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Saturday, Apr. 8 9:00pm ET
Van Exel helps Nuggets rally | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- Nick Van Exel, thoroughly outplayed by counterpart Gary Payton in three previous games this season, got the last laugh. Van Exel had 18 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, helping the Denver Nuggets rally to a 105-97 victory Saturday night over the Seattle SuperSonics. In the previous meetings, Payton had gone 29-of-56 from the floor, including 7-of-20 from 3-point range, and scored 81 points. Van Exel was just 7-for-37, including 0-for-14 from 3-point range, and scored just 14 points. "Van Exel isn't going to have bad games all the time," Sonics coach Paul Westphal said. "He's a good player." Van Exel insisted he "just missed shots in the other games. It's not like Payton was harassing me to where I couldn't make them. I've had great looks in all four games. I didn't really make shots tonight. I just think we had more energy and effort as far as pushing the ball and trying to create things in transition." George McCloud scored 20 points and James Posey 19 for the Nuggets, who snapped a four-game losing streak to Seattle. The Nuggets, who trailed by 14 points late in the first quarter, rallied to take a 77-74 lead entering the final period, and then outscored Seattle 23-13 in the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. "Between Posey and McCloud, and with the threat of Van Exel, they really have the ability to spread the floor for (Antonio) McDyess to go to work or find the open man," Westphal said. "They shot the ball with great confidence and effectiveness." Denver hit 10 of 19 shots from 3-point range, going 8-of-11 in the second half and 4-of-5 in the final period. Payton had 30 points and 10 rebounds for Seattle, and Brent Barry scored 20. The Sonics remained in eighth place in the Western Conference playoff chase and now trail No. 7 Sacramento by 1½ games with six to play. An eighth-place finish would match Seattle against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round; seventh would match the Sonics against Utah. "The Lakers or Utah, it doesn't make any difference," Payton said. "The way we are playing right now, anybody can beat us. The Nuggets put various defenders on the 6-foot-4 Payton, including Posey and McCloud, both of whom are 6-8. "We were trying to get somebody with a little more size on him," Denver coach Dan Issel said. "We haven't had much success stopping him. At least Posey got him to miss a couple of shots down the stretch." Posey hit three 3-pointers early in the third quarter, and Denver, which trailed 48-45 at the half, built a 56-52 lead. Barry's 3-pointer put the Sonics back in front, 60-58. McCloud and Barry traded 3-pointers, and Keon Clark's layup gave Denver a three-point lead after three quarters. Chris Herren and Raef LaFrentz had 3-pointers early in the final quarter, and Posey and McCloud subsequently hit from long range, making it 97-87 with 3:16 left. Shammond Williams hit five free throws, then made a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 102-97 with 21 seconds left, but the Sonics could get no closer. Denver outrebounded the Sonics 55-39. LaFrentz, a second-year player who had started each of his previous 86 NBA games, came off the bench for the first time and had 15 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots. McCloud scored five points as the Nuggets jumped out to a 7-0 lead, only to see the Sonics then go on a 28-7 run, including 8-0 and 7-0 spurts. Payton had 12 points in the quarter, and Seattle outshot Denver 55 percent to 22 percent. The Nuggets, trailing 30-18 entering the second quarter, climbed back to 48-45 at intermission. Van Exel scored seven points in the period and LaFrentz six, helping Denver shoot 52 percent to Seattle's 30 percent.
Game notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Seattle Clubhouse Denver Clubhouse RECAPS Dallas 98 LA Clippers 96
Denver 105
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