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Nuggets take down Suns

Nov 29, 2014 - 6:35 AM Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Arron Afflalo led seven Denver players in double figures with 22 points in a 122-97 rout of the Phoenix Suns in the back end of a home-and-home set.

Ty Lawson contributed 11 points and 10 assists, while J.J. Hickson came off the bench for 10 points and 11 rebounds. Timofey Mozgov had 13 points for the Nuggets, who have won six of their last seven games.

"It means a lot for the mental toughness of this team," Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari said. "We are very focused. You don't want to lose back-to-back games against the (same) team."

Eric Bledsoe posted 16 points for the Suns, who shot only 38.8 percent from the floor and failed to build on a 120-112 home win over the Nuggets on Wednesday.

"We were soft to rebounds," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "If you can get away with pushing in the back then go ahead. That's what they were doing and nobody was cracking anybody to get them out of there."

Phoenix had beaten the Nuggets five straight times, but on Friday Denver gained the upperhand quickly and led wire-to-wire.

Lawson's layup finished a 9-0 run for a 27-15 difference with 1:21 remaining in the first quarter. It was 33-22 after 12 minutes, and the margin reached 20 at 52-32 midway through the second on a pair of Kenneth Faried free throws.

Denver led 66-47 at intermission and was in front as many as 31 in the third. The difference didn't dip under 21 in the fourth.

Game Notes

Isaiah Thomas, who has made 48 consecutive free throws dating back to the Golden State game on Nov. 9, sat out for Phoenix due to a bruised ankle ... Gerald Green had 12 points, while P.J. Tucker, T.J. Warren and Archie Goodwin each scored 11 for Phoenix ... Wilson Chandler, Faried and Gallinari all scored 11 for the Nuggets, who went 32-of-36 at the charity stripe.