Gallinari scores 26 as Nuggets beat Wizards 117-113
Danilo Gallinari scored 26 points (9 during an 11-0 run in the third quarter), and the Denver Nuggets beat the Washington Wizards 117-113.
Gary Harris’ 3-pointer put the Nuggets ahead for good with 5:25 left in the fourth quarter.
The Wizards got within 107-105 on John Wall’s free throw with 1:53 to play, but Gallinari answered with a 21-foot fadeaway, and the Wizards got no closer.
Gallinari’s 2 free throws with 10.8 seconds left made it 115-109 and put it away.
During clutch time, the Nuggets outscored the Wizards 15-3. Gallinari scored 7 of the Nuggets’ 15 on 2 for 2 shooting and 2 for 2 at the line. In the fourth quarter, Jared Dudley had 2 of his 4 steals, and the Wizards scored 2 points off them.
Emmanuel Mudiay scored 20 points (10 in the paint).
For the Wizards, Garrett Temple scored 20 points with 5 3-pointers. The Wizards had 7 players in double-digit scoring.
The Nuggets shot 50.6% from the field and 50.0% from 3 to the Wizards’ 44.3% and 39.3%. The Wizards outscored the Nuggets 37-15 on the fast break. The Nuggets’ starters outscored the Wizards 43-31 in 16 minutes together.