• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Nuggets escape Washington with narrow victory

Dec 10, 2013 - 3:29 AM Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Wilson Chandler scored 17 points with eight rebounds as the Denver Nuggets pulled out the victory over the Washington Wizards, 75-74, at Verizon Center.

Kenneth Faried came up with a huge block on John Wall as he attempted a layup with 39.9 seconds left. Faried then hustled down court and slammed the ball home to put Denver up 75-74. The Wizards were unable to answer.

Nate Robinson netted 16 points for the Nuggets, who will host the Jazz Friday.

Wall poured in a game high 20 points and had eight assists, Marcin Gortat scored 16 points with eight rebounds and Trevor Booker had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Washington, which will travel to Atlanta Friday to face the Hawks.

Glen Rice stole the ball with 17.9 seconds to go and dished to Wall but he missed the layup. Garrett Temple rebounded the ball but was stuffed by Chandler as he attempted the putback.

Washington maintained possession with 12.1 to play and Trevor Ariza missed a 3-pointer with 5.9 left. Faried was fouled on the rebound but missed both of his free throws.

With 4.3 seconds left the Wizards had an opportunity to win the game but the ball slipped away from Wall as he attempted to go up for the final shot.

The Wizards opened the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run before Jordan Hamilton drained consecutive 3-pointer's to bring Denver back within two points, 68-66.

Ariza sparked a 9-1 surge for Washington 3:08 into the third, which made the score 58-46 Wizards, to give them a 12-point lead the largest of the game for either team.

Darrell Arthur halted the run with 4:12 left in the third. The basket sparked a 12-2 run to close out the quarter for Denver, with eight points provided by Robinson, to make the score 60-58.

With three minutes left in the first half the Wizards managed a 6-0 run as Wall made two layups around a Booker hook shot. The Wizards led 45-40 at the half.

The Wizards ended the first quarter with a 22-18 lead. Gortat helped close out the first strong, scoring eight of the last 10 points for Washington.

Game Notes

J.J. Hickson added nine points and eight rebounds and Hamilton had eight points and eight rebounds for Denver ... Denver's Ty Lawson missed his second consecutive game with a left hamstring strain ... The Nuggets are 16-5 in the last 21 meetings against the Wizards since the end of the 2002-03 season.