Final
Streaking Nuggets head to Phoenix
Nov 26, 2014 - 3:21 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Denver Nuggets are beginning to click as evidenced by a season-high five-game winning streak and will try to continue their success Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center.The Nuggets and Suns will meet again in Denver on Friday.
Denver has ripped off five straight wins, averaging 109.0 points in that time, and is 6-1 since a 1-6 start. The Nuggets handed the visiting Chicago Bulls a 114-109 setback on Tuesday, as Ty Lawson registered 20 points, 12 assists and three steals, and hit a big shot down the stretch to keep Chicago at bay.
Lawson had 13 points in the third quarter and his basket with less than 30 seconds remaining kept Denver's win streak intact.
"It feels good to get back even (.500) and get back in the mix," Lawson said.
Arron Afflalo added 19 points, and Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler tallied 15 and 14 points, respectively, for the Nuggets, who were allowing 111.1 ppg through the first seven games and are allowing 99.0 ppg over the previous seven.
The Nuggets are seventh in the league with 103.9 ppg, but still sit 26th in opponents' scoring at 105.1. They are 6-0 when outshooting the opponent this season
Phoenix went 4-2 on a recent road trip and had a four-game winning streak stopped with Monday's 104-100 loss at Toronto.
Eric Bledsoe scored a season-best 25 points to lead the Suns and Markieff Morris added 17 points in defeat. Morris is averaging 17.6 points in his last five games. Isaiah Thomas had 16 points and Gerald Green netted 13 for Phoenix, which shot 46.4 percent and hit 14-of-33 3-pointers. Thomas finished 4-of-6 from downtown.
The Suns were down by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter and took a 95-94 lead on a Bledsoe foul shot with three minutes to go. Toronto scored six of the game's last eight points for the win.
"We made a comeback but our guys just made some bad plays, I thought," said Suns coach Jeff Hornacek. "We gambled too much at the end. When you're making a big comeback from 17 down in the fourth quarter, you can't make any errors."
Last season the Suns went 6-12 in games decided by five points or fewer. They are 3-2 in such games in 2014-15.
Phoenix is fourth with 104.9 points per game and won all four meetings with Denver last season. The Nuggets have lost 15 of their last 18 trips to the desert.
Nov 26 11:31 PM- DENVER: 86
PHOENIX: 93
End of 3rd
Nov 26 10:54 PM - DENVER: 64
PHOENIX: 64
Halftime
Nov 26 10:10 PM - DENVER: 30
PHOENIX: 34
End of 1st
Nov 26 9:33 PM - DENVER: 0
PHOENIX: 0
1st Quarter - 11:54
Nov 26 9:12 PM
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