Carmelo Anthony stars as the Denver Nuggets script out a 120-109 win over the Washington Wizards
Over the years, Carmelo Anthony has blossomed into a multidimensional player who can distribute the ball and score points at a canter. On Tuesday night at Verizon Center, Anthony continued his mid-range shooting display with 23
points and 7 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets beat the Washington Wizards 120-109. With this loss, the Wizards fell to a 13-31 record in the season, while the Nuggets improved to 26-18.
Denver was led by a balanced attack as six players scored in double-figures. Nene and Al Harrington had 21 points each. In addition to that, Al Harrington registered five breath-taking 3-pointers during the final stanza. Aaron
Afflalo finished the night with 18 points while Ty Lawson had 17 points in the victory. Chauncey Billups also registered 15 points for the Bronchos.
Nick Young landed a game-high 26 points while Andray Blatche totalled 25 points and pulled down 9 rebounds for the Wizards, who have dropped two-straight and four of their last five. JaVale McGee pounded 11 points and seven rebounds
and fellow rookie John Wall pulled down a game-high 13 assists to go with 10 points.
First Quarter
The Nuggets got off to a fast start, using quality defense and efficient scoring to take a 24-10 lead within the first eight minutes of the game. Denver however got a little bit loose around the mid-way point of the quarter, turning
the ball over and missing shots. This allowed the wizards to make a comeback. However, Denver finished the first frame with a 8-0 run to take a 33-26 lead into the second.
Five players scored for the Nuggets in the first, including a team leading 12 points by Billups. Andray Blatche also scored 15 of his 25 points in the first quarter.
Second Quarter
After turning the ball over three times in the first, the Wizards gave it up four times in the first six minutes of the second. However, they made up for their flaws with a 72.2 percent shooting from the field. Denver though also
made 11-of-20 from the field, taking a 68-56 lead into the locker room.
Third Quarter
The Wizard came within single digits early in the third but Denver launched a barrage of three’s to stretch their lead to 90-75 with just one minute to go in the third. The third quarter ended at 96-79.
Fourth Quarter
The Wizards fought hard during the final stanza, reeling off an 8-1 run to trim the deficit by nine points with 3:36 remaining. However, Harrington single-handedly countered their surge with his downtown shooting. His final trey
with 3.4 ticks remaining sealed the contest.
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