Trail Blazers 95 - 104 Nuggets
Final
  for this game

Denver uses balanced attack to down Portland

Mar 1, 2012 - 7:24 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Ty Lawson scored 18 points to lead seven Denver scorers in double figures as the Nuggets downed the Portland Trail Blazers, 104-95, on Wednesday.

Timofey Mozgov had 14 points, Kenneth Faried and Al Harrington each netted 13, Arron Afflalo dropped in 12 and Corey Brewer and Jordan Hamilton contributed 11 apiece for the Nuggets, who snapped a two-game slide.

"It was a great team win. We came out with a lot of energy," Harrington said.

Jamal Crawford scored a game-high 21 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points to go with nine rebounds for Portland, which lost for the third time in five games.

"We just got outworked," said Portland head coach Nate McMillan.

The Blazers never led in the contest and only managed to tie the game once, when Aldridge's jumper knotted the game at two less than a minute into the first quarter.

Portland stayed within two possessions over the first six minutes of the opening frame until Denver reeled off eight straight points to jump out to a 20-8 lead.

The Trail Blazers quickly closed the gap to 20-14 with a 6-0 spurt, but that is as close as they would get and Portland trailed, 29-22, after one.

Denver gradually increased its lead in the second quarter, using a 13-2 swing to run out to a 44-28 advantage on Mozgov's three-point play near the midpoint of the frame.

Portland cut the lead to eight, 53-45, with a 10-3 run that included two three-pointers by Crawford, but the Nuggets recorded the half's final nine points and held a 62-45 advantage at the break.

Denver led by as much as 19 in the third quarter before a 14-5 spurt by Portland brought the Blazers within nine, 75-66, with less than four minutes left in the frame.

But the Nuggets answered yet again as they closed out the third scoring 10 of the quarter's final 15 points to lead by a score of 85-71 entering the fourth.

After trading baskets over the opening four minutes of the fourth quarter, a 7-2 spurt by Portland cut its deficit to 93-87.

Lawson, though, dropped in a driving layup on Denver's next touch to regain a comfortable lead and the Blazers never threatened again.

Game Notes

Denver improved to 10-8 at home this season, while Portland fell to 5-12 on the road...The Trail Blazers have lost 22 of their last 24 games in Denver...The Nuggets held a 54-36 advantage on the glass and outscored Portland in the paint, 54-34...Lawson also had a game-high nine assists.






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