RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- The Denver Nuggets have seven new faces on their
roster. In crunch time Thursday night, however, the ball gravitated
to the same old reliables.
Nick Van Exel and George McCloud combined to score 12 of
Denver's last 13 points and the Nuggets won their home opener with
a 101-97 decision over Golden State.
Van Exel finished with 23 points, and McCloud and Voshon Lenard
added 19 apiece.
"It certainly helps your confidence knowing that at the end of
the game you can exercise your offense, run the plays you want and
get the ball in the hands of the people you want it in," Denver
coach Dan Issel said.
Larry Hughes led Golden State with 21 points. Vonteego Cummings
had 18 points -- all in the second quarter -- and ex-Nugget Danny
Fortson had 16 points and 17 rebounds.
Hughes scored five straight points to give Golden State an 89-88
lead with 7:07 left. After Erick Dampier's rebound basket put the
Warriors ahead 94-92, Van Exel tied it with a 16-foot jumper with
2:29 left.
The teams traded missed shots before McCloud hit a 20-footer
with 38 seconds left for a 96-94 lead.
McCloud followed with two free throws and Tariq Abdul-Wahad
added one. Hughes' 3-pointer made it 99-97, but Van Exel iced it
with two free throws with 2.9 seconds to go.
"We did what we're supposed to do," McCloud said. "We
protected our home court."
Van Exel said winning the home opener was "big. It's a
confidence thing. You want to win the first one for the fans and
also for the team."
Warriors coach Dave Cowens said his team "didn't execute very
well when it was 90-90. We had a couple of possessions in a row
when we really didn't get a shot.
"And we didn't shoot very well. Early on we struggled, then
Vonteego gave us a lift in the second quarter. Larry is still
struggling, but I thought he made a breakthrough tonight."
Golden State shot 40 percent, including 3-for-17 shooting by
Mookie Blaylock and 7-for-19 by Hughes.
"I'm just out of rhythm," Hughes said. "My shots are not
falling, but you have to find different ways of getting the job
done."
Denver was without Antonio McDyess for most of the game. McDyess
sat out the second half with a lower-back strain after going
scoreless and grabbing five rebounds in the first half.
"If we have to sit him down for a couple of games to get him
better, that's what we'll do," Issel said.
Cummings' second-quarter outburst included 12 straight points to
help the Warriors rally from an eight-point deficit to a 53-47
halftime lead.
Abdul-Wahad and McCloud each had seven points in the first
quarter as Denver built an eight-point advantage, capitalizing on
the Warriors' 32 percent shooting. Baskets by Chris Mills and
Hughes cut the deficit to 24-20 at the end of the period.
Lenard had nine points early in the second period as Denver
built its lead back up to eight. Abdul-Wahad's three-point play
made it 47-39 with 3:28 left in the half.
But Cummings personally erased that deficit as Golden State
mounted a 14-0 run to close out the quarter. Cummings ignited the
flurry with a 3-pointer, then followed with a 17-footer jumper and
a fastbreak layup. His three free throws and another jumper made it
51-47, and Danny Fortson tacked on two free throws with seven
seconds left.
Sparked by a pair of 3-pointers from James Posey, the Nuggets
outscored Golden State 25-13 in the first 8½ minutes of the third
quarter, and Denver had a 76-74 lead heading into the final
period.
Game
notes
Issel made a rare speech from center court before the game,
promising the fans an exciting season and thanking them for their
support. ... Denver now is 16-9 in home openers, and Issel is 5-0
as the Nuggets' coach in home openers. ... McDyess, who played only
17 minutes, played just 18 minutes because of foul trouble in the
Nuggets' opening 112-99 loss to Seattle Wednesday night. ... The
Warriors opened the season Tuesday night with a 96-94 win over
Phoenix. ... Golden State has eight new players on its roster.
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NBA Scoreboard
Golden State Clubhouse
Denver Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 94
Atlanta 69
Dallas 94
Indiana 88
San Antonio 103
Minnesota 91
Houston 115
Milwaukee 93
Denver 101
Golden State 97
Phoenix 108
Portland 82
Vancouver 99
LA Clippers 91
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