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Nuggets conclude trek in Sacramento

Jan 25, 2012 - 3:53 PM (Sports Network) - Denver will try to finish off a five-game road trip in perfect fashion for the first time in the franchise's NBA history when it faces off with the Sacramento Kings tonight.

The Nuggets have already topped Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Washington and New York on their current swing, needing overtime to take both the 76ers and Knicks. In fact, George Karl's team needed double overtime to dispose of New York and its former cornerstone Carmelo Anthony on Saturday.

Denver has never had a 5-0 road trip since joining the NBA for the 1976-77 season.

Danilo Gallinari, who was acquired in the deal that sent Anthony to the Big Apple, scored nine of his 37 points in the second extra session against his former team as Denver pulled out a 119-114 victory.

Gallinari, who made all seven of his free throw attempts in the second overtime, went 18-of-20 at the charity stripe for the game. He also had 11 rebounds.

Al Harrington contributed 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who have won four in a row.

"That's the best thing you could get coming back is a win," said Harrington, who also spent two seasons with the Knicks. "That's all we were focused on, by any means necessary."

Nene, who sat out last Friday's win at Washington with a left heel strain, had 12 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Andre Miller ended with 14 points and 12 assists.

Anthony, who spent seven-plus seasons in the Rocky Mountains before being dealt to the Knicks last February, had 25 points and 10 rebounds in New York's sixth straight defeat. He shot 10-of-30 from the field.

"The New York game was just a mental toughness fight of trying to figure out how to win that game," Karl told the Nuggets' official website. "I still don't know exactly how we did it. Our fortitude to stay involved in the game was pretty incredible stuff.

"There's a good feel right now. The big thing is not to get too happy and give something back like a game in Sacramento, where if we play the right way, we have a good chance of winning."

The Kings are returning home after a 1-2 road trip in which they topped San Antonio but then fell to Memphis and Portland.

DeMarcus Cousins had 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead Sacramento during a 101-89 setback in Rip City on Monday while rookie Jimmer Fredette scored 13 on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range off the bench.

Guard Marcus Thornton (thigh) missed the game as the Kings fell to 3-6 so far during a stretch where they play 10 of their 12 games on the road.

The game was all but decided during three-plus minutes in the second quarter when the Blazers used a 13-0 run to take a 15-point lead.

"We did try to compete throughout the game but the second quarter got out of hand for us," said Sacramento coach Keith Smart. "We did a better job in the second half."

Thornton is listed as questionable for tonight's contest while big man Chuck Hayes remains sidelined with a dislocated left shoulder.

The Nuggets have won three straight and five of six over the Kings overall, but have dropped four of five in Sacramento at Power Balance Pavilion.