Advertisement

Nuggets boost win streak to 14 with late rally

DENVER -- Miami isn't the only team finding magic during an impressive winning streak. The Denver Nuggets proved they could pull off an improbable comeback.

Corey Brewer hit three free throws with 2.1 seconds left and the Nuggets rallied from eight down in the final 2:07 to extend their winning streak to 14 games with a 101-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.

Brewer scored the last six points and finished with a career-high 29 as Denver, which trailed 100-95 with 14 seconds left, won its 16th straight at home.

"It wasn't fun, but it ended up being fun," Nuggets coach George Karl said.

Damien Wilkins led Philadelphia with a season-high 24 points but had his potential winning shot blocked by Anthony Randolph to preserve the Denver victory.

Jrue Holiday had 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Spencer Hawes added 17 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out for the Sixers, who lost their 15th straight on the road.

"That's some crazy stuff that just happened," Turner said. "The season's been rough. That's one you just shake your head. It seems like a fluke to me."

A night after Miami rallied from 27 down against Cleveland to push its win streak to 25, the Nuggets came up with a minor miracle.

The Sixers appeared to have the game won after taking a 98-90 lead with 2:07 left, but the Nuggets rallied.

With Denver down five, Brewer hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left. After Turner missed two free throws with 7.1 seconds left, the Nuggets called timeout and set up a play for Brewer.

"We just had to get a stop. We're winning," Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. "We're up two at that point, so we're winning."

Brewer came off a screen and got the ball near the top of the circle. He took a long 3-pointer but was hit on the left arm by Wilkins. Brewer stepped to the line with a chance to complete the comeback and calmly sank all three free throws.

"That first one, I'm not going to lie to you, a lot of nerves right there," Brewer said. "I was like, 'I've got to make the first one.' That's all I was saying in my head. I make the first one; the other two get a lot easier."

It wasn't for Philadelphia, which struggled in the closing minutes after Wilkins' jumper. The Sixers had a shot clock violation, two missed free throws and a foul to help the Nuggets rally.

"I was trying to challenge the shot aggressively," Wilkins said. "I was a bit too aggressive and I cost my team the win."

The Sixers called a timeout to set up the final play. The pass went into Wilkins. He was surrounded by 7-footer JaVale McGee and Randolph, who got a hand on the shot.

"There's no one to point the finger at. We played hard the whole game," Turner said. "Whatever could go wrong did go wrong."

The Nuggets won despite not having Ty Lawson (strained right heel) and Wilson Chandler (separated left shoulder).

Lawson and Chandler have been pivotal in the winning streak, each coming up with big games to keep it alive. Chandler had 35 points in the overtime win on Monday at Chicago and Lawson hit a winning shot on March 1 against Oklahoma City.

Denver struggled without the pair. A nine-point lead in the third quarter evaporated when the Sixers went on a 20-6 run to take a 66-61 lead late in the quarter. The Nuggets hurt themselves with five turnovers in the quarter.

The Nuggets seemed to right things when they took a 75-71 lead heading into the fourth, but the Sixers didn't blink. They led by as many as six midway through the quarter, and Holiday answered two free throws from Andre Miller with a corner 3-pointer to give the Sixers a 96-90 lead.

Denver was able to regroup to extend its franchise record for consecutive wins -- and keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race.

"We haven't thought about the streak. It's been a good effort by everybody," said Miller, who had a season-high 21 points. "We were short two guns today and we found a way to win against a team that knows how to play basketball. We found a way to win and that's what matters."

NOTES: The Nuggets haven't just won at home. They are currently on a six-game road winning streak. ... Entering Thursday, three of Philadelphia's previous four wins were against teams with winning records. ... Chandler said he expects to miss at least the next two games but hopes to return Wednesday against San Antonio. He said when he was injured against Oklahoma City he didn't think it was too bad. "It hurt a lot, but I didn't think it was a season-ender," he said. "It's feeling a lot better." ... Denver continues to lead the league in points in the paint, a stat that impresses Collins. "This team lives in the paint," he said. "I just watched three of their games and I think they have seven or eight games with 70 or more points in the paint. I think they're on pace to break the Lakers' record for points in the paint per game at almost 59 a game."