The Denver Nuggets played well in their back-to-back-to-back stretch. The
Sacramento Kings are hoping things start looking up after a rough start to
theirs.

The Nuggets will try to keep their perfect home record intact when they face
the Kings on Wednesday night.

Denver (4-2) opened a stretch of three games in three nights with a 92-89
road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, but bounced back with a 99-90
win over the Lakers the following night before recording a 91-86 victory over
Milwaukee on Monday.

The Nuggets, playing without starting forward Nene (bruised heel), showed
signs of fatigue, shooting 39.8 percent while committing 16 turnovers, but
outscored the Bucks 23-12 in the fourth quarter.

Danilo Gallinari finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Ty Lawson had
16 points and six assists.

“They didn’t look like they had three games in three nights,” Milwaukee’s
Stephen Jackson said. “That says a lot about how good of shape they’re in, and
they didn’t have Nene, so you’ve got to credit them for that.”

The win was Denver’s third in as many home games this season. They shut down
the Bucks in the fourth quarter after holding the Lakers to 19 points in the
final period on Sunday. Those teams shot a combined 40.9 percent and were 9 of
42 (21.4 percent) from 3-point range.

“In the fourth quarter it’s very easy to find extra energy,” Gallinari said
of feeding off the crowd. “You have a tight game, you want to win, especially at
home.”

Gallinari has elevated his play of late, collecting 41 points, 14 rebounds
and five steals in the last two games. He had 34 points and 14 boards in his
three previous contests.

The Nuggets may need another big game from him if Nene is sidelined again
Wednesday, although Al Harrington has been playing effectively off the bench. He
had 17 points and eight boards Monday and is averaging 15.7 points and 6.5
rebounds.

Like Denver, Sacramento (2-4) began its back-to-back-to-back series with a
113-96 loss to Memphis on Tuesday, but it could have a tougher time bouncing
back.

The Kings were outscored 31-17 in the first quarter, shooting 5 of 20.
Rookie Jimmer Fredette scored a season-high 17 points, shooting 4 of 6 from
3-point range, while J.J. Hickson contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds.

DeMarcus Cousins came off the bench and had four points and eight rebounds
in 22 minutes. Cousins was told on Sunday to stay away from the team by coach
Paul Westphal after demanding a trade.

“I wouldn’t say it’s resolved,” Westphal said before the game. “We will see
how it plays out. I think DeMarcus has to continue to show maturity and a desire
to go the same direction as his teammates. We’re all hoping that happens.”

Cousins is third on the team with 11.2 points per game and adds 10.6
rebounds.

Sacramento will close this three-game stretch Thursday against Milwaukee.
The Kings starters should be rested after Westphal pulled most of them early
Tuesday. No starter played more than 27 minutes.

The Kings have lost four of five overall against the Nuggets and five
straight in Denver since a 118-115 win on April 5, 2008.

January 3, 2012 – NBA Development League (D-League)
NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2012 – The Denver Nuggets assigned guard-forward Jordan
Hamilton and guard Julyan Stone to the Idaho Stampede, the Nuggets’ NBA
D-League affiliate, it was announced today. The assignment marks the 13th
and 14th time in the 2011-12 NBA season a player has been assigned to an
NBA D-League affiliate. It marks the first assignment for each player.

Hamilton (6-7, 220) is in his rookie season and has not appeared in a
regular season game for the Nuggets. One of the 10 finalists for the Oscar
Robertson Trophy, the USBWA’s National Player of the Year award, as a
sophomore at Texas. Led Texas in scoring (18.6 ppg) and ranked second in
rebounding (7.7 rpg) and minutes played (32.2mpg).

Stone (6-6, 200) is also a rookie in the NBA this year and has not seen
action. He ranks first all-time in UTEP history in career assists with 714,
having passed Tim Hardaway in senior season. Played four seasons at UTEP,
averaging 5.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals in 30.7
minutes per game in 138 games (129 starts).

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• San Antonio Spurs Recall Gary Neal from NBA D-League Affiliate Austin Toros – D-League

• Hamilton, Stone Assigned to Stampede – Idaho Stampede

• Armor Acquire Damian Johnson – Springfield Armor

• Skyforce-Charge Complete Trade – Sioux Falls Skyforce

• Denver Nuggets Assign Hamilton and Stone to NBA D-League Affiliate Idaho Energy – D-League

• Reno’s Blake Ahearn and Andre Emmett Named Co-Performers of the Week – D-League

• Wizards Partner with Touchstone Energy Co-ops – Dakota Wizards

• Mad Ants and Erie Conduct Trade – Fort Wayne Mad Ants

• NBA D-League Update – D-League

• San Antonio Spurs Assign Cory Joseph to NBA D-League Affiliate Austin Toros – D-League

• Erie Acquires Phillips, Jr. from Fort Wayne – Erie BayHawks

• Houston Rockets Assign Marcus Morris to Rio Grande Valley – D-League

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Kobe Bryant reached another career milestone in a mostly forgettable performance by the Los Angeles Lakers star. Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points, Ty Lawson had 17 points and 10 assists and the Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers 99-90 on Sunday night. The Nuggets scored the final 11 points and avenged a three-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier. Bryant scored 16 points to become the sixth player in NBA history to score 28,000 career points. He is first among active players and is 584 points behind former teammate Shaquille O’Neal. Reaching the benchmark came on a night when Bryant was 6 of 28 from the field and 1 of 8 from 3-point range. “We were trying to be aggressive on him and trying to make him take some bad shots,” said Gallinari, who spent much of the game defending Bryant. “When you play defense against him he can make some tough shots. But we did a pretty good job.” Bryant came into Sunday needing just four points short of 28,000 but he didn’t get it until he hit a free throw with 10:43 left in the third quarter. He had a rough start to the night and it never got better. Bryant missed his first five shots and committed two offensive fouls before sitting in the final minute of the first quarter. He returned midway through the second, hit a 3-pointer but missed his next four. “We’ve got tough defenders,” Lawson said. “Kobe’s a great player, he probably had an off-night tonight, but, still, we played great defense.” “He looked tired. I’m glad we were putting pressure on him and making him take tough shots,” he said. After a seesaw battle for most of the final period, the Nuggets closed strong to win it. Gallinari had two fast-break layups to give Denver a two-point lead with 2:07 left. After Pau Gasol missed a short turnaround jumper, Lawson’s layup gave the Nuggets a 94-90 lead with 1:20 left. “It was big,” Lawson said. “Getting easy layups, making free throws and getting stops. We needed that, especially after the last game.” The Lakers could have used a strong night from Bryant to complement the play of the Lakers’ post players. Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 16 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough against Denver. “I think fatigue had a lot to do with this loss because we weren’t playing very smart,” Bynum said. Bryant missed a 3-pointer from the top of the circle near the end and Al Harrington hit a 12-foot jumper to make it 96-90 with 49 seconds left. The Lakers took a 90-88 lead on Bryant’s layup with 2:47 left and didn’t score again. “He’s got to continue to find his stroke,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Bryant. “I told the entire team that we shot too many jump shots. We’ve got to drive the ball or get the ball inside, one of the two. We didn’t do a good job with either today.” The Nuggets held a 26-5 edge in fast-break points. “I feel they have size at every position on the court and I feel we have speed at every position on the court,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “The only way I know to incorporate it into a strategy is try to play fast and quick.” Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Lakers came out strong in the third quarter. Bynum scored seven points in the first four minutes, including a three-point play that tied it at 50. Denver didn’t hit its first field goal of the second half until Lawson’s drive gave the Nuggets the lead back with 7:03 left. Gallinari followed with Denver’s first 3-pointer of the game to make it 55-50. NOTES: Denver was 2 for 18 from 3-point range. … The Lakers have played six games in the first eight days of the season, including three in three nights to open the schedule. … Lawson has scored in double figures in four of Denver’s first five games. … Denver came into Sunday second in scoring in the NBA but 24th in 3-point shooting.

DENVER – Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points, Ty Lawson had 17 points and 10 assists and the Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers 99-90 on Sunday night.

Nene had 13 points for the Nuggets, who avenged a three-point loss to the Lakers at Staples Center less than 24 hours earlier.

Pau Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant scored 16 points on 6-of-28 shooting.

After a seesaw battle for most of the final period, the Nuggets scored the final 11 points to pull out the win.

Gallinari scored two fast-break layups to give Denver a two-point lead with 2:07 left. After Gasol missed a short turnaround jumper, Lawson’s layup gave the Nuggets a 94-90 lead with 1:20 left.

Bryant missed a 3-pointer from the top of the circle and Harrington hit a 12-foot jumper to make it 96-90 with 49 seconds left.

The Lakers took a 90-88 lead on Bryant’s layup with 2:47 left and didn’t score again.

Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Lakers came out strong in the third quarter. Bynum scored seven points in the first four minutes, including a three-point play that tied it at 50-all.

Denver didn’t hit its first field goal of the second half until Lawson’s drive gave the Nuggets the lead back with 7:03 left. Gallinari followed with Denver’s first 3-pointer of the game to make it 55-50.

Denver’s lead grew to nine late in the third before the Lakers made another run to pull

to 72-71 heading into the fourth.

Bryant missed his first five shots and committed two offensive fouls before sitting in the final minute of the first quarter. He returned midway through the second, hit a 3-pointer but missed his next four.

The Lakers team didn’t fare any better. They missed their last 11 shots of the first half and were shooting just 32 percent at the break.

The Nuggets struggled from the field, too, missing all nine of their 3-point shots before the break, but they surged at the end of the second quarter. Leading 39-36, Al Harrington hit four free throws and had a nice interior pass to set up a dunk by Chris Andersen that helped Denver take a 47-36 lead at halftime.

Notes

Denver was 2 for 18 from 3-point range. … The Lakers have played six games in the first eight days of the season, including three in three nights to open the schedule. … Lawson has scored in double figures in four of Denver’s first five games. … Denver came into Sunday second in scoring in the NBA but 24th in 3-point shooting.

The Nuggets scored the final 11 points and avenged a three-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier.

Bryant scored 16 points to become the sixth player in NBA history to score 28,000 career points. He is first among active players and is 584 points behind former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

Reaching the benchmark came on a night when Bryant was 6 of 28 from the field and 1 of 8 from 3-point range.

“We were trying to be aggressive on him and trying to make him take some bad shots,” said Gallinari, who spent much of the game defending Bryant. “When you play defense against him he can make some tough shots. But we did a pretty good job.”

Bryant came into Sunday needing just four points short of 28,000 but he didn’t get it until he hit a free throw with 10:43 left in the third quarter.

He had a rough start to the night and it never got better. Bryant missed his first five shots and committed two offensive fouls before sitting in the final minute of the first quarter. He returned midway through the second, hit a 3-pointer but missed his next four.

“We’ve got tough defenders,” Lawson said. “Kobe’s a great player, he probably had an off-night tonight, but, still, we played great defense.”

“He looked tired. I’m glad we were putting pressure on him and making him take tough shots,” he said.

After a seesaw battle for most of the final period, the Nuggets closed strong to win it.

Gallinari had two fast-break layups to give Denver a two-point lead with 2:07 left. After Pau Gasol missed a short turnaround jumper, Lawson’s layup gave the Nuggets a 94-90 lead with 1:20 left.

“It was big,” Lawson said. “Getting easy layups, making free throws and getting stops. We needed that, especially after the last game.”

The Lakers could have used a strong night from Bryant to complement the play of the Lakers’ post players. Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 16 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough against Denver.

“I think fatigue had a lot to do with this loss because we weren’t playing very smart,” Bynum said.

Bryant missed a 3-pointer from the top of the circle near the end and Al Harrington hit a 12-foot jumper to make it 96-90 with 49 seconds left.

The Lakers took a 90-88 lead on Bryant’s layup with 2:47 left and didn’t score again.

“He’s got to continue to find his stroke,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Bryant. “I told the entire team that we shot too many jump shots. We’ve got to drive the ball or get the ball inside, one of the two. We didn’t do a good job with either today.”

The Nuggets held a 26-5 edge in fast-break points.

“I feel they have size at every position on the court and I feel we have speed at every position on the court,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “The only way I know to incorporate it into a strategy is try to play fast and quick.”

Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Lakers came out strong in the third quarter. Bynum scored seven points in the first four minutes, including a three-point play that tied it at 50.

Denver didn’t hit its first field goal of the second half until Lawson’s drive gave the Nuggets the lead back with 7:03 left. Gallinari followed with Denver’s first 3-pointer of the game to make it 55-50.

NOTES: Denver was 2 for 18 from 3-point range. … The Lakers have played six games in the first eight days of the season, including three in three nights to open the schedule. … Lawson has scored in double figures in four of Denver’s first five games. … Denver came into Sunday second in scoring in the NBA but 24th in 3-point shooting.

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