Denver Nuggets Team Report - March 8

(Basketball News) - The Denver Nuggets dropped their third straight game on Tuesday, as they dropped a 103-94 decision to the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers at Sunday.

Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points and hauled down eight rebounds, and Voshon Lenard and Andre Miller each posted 12 points, as Denver lost for the eighth time in nine games.

With the Pacers up 88-86 in the fourth quarter, Anthony Johnson put a runner hard off the glass and in to push Indiana’s lead to four points, but Anthony responded with a driving layup to make it 90-88.

Jermaine O’Neal then converted a three-point play after being fouled on a jumper in the lane, and Earl Boykins missed at the other end, leaving Indiana ahead 93-88 with just over a minute to go.

Johnson connected on a free throw to make it a six-point game, and with 35 seconds to go, Boykins hit a layup to close the gap to 94-90. Johnson then hit two free throws and Voshon Lenard did the same for the Nuggets, making it 96-92.

Reggie Miller then drained two foul shots before Anthony hit a jumper to keep it a four-point game with 12 seconds left. But Anthony committed a technical foul against Fred Jones on the ensuing inbound pass, and Jones hit the free throw to put Indiana up five and end the drama.

The Nuggets, who are 1 1/2 games ahead of the Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, will return to action on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards.