NBA Game Summary - Denver at Indiana
(Friday, December 7th)
Final Score: Denver 92, Indiana 89
Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - JaVale McGee and Corey Brewer totaled 20
points each, as the Denver Nuggets used a late surge to best the Indiana
Pacers, 92-89, on Friday.
Andre Miller, who dished out eight assists, scored eight of his 15 points in
the final quarter for the Nuggets, who have won two of their last three after
dropping three in a row.
"To get a close win was good for us," Brewer said.
Paul George ended with a game-high 22 points for the Pacers, who suffered
their second loss in the last six outings despite having all of their starters
score in double digits.
David West added 18 points and a game-best 11 rebounds, and George Hill
totaled 15 and 10 assists in defeat.
Miller hit two free throws, then consecutive buckets and McGee added a slam
to turn a three-point deficit into a 90-85 margin with 1:38 to play. After
Hill was short on a shot from beyond the arc, Miller connected again for a
seven-point spread with 1:01 to play.
George then sank a three and Lance Stephenson hit the last of two from the
line for a 92-89 game.
The Nuggets held for a final shot, but Hill blocked a three-point attempt by
Ty Lawson, dribbled the length of the court and worked a give-and-go before
rushing an off-balance, contested shot from the behind the arc on the right
wing that hit the rim and bounced out at the buzzer.
"We didn't make the plays at the end of the game that we needed," Hill said.
"We have to get in the lab and learn from it."
Indiana jumped out to a 12-2 lead early on, and though Denver shrunk its
deficit to 25-22 on a Brewer slam, Hill's triple had the hosts ahead 28-22
after one quarter.
The Nuggets pushed at the outset of the second, going up 31-29 on the second
of back-to-back buckets from McGee, then built their lead to 40-34 on a Miller
layup just after the midway point. The hosts were never able to reclaim the
lead but managed to get within 51-50 at the break thanks to a West jumper.
Danilo Gallinari's two from the line made it 58-53 for the visitors early in
the third, but a brief run from the hosts gave them a 62-60 edge on a George
layup. Once again a large lead was elusive for either team, and Denver led
69-68 heading to the fourth on a McGee alley-oop slam.
Denver led 80-74 midway through the final quarter thanks to a Brewer lay-in,
but a 13-2 run by Indiana ensued. Hill completed a three-point play during the
surge and Hill ended it with a trey with 3 1/2 to play.
Game Notes
Denver has beaten Indiana in six of the last eight meetings ... Kosta Koufos
and Andre Iguodala were the only Nugget starters to score in double digits,
with 12 and 10 points, respectively ... Stephenson ended with 12 points and
Roy Hibbert contributed 10 and nine boards in defeat ... Hibbert and Hill also
blocked three shots apiece ... Denver turned the ball over just eight times
and scored 23 points off 19 Indiana turnovers.
12/07 23:34:40 ET

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