San Antonio Spurs edge past Denver 113-112
The San Antonio Spurs held their nerve to edge past the Denver Nuggets 113-112 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The win means they further extend their record as the best team in the Western Conference.
Box score
Players' stats
San Antonio Spurs (22-3)
Tim Duncan was the leading scorer as he scored 28 points. Tony Parker scored 24 points and nine assists, while Manu Ginobili contributed 16 points to the score.
The team grabbed eight rebounds.
Denver Nuggets (15-10)
Carmelo Anthony scored a game high 31 points, Arron Afflalo scored 20 and Nene Hilario contributed 19 to the struggling Nuggets score.
The team grabbed 11 rebounds.
Game stats
The Spurs grabbed 42 rebounds compared to the Nuggets 36.
The San Antonio Spurs dished out eight offensive rebounds, while the Denver Nuggets had seven.
Both teams gave away nine turnovers.
The Spurs took nine fast break points and the Nuggets had two only.
San Antonio took the biggest lead with nine points, and the Nuggets with twelve.
Spurs had 52 points in the paint whereas the Nuggets had 42.
Highlights
Play by play
Manu Ginobili missed a three-point shot for the Spurs in the beginning, while Nene grabbed a rebound for the Nuggets.
DeJuan Blair committed a personal foul for the Spurs, and right after that Afflalo made a running bank shot. The Nuggets led 37-28 at the end of the first quarter.
Gary Neal missed a three-point shot for the Spurs at the start of the second, while Gary Forbes grabbed a rebound for the Nuggets. Right after that Forbes missed a driving lay-up shot, and the Spurs grabbed a team rebound with over 11 minutes on the clock.
Then Afflalo grabbed a rebound, and Al Harrington made a three-point shot as Anthony Carter gave him an assist for the Nuggets. At half time the Nuggets were up by three at 58-55.
Duncan opened the third quarter for the Spurs with a jump shot, and Blair committed a shooting foul soon after. Nene then scored both free throws for the Nuggets. Jefferson then leveled with a three-point shot just as Ginobili gave him an assist. Lawson
made a jump shot for the Nuggets and Williams grabbed a rebound right after. However the Spurs were just a point ahead of Denver at the start of the fourth at 85-84.
Forbes missed a driving lay-up shot at the beginning of the final quarter for the Nuggets, and the team grabbed a marvelous rebound. Anthony then missed a jump shot and Ginobili grabbed a three-pointer for the Spurs.
It was Ginobili's bank shot that gave the Spurs a one point lead over the Nuggets, which was enough to clinch the game.
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