RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- Antonio McDyess is pain-free and that was bad news
for the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
|  | | Nuggets forward Mark Strickland looks for a lane around Clippers forward Tyrone Nesby. |
McDyess had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and reserve Voshon Lenard
added 19 points as the Denver Nuggets beat the Clippers 95-79.
"It was good to have Antonio back 100 percent," Denver coach
Dan Issel said. "Antonio had good rhythm, good footwork and it was
good to see him get on the boards like that."
McDyess, who has been hampered by back spasms, went 10-for-18
from the field and had his second double-double. George McCloud had
12 assists for the Nuggets.
"I have absolutely no pain, and that was nice tonight,"
McDyess said. "I'm more comfortable and a lot more relaxed. I
don't have to worry about protecting myself coming down and with my
movement."
McDyess demonstrated that with a dunk off a lob from Nick Van
Exel late in the fourth quarter.
Brian Skinner had a career-high 23 points and 12 rebounds for
the Clippers, but Lamar Odom was held to 10 points on 4-for-10
shooting before fouling out in the fourth quarter. The Clippers
last won at Denver on March 8, 1998.
"I don't think we ever really got back into the game after the
second quarter," said Clippers coach Alvin Gentry, whose club last
led 31-29 early in the second quarter. "We never had any flow and
didn't execute very well."
Denver's defense limited the Clippers to two free throws by
Quentin Richardson in the opening 3:37 of the fourth quarter while
extending its lead to 80-65.
"In the second half we picked up our offense and defense and we
started running it up," McDyess said. "We expected to beat this
team and we came out with confidence."
The Clippers missed their first 11 3-pointers before Odom made
one about four minutes into the third quarter to pull the visitors
to 55-53.
Denver led 50-43 at halftime, but had trailed by as many as
eight points early in the second quarter.
"The only thing I thought was shaky about us tonight was our
start," Issel said. "We let them get seven rebounds and Skinner
had 14 points in the first quarter, primarily off offensive
rebounds."
Game notes
Skinner was held scoreless Friday by Atlanta. ... Nick Van
Exel is now fifth on Denver's 3-pointer list with 218, having moved
past current Nuggets assistant Mike Evans. ... The Clippers have
lost four of the past five meetings with the Nuggets. ... The
actual attendance seemed to be about half of the announced 10,842 crowd.
... Denver's reserves contributed 42 points.
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NBA Scoreboard
LA Clippers Clubhouse
Denver Clubhouse
RECAPS
Detroit 101
Seattle 92
Denver 95
LA Clippers 79
Orlando 105
Golden State 99
Sacramento 109
Dallas 84
LA Lakers 105
Houston 99
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