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Drought ends Nuggets beat Spurs for first time in almost three years
Posted: Sunday December 19, 1999 01:13 AM
DENVER (AP) -- Nick Van Exel and Bryant Stith each scored a basket in the last 21 seconds and Ron Mercer had 25 points as the Denver Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs for the first time in nearly three years, winning 86-84 Saturday night. Van Exel, who was 1-for-10 through three quarters and had only six points for the game, put the Nuggets ahead 83-82 with a 15-foot jumper. After a San Antonio timeout, Stith, who finished with 14 points, stole the inbounds pass at midcourt and drove the length of the court for a layup. Tim Duncan, who had 33 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio, hit an off-balance shot with 12 seconds left but missed a shot at the buzzer after Roy Rogers had given Denver a two-point lead with a free throw. Keon Clark had a career-high 18 points for the Nuggets, who hadn't beaten the Spurs in 12 games. Denver, which last beat the Spurs on March 16, 1997, shot a chilling 19 percent in the first quarter. Denver took a 59-58 lead into the fourth quarter, but San Antonio used an 8-2 run to take a 66-61 lead. The Spurs extended it to a 72-65 lead with 7:05 left, only to have the Nuggets answer with a 12-2 run with Mercer's reverse layup with 2:55 left that gave Denver a 77-74 lead. Mario Elie's 3-pointer keyed a 7-2 run that included two free throws by Duncan and Avery Johnson's jump shot with 1:16 left before Ron Mercer tied the game at 81. David Robinson made only one of two free throws with 48 seconds left before Van Exel's layup. Trailing 38-35 at halftime, McDyess scored six points in the first two minutes of the third quarter to give Denver its first lead of the game, 43-42. Notes: The game was delayed 28 minutes when the lights went out 59 seconds into the game. ... Robinson became the all-time leader in games played for the Spurs (710). ... Raef LaFrentz was held out for Denver with an upset stomach. ... Duncan made his 158th straight start, the eighth-longest current streak. ... McDyess reached double-figure scoring for the 73rd consecutive time.
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