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Saturday, Dec. 11 8:30pm ET
Nuggets make up third-quarter deficit | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Trailing by 16 points in the third quarter didn't faze the Denver Nuggets. Nick Van Exel scored 27 points and had eight assists as the Nuggets had to came back to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 101-99 Saturday night. "We've been behind just about every game, but we were in this game from the beginning," Nick Van Exel said. "We just keep fighting." George McCloud added 21 and Antonio McDyess had 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Nuggets, who had lost two straight. Denver won despite missing Ron Mercer, who has missed five of six games with a sinus infection. "Everybody's been stepping up," Van Exel. "We've been getting it done." Ray Allen had 25 points and Glenn Robinson added 24 for the Bucks. Denver caught the Bucks, who were clinging to an 89-84 lead midway through the fourth, with a 13-5 run down the stretch. Rookie James Posey, who had 16 points, hit a 3-pointer and after a steal by Raef LaFrentz, Van Exel fed McDyess for a layup that tied it at 89 with 4:12 left. Ervin Johnson made a free throw for the Bucks, but McDyess answered with another layup. Sam Cassell, who had 16 points and 12 assists, gave the Bucks their last lead, 92-91, with a pair of free throws before Van Exel hit from in close. On the Nuggets' next possession, they worked the ball down to the baseline before LaFrentz hit a wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 96-92 lead with 1:51 left. Allen scored seven points in the last 41.1 seconds, but it wasn't enough as McCloud made one free throw and Van Exel and Posey sank two apiece to seal the victory. The Bucks squandered their biggest lead, 70-54 with 5:43 left in the third, by not finding a way to stop Van Exel. "For some reason, we play more shakey in this building," Bucks coach George Karl said. "There's a thin line of success in the NBA and we just haven't found it at home." His 12 points coming off layups, free throws and a 17-foot jump shot sparked a 30-13 run through the end of the third quarter and into the fourth as the Nuggets went ahead 84-83 on McCloud's three-pointer with 6:37 left to play. Tim Thomas stopped the surge with two free throws, a block of Van Exel's shot and a dunk just before Robinson hit a jumper that got the lead back to 89-84 for Milwaukee. But the Bucks couldn't put the Nuggets away. "I don't know if we're not sharing the ball, taking quick shots or if it's our defense," said Milwaukee's Scott Williams, who had 11 points and 10 rebounds. "But after you beat a division leader (Toronto), you're disappointed to come back to your home court and lose after a big lead."
Game notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Denver Clubhouse Milwaukee Clubhouse RECAPS LA Lakers 106 Vancouver 94
Denver 101
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