RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- The Denver Nuggets survived a near-collapse.
Antonio McDyess scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the
Nuggets squandered a 21-point lead but held on to beat the Chicago
Bulls 89-85 Thursday night.
"We came out and took it for granted that we were up by 17
points," said McDyess, who grabbed the 3,000th rebound of his
career in the game. "They came out and played hard in the third.
We should have learned from their game against Houston that they
don't give up.
"We just can't hold teams off right now. When we get to a point
where we can hold teams off and play our game, we'll be all
right."
Keon Clark matched McDyess with 16 points, eight rebounds and a
key block. Clark had eight points in the fourth quarter as Denver
won for the second time in three games.
"This was really something. This team refuses to play 48 solid
minutes," Denver coach Dan Issel said. "Antonio did a great job
in the first quarter with 11 points in the first quarter, and then
he had only the three-point play and another basket the rest of the
way because he is sitting next to me."
Elton Brand had 22 points and six rebounds, and Ron Mercer added
17 for the Bulls, who dropped their third straight game.
"We came out with absolutely no intensity or heart," Brand
said. "Coach was upset with us at halftime, especially with our
rebounding and challenged us to step it up."
Chicago missed its first five shots of the fourth quarter, but
trailed only 69-65 as the Nuggets scored just four points early in
the period.
A 3-pointer by Corey Benjamin got the Bulls within 69-68 with
9:14 remaining, and free throws by Mercer and Brand gave Chicago a
73-71 advantage with 6:15 left.
Voshon Lenard buried a 3-pointer and McDyess hit a layup and
free throw after running down his own miss as the Nuggets grabbed a
77-73 lead. Two baskets by Clark allowed the Nuggets to maintain at
least a three-point lead until the 2:31 mark.
Mercer drained a running one-hander and Brand sank a pair of
free throws as the Bulls closed to 84-82.
The Bulls had a chance to tie with 30 seconds left, but Clark
blocked A.J. Guyton's layup, and Nick Van Exel hit two free throws
to make it 86-82.
Fred Hoiberg added a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left.
Van Exel finished with 15 points and six assists.
Chicago started out slowly, shooting 32 percent in the first
quarter and 34 percent in the first half. The Bulls trailed by 17
at halftime.
"They blindsided us in the first quarter," Chicago coach Tim
Floyd said.
"I didn't see it coming because our practices were so good
yesterday and this morning. Denver did a nice job of making shots
and executing early."
The Bulls warmed up, hitting 8-of-14 shots. Brand scored 12
points, the final two coming on a spin move with 4:24 left and
Chicago trailed 58-57.
The Nuggets were 4-for-15 over the same stretch.
The Bulls got their first lead, 61-60, with 2:15 to go in the
third quarter on a dunk by Dragan Tariac.
Lenard's 3-pointer, and a jumper by George McCloud in the final
two minutes offset a 3-pointer by Fred Hoiberg and allowed the
Nuggets to take a 65-64 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets led by as many as 21 points in the second quarter.
Robert Pack's finger-roll layup giving them a 40-19 lead four
minutes into the period. Chicago was 8-for-22 in the quarter, but
Mercer's dunk just before the break got the Bulls within 52-35.
Game notes
Former Nugget Ron Mercer was booed during introductions.
... The Bulls have begun the last three seasons 1-7. ... Denver's Raef LaFrentz was held out due to left hand injury sustained in Tuesday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.. ... Terry Davis made his
first start since April 13, 1999. ... Denver last lost at home to
the Bulls on Feb. 2, 1998. ... Denver held Chicago to 36 percent
from the field, the second time in three games the Nuggets have
held an opponent below 40 percent.<
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Portland 86
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San Antonio 99
Washington 95
LA Lakers 112
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Houston 84
Charlotte 80
Denver 89
Chicago 85
Utah 99
Orlando 84
LA Clippers 76
Vancouver 72
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