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Thursday, Dec. 16 9:00pm ET
Nuggets snap four-game skid vs. Kings | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- Nick Van Exel had 38 points and 10 assists and Ron Mercer scored 25 to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 116-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. Roy Rogers tied a career high with 18 points and had 10 rebounds off the bench for the Nuggets, who broke a four-game losing streak against the Kings despite playing without injured starting forward Antonio McDyess. Chris Webber scored 26 to lead the Kings, who got another big night from their bench. Led by Predrag Stojakovic's 19 points, Sacramento's self-titled "Bench Mob" outscored the starters 59-47. Trailing by 13 at halftime, the Nuggets shot 59 percent in the third quarter and outscored Sacramento 39-19 to take a seven-point lead into the final 12 minutes. Van Exel and Mercer led the comeback, combining for 24 points. Sacramento never recovered, getting as close as 97-91 in the fourth, before the Nuggets put the game away on a three-point play by George McCloud and a drive by Van Exel. McDyess, Denver's leading rebounder (8.8 per game) and second-leading scorer (17.5), missed the game with a strained lower back. Rogers and Keon Clark made up for McDyess' absence. Clark had 10 rebounds in the first quarter and finished with a career-high 16. Rogers scored the first six points of the fourth quarter and had his best offensive output since 1996. Van Exel, who made some controversial comments about Sacramento point guard Jason Williams on Wednesday, handled things from the outside as Williams sat out the fourth quarter. He finished with five points and five turnovers. Asked about Williams' flashy style of play, Van Exel said he enjoys watching it but thinks people would criticize the flamboyant moves if Williams were black. "If I was to do it, it would be like, 'You can't bring that playground ball to the NBA,' " Van Exel said. "But when he does it, it's like, 'Oh my God!' " The Nuggets used a 13-0 run to build a five-point lead early in the second quarter only to see the Kings storm back behind their bench. Sacramento's reserves accounted for 29 of 33 second-quarter points, leading a 19-3 run to give the Kings a 57-44 halftime lead. Game notesThe teams combined to go 0-for-13 to start the game, with the first field goal coming 2:59 into the quarter. ... McCloud returned after missing Denver's last game with a sprained right thumb. He recorded his 5,000th career point. ... The Kings have scored at least 100 points in 15 of 20 games. ... Sacramento fell to 8-2 against Midwest Division teams. ... Denver C Raef LaFrentz did not return after halftime because of dehydration. G Chauncey Billups left in the fourth quarter with a dislocated left shoulder. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Sacramento Clubhouse Denver Clubhouse RECAPS Washington 108 New Jersey 104
Denver 116
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