Kenneth Faried Scores Season-High: Nuggets Roll Over Lakers 119-101

Coming into this matchup of lottery-bound teams, the Denver Nuggets tried to get back on track after dropping four straight games against the Los Angeles Lakers. This game may seem worthless to most, but every fan should be paying close attention. Fans of winning teams are looking for their teams to jockey for playoff position, but these fans are paying attention for one reason and one reason only — draft position.

The first quarter started with a bang for the Nuggets as they jumped out to a 13-3 lead going into the first timeout thanks to a couple made threes, made free throws, and a monster dunk from Kenneth Faried that could be dunk of the year. Faried started the game on fire, making his first seven attempts in the quarter, bringing his point total to nine. The Lakers went on a run of their own in the closing minutes of the quarter, but one thing was clear from tipoff — the Nuggets came to play. Through the first quarter, Denver led 35-33, and Ty Lawson led all scorers with 1o points, with an efficient four for five shooting display.

It has been said that a team that lives by the three, dies by the three, and that was the case for the Nuggets through the second quarter. In the first quarter the team was stroking from deep, but towards the end of the first and most of the second quarter, the team died by the three to the tune of seeing their lead turn into a four-point deficit.

Thanks to a strong stand from the bench unit, they were able to tie the game back up at 41 about halfway through the quarter, but unfortunately they were unable to capitalize on the many opportunities the Lakers gave them to take control of the game thanks to stagnant offense. Going into halftime, the starting unit for the Nuggets pulled it together and took a 58-54 lead into halftime thanks to 15 points and 6 rebounds from Danilo Gallinari — who scored eight of the final nine points of the half for Denver.

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Los Angeles came out firing in the third quarter with a 7-0 run that was quickly extinguished by an 17-0 run by Denver, with clutch threes from Gallinari and Randy Foye, as well as four points from Faried. Then things got out of control courtesy of a monster alley-oop dunk from Faried that really demoralized the Lakers defense during the 31-8 run that lasted almost the entire third quarter.

With about two minutes left in the quarter, Foye left the game with an apparent rib injury and he would not return to the game. Will Barton came up with his usual highlight play of the night with a show-stopping block on a dunk attempt. This of course is the latest in an example of what his potential is. The Nuggets ended the quarter with a 22-point lead over the Lakers — Denver 93, Los Angeles 71.

The fourth quarter saw both of the bench units struggling to get a shot off as both opening possessions ended in shot-clock violations. Faried put the peddle to the medal in the fourth, really asserting himself inside with several rebounds, put-backs, and one impressive post move inside. Gary Harris made an appearance late in the game, adding seven of his nine points in the fourth.

After the third quarter run by Denver, this game was pretty much over. The Nuggets cruised to the easy win thanks to all of the starters scoring in double figures and big performances by Faried (season-high 29 points and 11 rebounds) and Danilo Gallinari (27 points and 7 rebounds). Denver snaps a four-game losing streak as they go on to win this one 119-101.

It was apparently clear that the Lakers pretty much gave up in the fourth quarter, as the game turned into easy dunks and layups for the Nuggets. Whether it was being down by twenty points or trying to gain the upper hand in lottery odds, it was clear that the Lakers just did not want to be in the building anymore — things got ugly to the point that Denver hit their first eleven shots of the quarter. Denver looks to make it two in a row as they take on the Dallas Mavericks at home on Friday.

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