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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- Those summer pickup games in Houston must be
something else.
|  | | Denver's Nick Van Exel and Rockets guard Steve Francis battle each other during the off-season, and Van Exel got the better of their matchup Tuesday. |
Nick Van Exel, who faces Rockets point guard Steve Francis about
four times a week during the summer, scored 30 points and made nine
straight free throws in the fourth quarter as the Denver Nuggets
beat Houston 105-100 on Tuesday night.
For his part, Francis led the Rockets with 26 points but
committed three late fouls against Van Exel that helped Denver gain
its eighth straight home win.
"It's like a bragging rights thing," Van Exel said. "You want
to do good against the place that you live. You want to represent.
I make my home in Houston. I don't want to go back and get laughed
at."
Raef LaFrentz made sure Denver had the last laugh, hitting a
decisive 3-pointer on a pick-and-roll with Van Exel to give Denver
a 103-100 lead with 28 seconds left. He finished with 18 points, 12
rebounds and four blocks.
"They sagged so far in that I was wide open. So I let it fly,"
LaFrentz said. "It felt good but it looked like it was off-left."
Antonio McDyess added 18 points and 10 rebounds to help the
Nuggets improve to 15-4 since Dec. 14.
Maurice Taylor had 21 points, and Cuttino Mobley had 19 points
and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who lost for the sixth time in
seven games against Western Conference teams.
"We had a lot of fouls toward the end of the game, and that
really hurt us down the stretch," Francis said. "The big 3 at the
end really sealed our fate."
Van Exel, who was 13-for-15 at the free throw line, gave the
Nuggets a 100-98 lead on two free throws with 1:45 left, but
Francis tied it 30 seconds later with a driving layup, setting the
stage for LaFrentz.
"You have to get the ball covered, get the ball out of Van
Exel's hands and go with the percentages," Rockets coach Rudy
Tomjanovich said.
Houston eschewed a timeout and missed two 3-point tries. Van
Exel hit two free throws with 17 seconds to go.
It was appropriate that LaFrentz's 3-pointer was the difference
as Denver thrived from long range. The Nuggets, who hit their first
six 3-point attempts, had five different players score from behind
the arc and finished 11-for-19.
"We have a lot of guys who can stick it from outside," Van
Exel said. "When McDyess is going good and teams have to
double-team him, they know they're going to pay."
Francis, Houston's leading scorer, was held to seven points in
the first half, but made 5-of-6 shots in the third quarter to help
the Rockets stay close. His long 3-pointer in the final seconds
pulled Houston to 79-78 heading to the fourth.
Van Exel responded by outscoring Francis 13-4 over the final 12
minutes.
"That is a pretty good battle to watch," Denver coach Dan
Issel said. "They play all summer together in Houston and they
enjoy going after each other. I think so far Nick has gotten the
better of that matchup."
Game notes
The Nuggets activated G Calbert Cheaney and placed C Garth
Joseph on the injured list with a left groin strain. ... Houston C
Hakeem Olajuwon did not make the trip to Denver but is close to
returning from a nagging knee injury. ... Denver began a stretch of
four straight games against Midwest Division rivals. ... Taylor,
who missed one game with the flu, scored Houston's first 10 points.
... With his first basket, Nuggets C Kevin Willis became the 68th
player in NBA history with 16,000 career points. ... The Rockets
dropped to 2-18 when trailing after three quarters. ... At 25-17,
Denver has its best record after 42 games since the 1987-88 season.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Houston Clubhouse
Denver Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 83
Atlanta 82
Washington 97
Charlotte 95
Orlando 116
Toronto 111
Philadelphia 114
Dallas 98
Milwaukee 105
New York 91
Minnesota 82
Phoenix 73
Seattle 91
LA Lakers 80
Portland 104
Chicago 100
San Antonio 110
Vancouver 77
Denver 105
Houston 100
Utah 100
Golden State 78
Sacramento 130
New Jersey 104
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Rudy Tomjanovich Official Site
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