on the road and have lost nine of 10 meetings with the Nuggets.

The Nuggets (24-17) have won 13 of 14 in Denver and are 15-2 there for the second-best home mark in the NBA.

Denver ranks near the top of the league in home scoring with 106.2 points per game, and it's averaged 109.4 during its five-game win streak at the Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets' 117-97 loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday saw a rare off night from leading scorer Danilo Gallinari, who had 11 points and shot 3 of 10. Gallinari averaged 21.7 points in the previous six games.

Ty Lawson also had a rough performance, scoring two points in 20 minutes after totaling 44 in his previous two contests.

"There's always those three or four or five games a year that you can't get it going, and we couldn't get it going," coach George Karl said.

Gallinari and Lawson combined for 42 points in a 108-104 win at Washington on Jan. 20 in the most recent meeting between the teams.

Washington has played better lately with victories over Oklahoma City, Atlanta and Orlando for its first three-game winning streak of the season. That was snapped with a 95-94 loss at Sacramento on Wednesday.

Making their second stop on a five-game trip, the Wizards (7-29) will try to end an eight-game road skid after falling to a league-worst 1-16 away from home. Washington ranks last in the league on the road in scoring (84.6), field-goal percentage (39.9) and free-throw attempts (16.1).

The Wizards might be able to improve in those areas with John Wall gaining strength since his return. The point guard, who's played three games after missing 33 due to a knee injury, had 14 points and 10 assists against the Kings and is averaging 13.3 and 6.7.

"I felt good, except that I missed two free throws," Wall said.

Rookie Bradley Beal has also sparked the team's recent surge by averaging 20.3 points and going 13 for 18 from beyond the arc in the last four contests.

Washington could be without leading scorer Jordan Crawford for a fifth straight game because of an ankle injury.

The Wizards have shot 50.6 percent from the floor and gone 15 for 28 from 3-point range in their last two games. They'll try to match that efficiency against the Nuggets, who have allowed opponents to shoot 50.4 percent and 42.9 (30 for 70) on 3s in the past three contests.

Nene will make his first return to Denver since the three-team deal that sent JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf to Denver in March. He's averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds.

Wizards end road skid with win against Nuggets

By DENNIS GEORGATOS
Posted Jan 19 2013 1:05AM

DENVER (AP) Ty Lawson seemingly couldn't miss in the second half, until John Wall made him miss at the end.

Bradley Beal scored 23 points, Wall blocked Lawson's attempt for a tying layup in the final seconds, and the Washington Wizards hung on to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-108 on Friday night to snap an eight-game road losing streak.

Wall saw Lawson drive past Martell Webster and left his man to come over and smother his shot before he could put it up.

"I came on the weakside help. Just reaction," Wall said. "It is hard to stop a fast guard like that from getting to the lane. He'd done a great job of making 3s and getting to the free-throw line. Martell kind of slipped and basically he had an easy layup to tie the game. I wanted to go over there and make a play."

Lawson said if he had it to do over again, he would have pulled up to take the short jumper rather than pressing ahead with his drive to the basket.

"I feel like I should have stepped back and got a shot off," Lawson said. "It was kind of tough. Next time, I'll do better."

Until then, Lawson had been virtually unstoppable in the second half. He scored 27 of his 29 points in the final two quarters to lead the Nuggets, who lost at home for just the third time in 18 games. Lawson had made 10 consecutive shots from the floor before Wall rejected his layup in the final moments.

"That was a great defensive play by John," Beal said. "We didn't want to foul. There was a little bit of contact and we were grateful the ref didn't call a foul. It was a great play by John and then he knocked down the free throws."

Kevin Seraphin added 18 points and Wall and Trevor Ariza each added 14 points for the Wizards, who picked up just their second win away from home this season. They entered a league-worst 1-16 on the road.

Wall also had 12 assists. Nene had seven points for Washington in his return to Denver, where he played for nearly 10 years before being sent to Washington last March as part of a three-team trade.

Corey Brewer and Andre Miller each added 17 points for the Nuggets, whose home winning streak ended at five games.

Beal hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 58 with 8:07 left in the third quarter, but Lawson began finding the range, scoring 10 straight points for the Nuggets, including a pair of 3-pointers, to help Denver go in front 68-64.

Lawson made all eight of his third-quarter shots from the floor, including four 3-pointers. He finished his torrid quarter with a breakaway dunk, and Denver took an 87-80 lead into the final period.

Washington, though, opened the fourth with a big run of its own, scoring 12 unanswered points, including 3-pointers Ariza and Jordan Crawford and went in front 92-87 with 9:36 left to play.

"We let them get hot," Lawson said. "When a team comes into your building and gets confidence like that, it is hard to stop them."

The Nuggets closed to 100-97 on successive baskets by Miller and Lawson with 3:46 remaining. A putback by Seraphin put the Wizards up 108-104 with 28.9 seconds remaining. Miller answered with a layup, was fouled but couldn't convert the free throw.

Crawford was fouled by Kosta Koufos and made one of two free throws for a three-point Washington edge with 21.6 seconds left and Miller then scored on a layup with 13.6 seconds remaining.

The Nuggets fouled Beal with 8.6 seconds and he made one of two free throws for a 110-108 lead. Lawson drove the lane but his attempt for a tying layup in the final seconds was blocked by Wall, who added a pair of free throws with 2.7 seconds left to seal the victory.

JaVale McGee, who was acquired as part of the trade that sent Nene to Washington, followed a one-handed dunk off an alley-oop from Brewer with a putback dunk in the last 33.3 seconds of the second quarter, giving the Nuggets a 50-45 halftime lead.

NOTES: Washington's Crawford was back in action after missing four games because of a sore left ankle. He came off the bench and had eight points in just over 17 minutes of play. ... Nuggets had won 24 in a row at the Pepsi Center when scoring 100 or more points before losing to the Wizards.

Notebook: Wizards 102, Nuggets 98

Michael Kelly, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:43 AM - Updated Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:43 AM

THE FACTS: Bradley Beal scored 23 points and John Wall added 14 points and 12 assists as the Washington Wizards rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-108 for their second road win of the season Friday night.

Kevin Seraphin also made a big impact for Washington, scoring 18 points, including an important putback in the final minute. Wizards power forward Nene had seven points and four rebounds in his first game at Pepsi Center since being traded from Denver to Washington last spring.

Denver point guard Ty Lawson scored 23 of his 29 points in the third quarter, but had his shot blocked by Wall with the Nuggets trailing by two with 2.7 seconds remaining. Denver lost for just the third time at home this season.

The Wizards, who lost their first 12 games to start the season, have won four of their past five.

QUOTABLE: "It feels great. Honestly, in my mind, we are 5-0 right now, win-streak-wise. It feels good because this is a great team and it shows that we are capable of competing and beating anybody. As long as we keep doing what we are doing and competing every night and playing hard, with passion and integrity, we are going to be fine."
-- Beal.

THE STAT: The Wizards prevailed despite committing 21 turnovers that led to 28 point for Denver. They offset the miscues by making 11 of 23 3-pointers.

TURNING POINT: Trailing by seven at the end of the third quarter, the Wizards opened the fourth on a 12-0 run. The Nuggets seemed stunned by the blitz and never regained the lead in the game's final 10 minutes.

HOT: Lawson scored only two points in the first half but exploded for 23 on 8-of-8 shooting in the third quarter. The outburst was reminiscent of two years ago when he hit 10 consecutive 3-pointers against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

NOT: At one point in the first half, the Nuggets and Wizards both were 5-for-12 from the free-throw line. The charity stripe has been a trouble spot for Denver all season; the Nuggets are shooting .681 -- last in the NBA.

QUOTABLE II: "I was worried the whole game. I thought they were playing better basketball in many ways. Ty has an incredible third quarter that gives us a little bit of fool's gold that we're going to be okay. We've had similar games of not having enough effort, not having enough serious basketball. We've been messing with fire and tonight we got burned."
-- Nuggets coach George Karl.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: In deeper leagues, Nuggets forward Corey Brewer can be a valuable contributor. Brewer scored 17 points and added three steals off the bench, raising his scoring average to 11.0.

ROOKIE WATCH: With his 23 points, Beal reached double figures for the fifth straight game. He is averaging 20.8 points on .617 (37-of-60) shooting during that stretch.

NOTABLE: Washington entered the night last in the NBA in scoring at 90.3 points per game and last in field-goal percentage at 41.5 percent. The Wizards had 92 points less than three minuets into the fourth quarter and finished 41-of-80 (.513) from the field .... Denver had won 24 straight home games when scoring at least 100 points.

UP NEXT: For the Wizards, Saturday @ L.A. Clippers, Monday @ Portland, Wednesday @ Utah. For the Nuggets, Sunday vs. Oklahoma City, Wednesday @ Houston, Saturday vs. Sacramento.

• Wizards: Martin
• Nuggets: Miller, Stone

• Wizards: --
• Nuggets: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
• Officials: #43 Dan Crawford, #36 David Jones, #52 Scott Twardoski
• Attendance: 16523
• Duration: 2:14