Final
Nuggets entertain road-weary 76ers
Mar 25, 2015 - 1:59 PMVideo
The Nuggets closed a brutal five-game road trip with a 119-100 victory Sunday over the Orlando Magic.
Danilo Gallinari lit up the Magic for 40 points. His career-best effort came on 12-of-21 shooting. He also made 10-of-11 free throws, connected on six 3- pointers and grabbed seven rebounds.
"It was one of those nights when the basket looks like a swimming pool," Gallinari said. "It was pretty big out there."
Jameer Nelson chipped in 15 points and five assists in just 16 1/2 minutes against his former team, while Kenneth Faried, Jusuf Nurkic, Will Barton and J.J. Hickson all scored 11 points in the rout.
Denver led 69-51 at halftime and kept its foot on the gas after the break. Gallinari and Faried outscored the Magic by themselves 24-21, in the third period, which ended with the visitors leading by a comfortable 102-72 margin.
The Nuggets welcome the Utah Jazz on Friday.
Philly completes a three-game western jaunt on Wednesday and the road has been unkind to the 76ers. The Sixers have lost 16 in a row as the visitor, which is a team record, and haven't won on the road since Jan. 9 versus the Brooklyn Nets.
Robert Covington netted a team-high 21 points for the Sixers, who have dropped 16 straight on the road. Thomas Robinson, the fifth overall pick in the 2012 by the Kings, scored a career-high 16 points against his former team, while Nerlens Noel held his own against DeMarcus Cousins with 14 points, 10 boards and six blocked shots.
A Covington triple with 6:12 remaining broke a 100-100 tie and signified the Sixers' last make from the field. From there, they went 0-for-5 and committed eight of their 21 turnovers.
Two Rudy Gay free throws pulled Sacramento even at 105-105 with 1:20 remaining, and on the next Kings possession, Ray McCallum snuck in for a putback of a Cousins miss.
After Covington went 1-of-2 at the foul line with 39.5 seconds to go, Noel blocked a Cousins shot and forced him into a rushed fadeaway that drew iron.
Brett Brown called timeout with 8.2 seconds remaining and tried having Hollis Thompson play hero. Cousins, though, stripped the ball near the foul line, and the Kings survived a tight battle.
"We had far too many turnovers," said Brown. "To have 20 turnovers, on the road, and think you're going to win many games, that would not be correct."
The Sixers have won two straight over the Nuggets and three of the last four in the Mile High City.
- PHILADELPHIA: 99
DENVER: 85
Final
Mar 25 11:30 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 72
DENVER: 76
End of 3rd
Mar 25 10:52 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 51
DENVER: 46
Halftime
Mar 25 10:10 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 22
DENVER: 21
End of 1st
Mar 25 9:38 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 0
DENVER: 0
1st Quarter - 12:00
Mar 25 9:10 PM
Related News
- Nikola Jokic, Purdue, and Caitlin Clark Highlight Sports Illustrated Today Mar 4
- Sixers Bell Ringer: Christmas comeback falls short vs. Miami Heat Dec 25
- Maxey struggles mightily as Embiid-less Sixers fall to Heat on Christmas Day Dec 25
- Sixers-Heat: second half thread Dec 25
- Sixers-Heat: first half thread Dec 25
- Sixers tip off Christmas day matchup vs. Miami Heat Dec 25
- Joel Embiid ruled out for Christmas matchup vs. Heat Dec 24
- The Weekly Run It Back: Sixers drop one, win two, Embiid tweaks ankle Dec 24
- Analyzing 9 potential Sixers trade targets Dec 24
- Amid growing trade speculation, Harris breaks out of slump while team has his back Dec 23
- Report: Sixers sign Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a two-way contract Dec 23
- Sixers Bell Ringer: Tobias Harris quiets the haters with huge night against the Raptors Dec 22