Faried, Barton Lead Nuggets to Win Over Magic
In their third game on this six game road trip, Kenneth Faried and Will Barton led the Denver Nuggets to a victory over the Orlando Magic.
Nuggets vs. Magic
This game started out looking as though it could be as rough as almost every other road game that the Nuggets have played this season, but it took a surprising turn. Orlando was hot-handed through the first quarter and led the Nuggets 25-14 (that’s the lowest points the Nuggets have had in a quarter all season). Denver turned things around in the second quarter, outscoring Orlando 35-23. At the half, Denver led Orlando 49-48. The Nuggets continued to hold their momentum through the third quarter, outscoring the Magic 32-22. By the end of the fourth, Denver outscored Orlando 22-19 for a final score of 103-89.
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The Nuggets were led by Kenneth Faried, who had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Will Barton had 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Emmanuel Mudiay played 31 minutes and had 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
Jonathon Simmons and Nikola Vucevic led the way for Orlando with 21 points a piece. Simmons also had 4 rebounds while Vucevic had a double-double with 17 rebounds.
Quick Stats
The Nuggets shot 49.4% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the three point line. Denver did better from the free throw line with 81.3%. Denver was able to grab 44 rebounds (6 offensive, 38 rebounds) and pass off 21 assists.
Orlando shot 39.8% from the field and 23.8% from beyond the arc. The Magic were 78.3% from the charity stripe. Orlando had 42 rebounds and 18 assists this evening.
Denver’s win tonight over Orlando means that they won the series 2-0 (our first meeting against Orlando ended 125-107). This win means that the Nuggets are now second in the Northwestern Division, only half of a game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves. Starting to look at the Western Conference, Denver is trailing Houston, Golden State, San Antonio, and Minnesota.
The next stop for the Nuggets will be in Indiana to face the Pacers, who are 15-11 on the season and 9-4 at home. This game will be on Sunday, December 10th, with tip-off being at 3:00 pm MST.