Nuggets slip by T'Wolves in OT
Feb 21, 2012 - 6:39 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Arron Afflalo drained the go-ahead shot with 33.7 seconds remaining in overtime and the Denver Nuggets outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves, 103-101, on Monday.Afflalo had 20 points overall and Al Harrington paced all scorers with a season-high 31 off the bench. Kenneth Faried contributed a double-double with 10 points to go with 14 rebounds for the Nuggets, who snapped a three-game skid.
"We were able to find a way to get it done. I'm just proud of everybody," Harrington said.
Kevin Love had his own double-double with 22 points and 13 boards, and Michael Beasley had added 17 off the bench for the Timberwolves, who saw a three-game winning steak end.
Neither team made a shot in the overtime period until Harrington dropped in a fadeaway jumper with 1:52 to play. Ricky Rubio answered 12 seconds later, sinking a layup in the lane, and it was tied at 95.
Harrington turned it over on the Nuggets' next possession. The Timberwolves' Martell Webster couldn't connect on his three-point attempt, though, and Faried pulled down the rebound.
After a timeout, Afflalo dribbled inside the arc, paused, and fired a turnaround jumper to put Denver up for good, 97-95.
Following a number of free throws on both ends of the court, Minnesota had its best chance to tie with 4.9 seconds remaining.
Down 102-99, Webster stole an inbounds pass from Julyan Stone at midcourt. Rather than pull up for a three-point attempt, however, Webster drove into the paint for a slam dunk. The T-Wolves were down just one, but with 1.3 ticks to go, it was too little, too late.
"I don't know what was going through [Webster's] head," Love said. "We talked about it [during the timeout] if we were able to get a steal we would pull up for three."
Down 76-73 entering the fourth quarter, Minnesota took an early lead on a running jumper from Beasley and was in front for the majority of the period.
But the Nuggets stayed close, and were rewarded when Harrington drained a trey at the 1:39 mark to tie the game at 93, where it remained until the buzzer sounded on regulation.
A balanced attack in the first period combined with seven Denver turnovers had the Timberwolves up 30-18 after one. The Nuggets responded in the second by holding the visitors to 30 percent shooting from the field while posting a 54.2 percent mark, and they took a 51-46 advantage into halftime.
Game Notes
Ty Lawson left the game with 15.3 seconds remaining in the second quarter with an ankle injury...Andre Miller was ejected after receiving two technical fouls...The Nuggets outscored the Timberwolves 52-36 in the paint...Minnesota's largest lead was 14. Denver's was 10...The game featured 11 lead changes and eight ties.
- MINNESOTA: 101
DENVER: 103
Final - OT
Feb 20 11:50 PM - MINNESOTA: 101
DENVER: 103
End of OT
Feb 20 11:50 PM - MINNESOTA: 93
DENVER: 93
End of Regulation
Feb 20 11:24 PM - 214
rootsRUWTbot Added 42 roots (Close Finish, Overtime)
Timberwolves 93, Nuggets 93 End of Reg.Feb 20 11:23 PM - 90
roots - MINNESOTA: 73
DENVER: 76
End of 3rd
Feb 20 10:48 PM - MINNESOTA: 30
DENVER: 18
End of 1st
Feb 20 9:35 PM - MINNESOTA: 0
DENVER: 0
1st Quarter - 12:00
Feb 20 9:12 PM
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