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Nuggets crush Bulls for eighth straight win

Feb 8, 2013 - 7:27 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Wilson Chandler scored a season-high 24 points as the Denver Nuggets routed the Chicago Bulls, 128-96, at Pepsi Center.

Kenneth Faried added 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Ty Lawson also posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists for the Nuggets, who have won eight straight games.

Danilo Gallinari and Andre Iguodala contributed 15 and 14 points, respectively, in the victory.

"I think we've got people's attention. We've been playing at home, but we're also playing a lot better," said Lawson. "We have moved into the fourth spot in the West, so I think people are going to take notice."

Daequan Cook dropped in 19 points off the bench to pace Chicago, which lost for the third time in four games.

Chicago held an early 8-3 lead before the Nuggets reeled off a 16-2 run to jump ahead, 19-10, on Iguodala's 3-pointer with just over five minutes left in the first quarter.

Nate Robinson netted the game's next four points to put a brief halt to the spurt before Chandler connected on a pair of triples during a 10-2 push by Denver, which opened up a 29-16 advantage.

The Bulls, however, closed out the first quarter with a 7-2 run to get back within 33-25 heading into the second, where Chicago scored seven of the first 11 points to cut its deficit to 37-32.

But the Bulls would get no closer until Robinson later scored the first five points of a 7-0 push to make it a 53-51 game with just over two minutes to play in the half and trailed, 63-58, at the break.

Denver then pulled away in the third quarter, opening the frame with a lengthy 21-6 run that included six points from Lawson and five by Iguodala to hand the Nuggets an 84-64 advantage with less than five minutes remaining in the frame.

Carlos Boozer accounted for all six of the Bulls' points during that span.

Denver eventually outscored the Bulls, 37-16, in the third quarter en route to a 100-74 lead entering the fourth, as the Nuggets shot 61.9 percent (13- for-21) in the period and turned seven Chicago turnovers into 13 points.

"They came out and started the third quarter and just smoked us," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They played very good defense. They had 37 in the third, got a big cushion and that was the game."

The Nuggets then held at least a 21-point lead throughout the fourth quarter as both teams emptied their benches.

Game Notes

Denver has won five of the last six meetings between the teams ... Boozer finished with 18 points ... The Nuggets shot 58.1 percent from the floor, while Chicago went 41.8 percent from the floor ... Denver scored 28 points off 15 Chicago turnovers.