Nuggets hold off Sonics

Denver is now a half game ahead of the Clippers for the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoff race.

Allen Iverson notched 26 points and seven assists for the Nuggets, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Linas Kleiza scored 16 points and Steve Blake added 13 points and seven assists.

Earl Watson scored 28 points off the bench for Seattle, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Rashard Lewis had 27 points and nine boards, while Chris Wilcox added 20 points in the loss.

Seattle cut its deficit to four, 105-101, on Lewis’ trey with 2:15 to go in the fourth, but the Nuggets responded on a 9-2 spurt down the stretch to seal the win.

Denver got going on a 13-2 run capped by an Anthony jumper at the two-minute of the first, and led 28-18 heading into the second.

The Sonics caught up midway through the second by going on a 14-4 run highlighted by a pair of Watson treys for a 46-40 deficit with just under four minutes remaining. They trailed just 54-51 at halftime.

The Nuggets added to their lead, though, by scoring six straight midway through the third. But, Seattle went on a 17-6 burst down the stretch and Mike Wilks’ tip shot with six ticks left trimmed the deficit all the way down to 81-80 heading into the fourth.

Game Notes

This was the fourth and final meeting of the campaign between the Northwest Division rivals. The teams split a pair of games at the Pepsi Center, while the Nuggets defeated Seattle, 117-112, on January 23rd at KeyArena...Denver has won four of its last five at Seattle.