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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- Seattle had seized the momentum, reducing a
25-point deficit to three early in the fourth quarter, and moments
later Denver star Antonio McDyess headed to the bench with his
fifth foul.
It was time for Denver guard Nick Van Exel to assert himself.
Van Exel scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter,
leading the Nuggets over the SuperSonics 122-111 on Monday night.
"Nick just took over the game," Nuggets coach Dan Issel said.
Vin Baker's tip-in cut the lead to 93-90 with 9:09 remaining,
but the Nuggets then mounted a 13-2 run, including seven points by
Van Exel.
Van Exel followed with a three-point play and a 3-pointer,
making it 112-95 with 2:55 left, and Voshon Lenard scored Denver's
last 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Lenard wound up
with 30 points.
"McDyess was in foul trouble, so I thought I had to be more
aggressive and get my shot off," Van Exel said. "That's what I
wanted to do. Down the stretch we made some 3s. Voshon made some
big shots, I made some big shots and we held them off."
The Nuggets won for the seventh time in eight games and snapped
Seattle's four-game winning streak.
Denver (22-16) is six games above .500 for the first time since
1989-90.
Gary Payton, who finished with 28 points and 11 assists, had 11
points in the third quarter as the Sonics trimmed a 17-point
halftime deficit to four.
Denver shot a season-high 56 percent from the floor and was
16-for-27 from 3-point range, tying a club record for 3-pointers
which it set against Seattle on March 20, 1997. The 16 3-pointers
are an NBA high this season.
"That was unbelievable shooting by Denver," Seattle coach Nate
McMillan said. "It seemed like they hit everything. Van Exel
started making some unbelievable 3s with defenders on him.
"Denver shot 60 percent from 3-point range and over 50 percent
from the floor, and we still had a chance to win. Our guys didn't
quit. I liked the fight in us. Twenty-five (points) is a lot to
come back from."
Kevin Willis, playing his first game for Denver since being
acquired in a trade with Toronto on Friday, had eight points, seven
rebounds, two blocked shots and two assists.
"The game got physical," Issel said, "and (Willis) gave us
eight points and seven rebounds and drew five fouls on Vin Baker.
When he came out of the game, I told him that is exactly why we got
him, to play like that."
Rashard Lewis added 22 points and nine rebounds for Seattle, and
Ruben Patterson had 19 points.
The Nuggets shot 71 percent in the first quarter and 55 percent
in the second, building a lead as large as 25 points and posting a
65-48 lead at halftime.
Lenard had 13 points and Van Exel 11 in the first quarter as the
Nuggets jumped out to a 37-21 lead. Lenard and Van Exel each had
three 3-pointers in the period.
Leading 20-19, the Nuggets mounted a 17-0 run, starting with Van
Exel's 3-pointer and ending with his fastbreak layup.
Denver then outscored Seattle 17-8 to open the second quarter.
During the flurry, George McCloud scored 11 points, including a
trio of 3-pointers, to open up a 54-29 lead with 7:17 left in the
half.
Patterson had back-to-back layups during Seattle's 8-0 run late
in the half, helping cut the deficit to 17.
Denver hit 11 of 18 3-pointers in the half -- one shy of the NBA
record -- compared to the Sonics' 2-of-8.
Seattle shot 55 percent in the third period and used a 10-0
flurry late in the period to cut Denver's lead to four points.
Game notes
The Nuggets activated guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad from the
injured list and placed center Aleksandar Radojevic on the injured
list. Abdul-Wahad missed three games with the flu in mid-December
and was placed on the injured list Dec. 20 with a throat infection.
Radojevic, obtained Friday in a trade with Toronto, had back
surgery on Oct. 20. ... Seattle guard Shammond Williams sprained
his left ankle in the first half and didn't return. ... Denver has
won 12 of its last 15 games. ... McDyess, who had 16 points and six
rebounds, saw his double-double streak end at 11 games.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
Denver Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 104
San Antonio 82
Milwaukee 101
Washington 95
Philadelphia 84
Charlotte 79
New Jersey 84
Atlanta 78
Sacramento 116
Dallas 105
Boston 107
Minnesota 102
Cleveland 107
Golden State 101
Indiana 89
LA Clippers 74
Orlando 113
Chicago 104
LA Lakers 113
Vancouver 112
Denver 122
Seattle 111
Utah 116
Houston 104
AUDIO/VIDEO
 The Denver Nuggets put on a 3-point shooting clinic for the Sonics.
avi: 1441 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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